We all have to remember that Violetta, Carmen and Dalila weren't exactly Sunday
School Teachers...As for scantily clad classical singers, very few would
actually be able to pull that off.
We all have to admit that "sex sells"! The music learning center where I
worked (until 1/7/03) closed and the CEO shut down the webpage. You guessed
it! The very next day there was a porno site there with celebrity nudes
(Britney Spears, but no Charlotte Church, YET! HAHA!!) and links for oral and
interracial sex. It was undoubtedly one of those "Kodak Moments" for my
memoirs! My bio page had a dozen DVD covers that left little to the
imagination!
A friend once asked me if I was aware that the women in the coffee shop that I
enjoyed were prostitutes. My response was "Of course!"! I figure that one
day when I'm coaching "Mon coeur s'ouvre a ta voix" I'll be able to draw on
those experiences!
My "favorite" prostitute of all time would have to be Lexington, KY's Belle
Brezing, who was used by Margaret Mitchell as the prototype of Belle Watling in
her "Gone With The Wind". Ms. Brezing was most generous. One Christmas, in
the 1910s before she was forced out of business by the US Army, Belle asked John
Jacob Niles to come over with three other singers and perform Christmas Carols
for her girls. Mr. Niles was a struggling young musician at the time. He
failed to locate three other singers to complete the requested quartet, but put
in the scheduled appearance at Madam Breezing's "Palace of Pleasure" and sang
his carols accompanying himself with his guitar. "I Wonder As I Wander" and
"Jesus, Jesus, Rest Your Head" are among his most haunting melodies and come to
mind. The Madam and her girls were beautifully dressed and Mr. Niles enjoyed
breakfast after singing for them. Madam Brezing engaged him in polite
conversation during the meal and, when it was time for him to go, presented him
with an envelope. To his delight, he found that Belle Brezing had paid him for
the ENTIRE quartet of singers and he was then able to purchase a winter coat.
Like her literary and motion picture counterparts, Belle Brezing truly had a
heart of gold!
I would say that if the accompanist can transpose, "Don't Cry For Me, Argentina"
would be successful. Evita Peron was also no Sunday School Teacher!
Ed
Pure vowels, long phrases and elaborate embellishments are the three principles
of "bel canto"...Tone supports breath and not breath the tone!
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