Studying, planning, Don Giovanni…
Hi there! I hope you are well. This week I am studying some oratorio repertoire and some arias I wanted to work on since long time.
Also, I am planning an upcoming trip to Mexico. I will be visiting family and, I want to be really productive with my time there. I also kept writing to theatres, I can only hope they will read my emails and they will reply, as you know as freelance, I must do all the work and just wait until my chance comes.
On Friday was the premiere here in Chemnitz of Don Giovanni. Akiho sang Don Anna and she debuted this role. She did a very good job and was really good on stage. For the staging, it was ok, nothing special. The movements of all the characters should have been really precise and kind of exaggerated, puppet like movements, with changing expressions, arm positions, steps forward, to the side, etc. But most of the time all the singers except Aki, forgot and just moved very casually and sometimes remembered along the way “shit, I have to move like this” then they committed to it. But most of the time they were completely out of it. When Aki committed to the movements the whole opera, seating at in the audience, one thinks “ah! Like this should be everyone moving”, I understand it could be very uncomfortable, but then change the concept of the whole, because no one is doing it properly and it just becomes a distraction. I do not believe Don Giovanni can be staged in this way, it becomes too superficial, and the plot is somehow lost, I believe this concept does not work, except every singer was committed to it, then maybe my opinion would change. Also, during the recitativi, where most of the story happens, they were most of the time all too rushed and I heard only consonants and not vowels, they chopped the Italian language. Then I found out there was no Italian coach for this opera, and it was noticeable for those who speak the language. Also, there were many double “r” were there should not be. Musically the work was not bad, but again, the dynamics were all over the place. Some “piano” parts were exaggerated, and it was too piano for some voices, that they sang off the voice and then the quality was lost. Nevertheless, I know it is not an easy opera but in a theater like this, the level musically and technically should, must be better. Some singers were really good, especially Zerlina, Don Anna, and at some spots Leporello.
I keep doing my exercise routine, my daily reading and my morning pages.
I hope you are well, please take care and see you next week.
