Nemorino, Jumping in, Aachen…

Hi there! I hope you are well. In my previous blog, last week I had to remember Lenski and learn the staging in case the tenor got sick, I was as standby. It was stressful for me to remember the Russian text, the music was there, but the text was the challenging part. I did not know at that time that remembering Lenski would be a sort practice or preparation for what was in store for me this week. On Friday I got a call from theatre Aachen to jump in as Lenski, but because of the train connections, it was too late for me and I would have not arrived on time for the performance, if I knew 1 hour before I would have managed, so I had no option but give up on the idea of making it, I was so excited about it but it was impossible. Fortunately, the next question came from the other end of the phone  “how is your Nemorino?” to which I replied very energetic, that the role fits me really well and of course I can jump in, so the deal was done. So Nemorino became my whole weekend and my brain ran to its limits. I said yes despite not haven’t sung Nemorino for the last ten years, because I believe this is one of my favorite roles and one that feels like home, no matter what I would make it work. At the same time I knew it was going to be risky because it is such a long role and you need stamina plus for 10 years I have not really looked into the music except for the arias and one duet. After making all the arrangements which include, talking about the fee, travel, expenses, rehearsal, and getting the video from their premiere to look at it, I went straight to the theatre here to check the role with my voice and remembering all the music, text, recits. At that moment I realized the challenge was huge for me, I kept focus and prepared everything to the best of my abilities, even 1 hour before going on stage I was still finding out how to do some staging parts and learning from the assistant (of the staging).

On Friday I worked on the music and video, on Saturday I travelled for around 8 hours to get to Aachen, did the checking in at the hotel, then headed directly to the theatre for the costume department to try the outfits of Nemorino, and then directly to practice the musical parts that I thought were essential for me to practice before the show, I had to really check and prioritize the most important parts for me, as the show was the following day I could not tire myself and had to be really smart to keep voice for the jumping in. Then went to buy dinner and finally to the hotel to keep working on the staging and memorizing the cuts, and duets, and some recits, I worked on Nemorino from 9 am until midnight. The next day, that means on Sunday I woke up, did my routine then breakfast and then went through the music with the score, then with the video and no music, then at around 2 till 4:30 pm I had a rehearsal with the Reggie assistant and the soprano playing the role of Adina. Afterwards I had one hour to eat then 5:30 back at the theatre to check the stage and rehearse a bit some movements with the Belcore and Dulcamara, then to make up, finally around 6pm warming up and show at 7pm.

Once the performance started I felt not relax but I really trusted that I was going to be fine even if I had to improvise, and because I had to remember so many things, it took a bit the pressure of just thinking on singing, so I felt freer and more just in the moment. It was a really surreal and great experience. I love singing Nemorino and this time after so many years was still amazig for me. The last time I sang it was at Freiburg Theater.  It brought so many memories and specially I really enjoyed feeling that this role feels so natural for me to play. Nemorino is such a great character to play in my opinion. Also the singing is challenging but after 10 years became easier to sing, there were so many places I sang before just out of will and freshness of the voice and this time it felt so natural and I know now how to navegate technically my voice much better and not only in some instances by instinct.

During the 1st act I do not leave the stage so it is a big chunk of music and many numbers. After the first act was done, I knew the most difficult has passed and now I had to continue to stay focus to end up really well and sing “una furtiva lagrima” the most honest I could. It all went well, I could finished the opera, I did all the staging how rehearsed, I could sing Nemorino without any problems until the end and I am really happy for the hard work I put into it. I am conscious now of the things that I have to work on from here on. Singing this Nemorino as jump in, gave a nice understanding where my voice is at this moment and how now I can work again on this role to develop even more and put it again on my voice. Theater was really happy, the team, the audience and myself. I feel it was a blessing to sing there, as I have been lately not so often on stage. During my time in Wurzburg I was there every week performing and rehearsing, since I started freelancing it takes time to reach new opportunities and be on stages frequently. This is a self imposed situation, I wanted to leave the position in Wuerzburg to search for new opportunities and a new path, as I knew well, my time there ended and I needed new ways, now horizons and discovery to go further in life and in my career, and specially growth.

Now, every time I can be on stage I really feel only gratefulness for God to allow me to work and do what I have been learning, practising since childhood. It was magical for me to be part also of a very nice production of L’elisir d’amore and the colleagues who sang were also really good and supportive, and we had fun doing the performance.

What I liked is that I was really on the flow, somehow I was aware of the difficulty but I was never fearful and that is really nice, because I could enjoy many moments of it. And the whole opera went actually really quick for me.

I thank God for the opportunity, and I will remember this performance as something really special. Ah! I almost forget, at the beginning of my Una Furtiva, suddenly a recording of “ Can’t help falling in love with you” started to sound really loud, we stopped the aria because the music would not stop, honestly I felt so surreal and surprised but never upset of disappointed, I found it incredibly funny, main reasons being, in the whole opera the most intimate moment where all is really still is precisely “un furtiva lagrima” and not only the loud music came exactly at that point, but also, the song is about love and it is a beautiful one. The reaction of the public was first silence, I could hear from my left ear that people from the side of the stage, going on about what just happened, how is it possible and I heard finally the music come to a stop. After, I smile and slowly started laughing, the conductor followed and the audience responded the same way, all a big laugh, it was just so incredible in a positive way. Theatre is full of surprises, and that was a big one, all is possible I guess. I found it was great because we repeated the beginning and that somehow help me to sing the aria more comfortable, and I really enjoyed the moment. I will never forget this performance. I could finish my aria and the performance without any more interruption and it was a complete success and the audience applause to all colleagues was very warm and positive.

I kept reading, doing my morning pages and my exercise routine. I hope you are well and see you next week. Please take care.