Shifting Gears

From carefree student to harried freelancer in just a week! I've been spending most of my nights in rehearsals for 'Boheme' and 'Cenerentola' (chorus, of course). 'Boheme' doesn't provide too many challenges since it's only about ten minutes of music. The tricky part with Puccini is knowing exactly where to should "Andiam!" or something similar, because you're often sitting around for ten minutes with nothing to sing. 'Cenerentola', while the music is easy, has SO many words! I've really got to get going with my memorisation since I am not the world's fastest memoriser. Especially with choral music. I feel like with solo music I can get in touch with the meaning of a poem and really get inside the construction of the words. Opera libretti (9 times out of 10) do not typically offer the same riches that Goethe or Verlaine can provide...

I'm also trying to get all of those fun "getting established" things sorted (cell phone, bike, health insurance, finding grocery stores, etc.). It's nice to be back in Philadelphia with all of its gritty quirkiness. I'm definitely missing the UK though...

Hallelujah!

I'm done my degree! Recital done, thesis handed in. Two more letters to put after my name. Too bad it doesn't mean any more job security...

Recital Rundown

I thought I'd put a little summary up of my upcoming final degree recital here at York. It's a good program (I think) and I'm excited to perform it on Wednesday.

Gounod -Serénade, Le Soir
-These are two really lovely songs by an unjustly neglected song composer. Gounod really sent the melodie on its way, blending elements of Schumann and Schubert with his own particular melodic style. 'Sérénade' has the sort of beguiling melody that sticks in your head after you hear it. 'Le Soir' is like the best of Schubert's night songs, serene and spacious with subtle harmonic shifts and a real lyricism.

Massenet-Poeme du souvenir
-This piece is a gem. Massenet wrote a number of song cycles in the late 1860s and early 1870s modeled on Dichterliebe or Frauenliebe und-leben, including Poeme du souvenir to poetry of Armand Silvestre. It's a shame that no one does them because they are well written for the voice and piano and provide a nice contrast to all the German cycles.

Fauré-Hymne, La Rançon, Chant d'automne
-Fauré wrote three songs to poems of Baudelaire, under the influence of Duparc, Schumann and a general dark mood caused by the Franco-Prussian War in 1871. They're quite unlike any other songs he wrote, being largely dramatic and experimental in form. To be honest, probably not the best Fauré songs to perform, but very interesting to study...

Duparc-L'invitation au voyage, Chanson Triste
-Two old chestnuts, and here we get to hear Duparc's interpretation of Baudelaire next to Fauré's. Duparc wins. Lovely to sing and play, these songs never lose the spark that makes them special.

So there you have it: 'Standing in the Shadows of Schumann-The dawn of the glory age of French Song'

The Eraser

I've decided to weigh in on Radiohead singer Thom Yorke's newish solo album since it's been on steady rotation for a few weeks now. 'The Eraser' is beginning to grow on me now that I've navigated past the blips and beeps towards the real songs underneath. Yorke reaffirms his skill with cool chord progressions, funky bass loops, cryptic lyrics and even the occasional beautiful falsetto vocalise. My only complaint is to be expected since it is the work of one artist with a producer (albeit the exceptionally talented producer Nigel Godrich): there's not quite enough contrast for my taste. The beauty of Radiohead's albums is the juxtaposition of electronicky minimalist-type songs, beautiful piano or guitar-based ones and songs which fuse the two. It shows just how important the contributions of the other band members are: a simultaneously melodic and sturdy bassline, an improbable drumbeat in 11/4, beautiful guitar processing, and orchestration. The bottom line for me is that Thom Yorke is good, in fact really good but he's exceptional when he has his collaborators with him. At any rate, it's a nice appetizer until the next Radiohead album arrives...

Now for the moment you have all been waiting for: The end of my ban on talking about sports! American football season starts in just a week and I'm excited about the Philadelphia Eagles. Although we all say this every year, I think this squad has really good potential; a perfect blend of young and experienced guys with one of the best quarterbacks in the league at the helm. Tough division though...

Right now I'm wrestling mightily with dead French composers. So far I'm tied with Faure, Massenet is just beating me, and I've got Duparc and Gounod on the ropes.