Gratitude - Day 23

I'm grateful for good directions.

Gratitude - Day 22

I'm grateful for intense, honest gazes.


Photos:

*"Edward Scissorhands" on La Rambla

*Beautiful old soul in the Boqueria Market

Gratitude - Day 21

I'm grateful for 'fresh' fruit and imagination!

Gratitude - Day 20

I'm grateful for the beautiful view from the rehearsal room at the Liceu - there is nothing like working through the Act 1 quintet and turning to see this light begin to fall over the city.

Gratitude - Day 19

I am grateful for a beautiful walk to work and for palm trees in December!

It's funny to me also, that after nearly 3 days of rehearsing here in Barcelona, almost all the opera is up on its feet! (As opposed to the 3 weeks we took to stage it last time around!) I appreciate so much the patience and willingness of the director, Joan Font, to integrate the different personalities into 'his' production - something which not all directors are always willing to concede. This time around we have a good mixture of veterans ("there's some Peruvian tenor who apparently has made a name for himself singing this repertoire", she says with tongue firmly in cheek) and newbies, (a Spanish baritone debuting as Dandini - NOT an easy role!) For me, stepping back into the shoes of Angelina is such a welcome, wonderful fit, and it reminds me (once again!) the importance of repeating roles - and repeating them - and repeating them. It's so wonderful to have my mind free of the musical intricacies (aside from working on a few new variations) and technicalities of the role, and simply being able to PLAY her. That is when freedom can spring up, and freedom on stage can be such a magical quality!


Photos:

*The Plaza Real, Barcelona

*Joan Font, in an elevator at the Liceu

Gratitude - Day 18

I'm definitely grateful to be back in rehearsal for a role that I know inside and out, and in a production that I not only know, but really adore; it's surrounded by a team of enthusiastic, imaginative, life-affirming people who truly enjoy their work, and that makes it a joy to come to the theater each day.

In what will surely become a theme over the next few weeks, I'm also incredibly happy to be in the city of Barcelona! What an amazing city! I was here nearly 2 years ago for 2 quick concerts (my debut and likely retirement of the role "Fenena" in Verdi's Nabucco. I still remember the ovation that rained down on Maria Guleghina and Leo Nucci from the palchi after those performances, as the Liceu crowd immediately introduced itself to me as comprised of truly passionate music lovers. Singing here, I expect, will be a unique thrill. But the fever and pulse of this city hooked me, and I've been counting down the days until I could come back and explore it fully! So far, it has not disappointed:


Getting settled into a routine again feels very good. Since the final days of performing in Geneva, it has been non-stop for me. My time in NYC was exactly what I needed. First on the list was visiting my voice teacher and checking in to make sure things were in working order. It had probably been close to 2 years since I last saw him, and a lot of new notes have flown under the vocal bridge - and that can spell trouble for a singer. While I closely monitored and scrutinized myself through the new Massenet and the Strauss and the Handel, there still is no replacing that trusted set of ears outside of yourself to keep you in line. (Oh, how I miss the luxury of weekly voice lessons!) I do remember one of Steve's very first comments to those of us fresh and wide-eyed to the Houston Opera Studio some 10 or so years ago:

"My goal is to get you out of my studio."

Well, goal achieved! And truth be told, he was 100% right. I did not have the luxury of being near NY to systematically prepare all the past new repertoire with him - I had to rely on the skills and technique he taught me over the years to guide me, and ultimately I had to trust myself. (Easier said than sometimes done, by the way!) Reality crashes into your psyche when there is no one to turn to, and you must provide the answers to the questions you are seeking. My theory is that this is the process which begins to define us as artists - slowly, but hopefully surely, we begin to form what it is we want and need to say. That is our own to discover along the way.

A quick stop in Paris brought a crazy concert, which ended up being quite fun, despite no sleep, no jewels, and brand new repertoire being rolled out for the first time! A wonderfully supportive public made the evening quite special for me, and any chance to sing those pieces of Handel are such a gift. However, I should have known better than to use music not in a binder: there was a minor mishap due to a faulty page turn which left the poor bassoonist in "Venti turbini" playing a rather exposed solo when it should have been a ravishing duet with the hired singer! Note well taken.

But now, it's back to familiar fare, and honestly, the timing couldn't be better!

Photos:

*Our choreographer, Xevi, puts Cenerentola's 'rats' through their paces.

*One of the many extraordinary street artists which adorn the streets of Barcelona, "Edward Scissorhands"

Gratitude - Day 17

Each time I get to a new city, usually I'm renting an unfamiliar apartment. Most times pictures have been sent ahead of my signing the leasing contract, but more often than not the pictures depict a scenario far from the reality of the actual dwelling place, painting it in a much (much!) more flattering light than it deserves. Then begins the struggle of finding everything you need, orientating yourself with the surroundings, getting used to the odd smells, and sadly, knowing that the bed will be far from comfortable - simply because it is not your own. What a surprise and a delight, then, to find this apartment in which the pictures underplayed the comfort and space of my new 'home', and waiting for me were fresh flowers and a heaping bowl of fresh fruit, just the thing this spent, jewel-less, jet-lagged singer needs to boost her immune system! Fresh orange juice, anyone?!?!?!?

Gratitude - Day 16

I'm grateful for exquisite craftsmanship. Anyone who excels at something has my deep respect, and someone who can design a shoe like this, carrying the name "Valentino" no less, even if I could never walk in it as much as I'd like to be able to, makes me stop and think, "That is extraordinary."