Jerry Hadly is so articulate in this video, and makes me realize what a bubble that we live in— we as students at GSU DO listen to the great singers. How many times have I been able to talk about the great Baritones, Bryn Terfel, or Thomas Allen, or Simon Keenlyside. Not to say they have the best technique, but Wunderlich is frequently a conversation topic. We all know about Jessye Norman or Leontyne Price. I’m not sure that this is the case elsewhere, which, with youtube, blows my mind that this does not exist today.
I completely agree that a lot of people remove themselves from the stage and the original intention. People don’t give themselves permission to attempt to explore the other aspects of Opera, Dance, Set Design, the tradition itself. How many people watch the constant flow of interviews from the Royal London opera house, the incredible resource of Masterclasses done by Joyce DiDonato or Renee, or just to hear what are the other singers my age doing?
Why are classical singers are so arrogant? Because the art form that we pursue is an elite art form that people often think that because they know it at all then they are an authority. In a way, I think being an artist is about believing your in yourself— but when you aren’t constantly exploring that which has existed and that which exists in your reality and realm, breaking yourself down, listening to yourself and knowing that you always have room for improvement. I know I’m not, nor will I ever perfect. There is a huge line between believing what you do and just being careless with your learning.
Inappropriate choices of casting. I’m not sure if I always agree with this in the case of the newest Cardiff singer of the world, the antithesis of an opera singer that is thin— Jamie Barton is an incredible Mezzo who stands on stage and delivers. No one feels cold after her performances. However, in general the flashiness of opera with sets and modernity and sexy bodies, that removes the audience from any semblance of the original intention with no string of truth back to the composers intention. A lot of Baritones today are BEAUTIFUL men, but they aren’t the best singers. I’d like to see better singers, but you do have to be sexy these days. We are competing with Television, and all sorts of flashiness— at the heart of opera lies the heart of the thing itself which is to JUST SING, but the aspects of Theatre MUST come together on stage in order for it all to be convincing.
