My two favourite things in the entire world...

I knew I'd love this as soon as I saw the title. 'Sing'?! AND 'supper'...so many times have I tried to combine the two pillars of humanity; Food and Song. If I could only count the times I've been caught sneaking bites of toast, cake and other baked goods on the front row in choir...Rodgers & Hart combine the two far more successfully than I ever could. 'Sing for your supper' might have to be my new catchphrase :)

Questo e un nondo avviluppato

Genius. My von Stade obsession continues - and who says obsessions are bad?! It's led me to possibly THE greatest recording of this truly awesome sextet...

If there was anything to make me feel insufficient in the r-rolling department, it is most certainly this. I've just NEVER been able to do it...so judging from this video, that pretty much rules out me ever singing Cenerentola. Because, I mean, of course I could handle the ridiculous coloratura...it's just the r-rolling getting in my way.... :/ But my blatant singing impairment aside, I love the fact that they've taken this r-rolling business to the absolute extreme; something really to focus on. And boy have they got it perfect. Staccato + Rolled R's = My idea of Aural heaven.

I'm officially in love with von Stade's voice. She swaps between registers like she hasn't even heard of, let alone has, passagio...and it seems to come so easily that it seems like she's just speaking...just very relaxed and natural...I can't even really describe it all that well. I just know I love it. Lots.

From all of the other recordings I've seen/heard, I gather that for a director, this is quite a difficult piece to place. I mean, it's hardly reality. This is by far the best version I've found, and the silhouette idea was a pure revelation - perfectly simple and un-showy, leaving us to appreciate the music. If only all directors had had this idea! A lot of the versions were more than acceptable (the most recent Garanca version and a Bartoli production from the 90's) though we'll glaze over a certain production where the director thought adding nursery rhyme-like hand gestures would add a certain je ne sais quoi...

So it's a toss up now between buying the Met's new production with Garanca, or this film version from the 80's...my empty pockets are saying I have to choose...but I suppose there's no harm in having two Cenerentolas on the shelf right?!

Blogging Renaissance

This is the video that's getting me through Easter break. LOOK AT HER FACE! It's a) one of the best faces ever and more importantly b) look at the joy she gets from singing that lovely Mozart...and she makes it look so ridiculously easy.

The legend that is Frederica von Stade came to me in a dream whilst I was camping on an interesting incline in deepest darkest Wales, squished against the side of a damp tent freezing my little fingers off. Not the first place you'd expect to find Flicka. But there she was in all her glory...on the same programme as me...her name was just above mine on the recital list...'In my dreams' quite literally. She gave me a brilliant and motivational speech, which though I was very impressed with whilst sleeping, couldn't for the life of me remember now. And then she sang to me like an angel. Oh and I wept in her presence...wept like a baby. Which was odd, as up until about a week ago, I'd only heard of her, never actually listened. Needless to say, it was possibly the best dream ever - if there had been any form of cake or baked goods it would have definitely been stuck at number one for the rest of eternity.

I was slowly woken from this lovely alternative reality by a really worrying sensation due lack of circulation to my freezing extremities, and the wafting of men's deodorant from the tent next door indicated that it was time to get up for another day of ceaseless walking and generalised pain. It even got to the point where we'd step on sharp stones in an attempt to centralise the pain in one area, the masochists we are. Were it not for reminiscing over my dream (and of course the promise of a variety of sweets at regular intervals) I'm pretty sure I would have just sat myself down and refused to move.

So now I'm officially von Stade obsessed, so you can imagine my slight over excitement when Gramophone sneaked us all a peak at their 'new look' May issue. Not only is there a feature on von Stade's retirement (why did I not find out about her sooner!?) but the cover feature is of her successor, the incomparable Joyce DiDonato?! I nearly died. Then, when I had regained the use of my limbs, got in my car and drove to the nearest Gramophone stockist...which when you live in a ridiculously tiny town is no small feat. BUT I HAVE IT. And my life for the moment is complete...until of course I've finished reading.

"Abendsegen"

As well as my previous prejudice of things based on greek myth, I also have a slight fear of dramatic works in which children are played by adults. It seems to leave the roles open to massive exaggeration, and I end up sitting in my seat praying for the ground to swallow me up.

However, I heard of this piece, "Abendsegen", or "Evening Prayer" from Humperdinck's "Hansel and Gretel", and realised that the singers need nothing more than to sing the duet; the childlike simplicity and innocence of the writing doing all of the work for them. This clip is also worth listening to simply for the brilliance of Frederica von Stade - who has the power to make anything sound wonderful.

I came across the duet in a search of lyrics for a SATB lullaby I'm currently composing, and I not only found said lyrics, but also a beautiful duet that I really want to try.

I get the impression that if you didn't know this was from an opera, you'd think it was a sacred piece. It's the harmonizing mezzo line that gives me this impression, with melismas underneath the held soprano line, creating the feminine cadence that you come across in a lot of sacred music. I think. I'm not really explaining this very well...I'm having a musical mental block - just take a listen and you'll see what I mean. Obviously it's a child's prayer, and has religious connotations, and the style of composition is so reminiscent of works sung in church. This is, after-all, probably what Humperdinck wanted us to think, where he wanted us to be transported.

Also, you can forget the tenor/soprano duet; there is nothing quite like a mezzo/soprano duet. Someone important, I can't specifically remember who, has said that nothing quite conveys love like the sound of a female/female duet - hence the presence of so many castrati/trouser roles in opera. Clearly in this case, with the singers being young children, that love is in an innocent, divine love - voiced through this beautiful prayer.

I wish I could do this piece more justice...I've left writing far too late and now I'm struggling to think of anything remotely worthwhile to say. It may also have something to do with staying up until 2am to pour my heart out about Carmen last night. I might have to revisit this later on, I feel like I'm letting it down. Look out for Abendsegen Part II!

But finally, let's just hear it for Engelbert Humperdinck - the man with THE best name since...forever. There's a saying that 'Guiseppe Verdi was just plain Joe Green back home'; but Engelbert Humperdinck must have been awesome wherever he went. I would have bowed down in the street to a man with a name like that.