This week I am going to continue banging on about the same theme-about becoming a person that can not only make beautiful sounds, think artistically and phrase gracefully; but have all these qualities and then develop into a stage animal, a true performer who has the abilities needed to tap into their deeper depths and perform what is latent in all of us. About being the sort of person that can do anything on stage.
When I was a student at the Guildhall I was lucky enough to work with the legend that is Emanuele Morris. He was our Italian coach, Royal Opera House Italian coach and friend to us all. He was a great supporter, and took me to sing for his amico at the ROH Ferruccio Furlanetto. I sang in his dressing room 15 minutes before curtain up for his Figaro. He was so kind, relaxed and so un-theatrical. I later sang a role with him, and would sometimes sit on the same table with him and Emanuele in the canteen. His demeanour off-stage was one of a bank manager. There was so ‘show’ with him, yet onstage his performances were immense!
Earlier in my studies my teacher, the great Rudolph Piernay, had told me I needed to become MORE theatrical. I took that to mean that my slightly shy personality and lack of luvviness would harm me as I left school and tried to work my way through the profession.
I then became obsessed with Bryn Terfel, having seen him sing many times and been blown away by his stagecraft (and voice). Again I’d met him a few times and seen how larger-than-life he is generally.
A rather camp baritone ahead of me in years at the Guildhall told us all we need to be camp to succeed post-college….
I remember starting to feel very confused about how to ‘BE’ myself as a singer. It started to mess with my mind. I was leaving school each summer and singing small roles in festival operas. The pros that I was meeting were mostly normal, sound guys ’n’ gals who were there to do a job. Of course some were camp/showy etc. But mostly you’d describe them as professional. It started to seep into my stage work. How should I hold myself onstage. I remember asking every drama coach I could speak to-what do you do with your hands. (The best answer I received to this was ’If you need to ask you won’t know’. He meant that you find it out for yourself, I was looking in the wrong place. Of course, the hands and what to do with them are all linked to a posture that is coordinated with your technique. Then they look after themselves.)
It was messing with my mind.
At the National Opera Studio the great Graeme Vick came in for a spell with us young singers. It was an incredible two weeks. I remember asking him about Bryn-he’d directed Bryn’s first proper opera job at Welsh National Opera, Gugliemo. He told me that Bryn was rigid and wooden onstage, yet so loose and free off. He talked to Bryn about going ‘through the door’ into a singing personality. He helped Bryn go through this door, and suddenly all the sparkle, fizz and epic-ness of the owner of THAT monster voice started to dazzle onstage. This changed my life. To me it meant that I could be someone else onstage. Someone totally different yet in MY body and mind. It could be ME being SOMEONE ELSE. Suddenly the possibilities are endless.
Us singers need to develop a second skin, a singer’s personality. We need to understand that we can do ANYTHING, be ANYTHING onstage. Going back to an earlier blog-we need to choose what we want to be. Do we want to be a pliable, open performer that can respond to a great director? Or do we want to Park and Bark…?
In my teaching I have a lovely chap come for lessons with his wife. Mike is his name. He has a role in The Marriage of Figaro coming up. Antonio. I’ve been working on helping him find his character. He was singing a line of recit, and suddenly he slotted into a kind of pantomime/pirate/west country way of singing. And it was superb. Full of character, all the right inflections. He sang the recit, and broke off saying “But it isn’t me!”, to which his wise wife shouted “It’s not supposed to BE YOU!” It was his singing personality coming through, being developed.
Looking back I believe that Rudolph was absolutely right (he was always right, if he ever reads this-you were right about just about everything….!) My personality back then would never be able to cope with all that my career threw at me. I would never have been able to spend half my life in Germany naked on stage. never have been able to cope with all the crazy Don Giovanni productions. Never would have been able to twist and mould my body and soul into the needs of the artistry of the director. I needed to grow this second skin that took my performances away from my ego into a more collaborative approach, where a team can produce something without shame, fear or ego. I would never have WANTED a director to go crazy. I do now. I want the first production meeting to inspire, terrify and push me with what lies ahead! I despise boring and safe.
Going further-in our classical world we are better for having a second skin when we perform. Developing an awareness of the third person regarding ourselves makes us deeper and more interesting when we sing. Loud and showy types flourish in the glamorous entertainment industry where they can stay as they are. You can be a HUGE personality, but if you want to express more you need to find that stillness-look at Robin Williams in the film, ‘One Hour Photo’!
Both personality types need to develop their singing personality. Not just to ‘cope’, but to grow! Coping is important. Diva\Divo strops are the result of tired and over-emotional reactions. Nobody enjoys them. A second skin, a singer’s personality. If you haven’t got one-get one!
The people around you need to know and understand also. My wife knows me as Mike. When I turn up for a gig or rehearsals and I embrace the soprano, call everyone darling and insist my latte is ‘skinny’, she needs to know I am acting a part, and will be back to my boring self at home!
When I was a student at the Guildhall I was lucky enough to work with the legend that is Emanuele Morris. He was our Italian coach, Royal Opera House Italian coach and friend to us all. He was a great supporter, and took me to sing for his amico at the ROH Ferruccio Furlanetto. I sang in his dressing room 15 minutes before curtain up for his Figaro. He was so kind, relaxed and so un-theatrical. I later sang a role with him, and would sometimes sit on the same table with him and Emanuele in the canteen. His demeanour off-stage was one of a bank manager. There was so ‘show’ with him, yet onstage his performances were immense!
Earlier in my studies my teacher, the great Rudolph Piernay, had told me I needed to become MORE theatrical. I took that to mean that my slightly shy personality and lack of luvviness would harm me as I left school and tried to work my way through the profession.
I then became obsessed with Bryn Terfel, having seen him sing many times and been blown away by his stagecraft (and voice). Again I’d met him a few times and seen how larger-than-life he is generally.
A rather camp baritone ahead of me in years at the Guildhall told us all we need to be camp to succeed post-college….
I remember starting to feel very confused about how to ‘BE’ myself as a singer. It started to mess with my mind. I was leaving school each summer and singing small roles in festival operas. The pros that I was meeting were mostly normal, sound guys ’n’ gals who were there to do a job. Of course some were camp/showy etc. But mostly you’d describe them as professional. It started to seep into my stage work. How should I hold myself onstage. I remember asking every drama coach I could speak to-what do you do with your hands. (The best answer I received to this was ’If you need to ask you won’t know’. He meant that you find it out for yourself, I was looking in the wrong place. Of course, the hands and what to do with them are all linked to a posture that is coordinated with your technique. Then they look after themselves.)
It was messing with my mind.
At the National Opera Studio the great Graeme Vick came in for a spell with us young singers. It was an incredible two weeks. I remember asking him about Bryn-he’d directed Bryn’s first proper opera job at Welsh National Opera, Gugliemo. He told me that Bryn was rigid and wooden onstage, yet so loose and free off. He talked to Bryn about going ‘through the door’ into a singing personality. He helped Bryn go through this door, and suddenly all the sparkle, fizz and epic-ness of the owner of THAT monster voice started to dazzle onstage. This changed my life. To me it meant that I could be someone else onstage. Someone totally different yet in MY body and mind. It could be ME being SOMEONE ELSE. Suddenly the possibilities are endless.
Us singers need to develop a second skin, a singer’s personality. We need to understand that we can do ANYTHING, be ANYTHING onstage. Going back to an earlier blog-we need to choose what we want to be. Do we want to be a pliable, open performer that can respond to a great director? Or do we want to Park and Bark…?
In my teaching I have a lovely chap come for lessons with his wife. Mike is his name. He has a role in The Marriage of Figaro coming up. Antonio. I’ve been working on helping him find his character. He was singing a line of recit, and suddenly he slotted into a kind of pantomime/pirate/west country way of singing. And it was superb. Full of character, all the right inflections. He sang the recit, and broke off saying “But it isn’t me!”, to which his wise wife shouted “It’s not supposed to BE YOU!” It was his singing personality coming through, being developed.
Looking back I believe that Rudolph was absolutely right (he was always right, if he ever reads this-you were right about just about everything….!) My personality back then would never be able to cope with all that my career threw at me. I would never have been able to spend half my life in Germany naked on stage. never have been able to cope with all the crazy Don Giovanni productions. Never would have been able to twist and mould my body and soul into the needs of the artistry of the director. I needed to grow this second skin that took my performances away from my ego into a more collaborative approach, where a team can produce something without shame, fear or ego. I would never have WANTED a director to go crazy. I do now. I want the first production meeting to inspire, terrify and push me with what lies ahead! I despise boring and safe.
Going further-in our classical world we are better for having a second skin when we perform. Developing an awareness of the third person regarding ourselves makes us deeper and more interesting when we sing. Loud and showy types flourish in the glamorous entertainment industry where they can stay as they are. You can be a HUGE personality, but if you want to express more you need to find that stillness-look at Robin Williams in the film, ‘One Hour Photo’!
Both personality types need to develop their singing personality. Not just to ‘cope’, but to grow! Coping is important. Diva\Divo strops are the result of tired and over-emotional reactions. Nobody enjoys them. A second skin, a singer’s personality. If you haven’t got one-get one!
The people around you need to know and understand also. My wife knows me as Mike. When I turn up for a gig or rehearsals and I embrace the soprano, call everyone darling and insist my latte is ‘skinny’, she needs to know I am acting a part, and will be back to my boring self at home!