Despite the gorgeous August imposter day that you can see reflected in the glass above, I spent a solid chunk of today in The Library. It is its own time black hole. The stacks aren't particularly complicated, especially compared to my undergraduate libraries that probably had their own zip codes. It's more that music searches tend to be rather labyrinthian since each reference points you to another book. In a way, it's the ultimate scavenger hunt. Which edition do you want? Which library might have it? Oh wait - this score is for organ and three clarinets. But you wanted the vocal score reduction. In the composer's complete works. Which has mysteriously vanished from the shelves.
Okay, so it wasn't quite that twisty today. But I did find myself wandering the stacks long after I'd planned to be home practicing. Today was a bit of a time balancing act with the books (yes, entire books) I need to have read for tomorrow's opera seminar, the practicing to make sure I'm in good voice for an audition tomorrow, the two hour Feldenkreis (sort of like specialized physical therapy) class I squeezed in tonight, and the library class assignment. And don't forget about turning in early. Sleep is a crucial component for me to sing well.
The good news is that it's all interesting and fun. I'm a little edgy about tomorrow's audition, especially since I've never sung in this particular (giant) hall. But I love the piece I'm doing (the Debussy "La Romance d'Ariel"), and the folks for whom I'm performing are very nice. My wish is just for me to walk out of there tomorrow feeling like I was fully engaged in the music, centered in body and voice, and entertaining for the folks who have 12 hours of auditions to hear. Most of all, I want to enjoy it and have fun with it. Maybe I should concentrate on just one of these goals...
We'll see how it goes. Good wishes and warm thoughts are always welcome :)
~Hope
2 comments:
Hey Hope
Best of luck with the performance. Debussy is pretty hard, n'est-ce pas? Didn't he set that line about the green worm to music? Now that's a challenge.
Your love of music will come through in the performance, I'm sure.
The blogging is fun, btw. It encourages you to be a little more artistic about your on-line journal, knowing that there is an audience. I don't know how much I'll stick to it, but it's certainly interesting.
Just reflecting.
Mark
Debussy can be hard, but this particular piece is one of the easiest for me to sing. It engages my breath support and my mind in ways that other pieces don't. Funny - some pieces just "fit". This is one for me, I think.
Glad you're enjoying blogging! It is a strange medium for sure. I think some folks have wrestled with the blurring of the boundaries that can occur in this format. Facebook and Twitter are part of the same phenomenon. Great NY Times article a few months ago on this...
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