She won't crossover

By now everyone has no doubt heard about Aprile Millo's refusal to sing "crossover" material on her cancelled recital.

I don't object to "crossover" on its own terms, meaning, not pretending to be "classical" (although I hate the term crossover). But when someone doesn't do it well, what is the point? I admire Millo's courage in standing up for her ability and acknowledgement that singing light pop music is just not for her.

There are a few examples of successful mixing of genres: Eileen Farrell is the prime example. She of course didn't see it as crossover, but successfully singing two different genres, using two different techniques. There of course are other historical precedents: Caruso singing Neapolitan songs (I view his "Over There" recording as a patriotic/comic curiousity) and others singing folk and popular songs from their countries. The key is that these singers are comfortable in those and sing them idiomatically.

This might seem contradictory to earlier statements that I've made on this blog, but I don't think so. It is crossover being sold as classical music to which I object. As long as its viewed on its own terms, I have no quarrel. But its terms are apparently not Millo's terms, and in recognizing that and sticking to it, I admire her.

Opera in the real world?

Greg Sandow in his blog talks about some recent events at New York City Opera. I think he partially misses the mark.

First he talks about a City Opera gala, which included Rufus Wainwright. Now Mr. Wainwright is a self-confessed opera addict who clearly knows more than most people about Opera. He didn't sing opera, but some of his own songs. The gala also included a group called East Village Opera Company who perform "arangements" of operatic music.

Mr. Sandow praises this saying:

Of course, most of the music on the gala came from the company’s productions this fall, but also doing non-classical music (or non-classical versions of opera tunes) makes tremendous sense to me. I don’t know how many times I’ve said this before, but I’ll say it again (and many times in the future, I fear): Classical music inhabits a world where other kinds of music also live.

I personally don't get it. What does this accomplish? This is nothing against Mr. Wainwright, whose music I don't know, and whose operatic knowledge I admire. Or even against the East Village Opera Company (who perversely record for Decca/Universal classics). There is a absurd amount of crossover these days and apart from saying that it was a full house, I don't see the point. It can't be raising money, since the entire house was priced at $25 a seat. Opera may "inhabit a world where other kinds of music also live", but that world is not an opera house. Filling a house with that kind of gimmick, doesn't benefit the company in the long term, because in the long term they are still producing opera. That is what they should be selling.

I do agree with him on the second half of his article because it outlines what I think are the two biggest problems in the industry: arts education and ticket prices. That the house was sold out again at $25 for all seats doesn't surprise me and just underlines my thinking that opera just costs too much. In the opening of weeks of the Met season, two of the most prominent productions star two of its biggest draws: Renee Fleming in Manon and Bryn Terfel in Falstaff. And yet not only are none of the performances "sold-out", tickets are available in almost every price range for almost every performance. I think the reason is visible in looking at the pricing charts. There are only two sections of the house (excluding standing room) at less than $100. On a Saturday night the lowest price is $42 (with a top price at $320!). No wonder people think the opera is for the rich.

If we want to get people to experience and love opera, don't we at least have to find ways to produce it so they can afford it. Sandow lets us know that the audience at City Opera loved it, despite the fact that the two leads were not really up to their roles. Whats important here that they got to the performance, they appreciated it, a fact that was no doubt helped by the introductory video. And they saw and experienced an "opera", not some cheap imitation that people think will draw people towards opera. It was the real thing.

We need to make opera and the other arts more accessible. But in doing so we can't cheapen it or present some faux-classical crossover thing that we call the "arts". We need to make the arts live! Not dilute until there is nothing left.

Changing roles

One of the things that I was apprehensive about in going to work for an opera company in a non-singing job, especially a company that I had previously sung for, was how I would feel in my new role. I gave a talk today to our Opera Guilds and someone asked me if it was frustrating to me, not to be singing.

The answer was complicated. My intellect tells me a few things:

1. I've stopped singing as a career for a while, and to "restart" a career as a singer would be very difficult


2. I've reached an age (early 40s), where it I'd face a lot of discrimination in getting auditions because of my age


3. I'm rusty and to get up to form again would be time consuming and a challenge

But then there is my heart. The most difficult part of my job interview for this position, was walking on the stage where I had done over 100 performances, knowing that I wouldn't sing on it again. It was an emotional moment for me.

But when I get wistful (I have and will) I try to remember a few things: I know I have a skill set that has some value in this business. I will be spending time talking about one of the things that I love the most in the world. The talk I gave this morning was on The Marriage of Figaro and I have to say that I thoroughly enjoyed it (and I hope that they enjoyed me). I also am looking forward to an helping to create an environment for performers and I'm sure that I'll feel a great sense of accomplishment if I am able to help do that.

My role may have changed, but I just have to remember that I'm still making a contribution.

One more thing

It looks like I'm now also a target of spam, so I have turned on Word Verification in my comments to see if it stops that. Sorry for the inconvenience.

While I was gone

While I was in transition, I didn't have a chance to thank the nice folks who sent messages of best wishes on my new job. It means a lot to me. It's been a very interesting time for me and I hope to comment on aspects of my new life here. Even in the four weeks that I've been here, a number of things have come up that are interesting, frustrating and exciting. As I order my thoughts a bit, I'll share some of them.

I'd also like to thank the sites who've linked to me, which is heartening since when you start one of these things, you hope someone will read it. I've tried to reciprocate by adding links on the left as well as adding some other interesting blogs. Some that I've added since my hiatus:

• Music to Live By – Andrea is a Spinto Soprano/Music Critic/Philosopher/Mom finally finds her Voice, in words and in song. (my favorite post title " Christina Aguilera is NOT a Spinto Soprano!")


• On An Overgrown Path – I agree with the Guardian: "A wonderful classical music blog filled with interesting links"


• Cue Sheet from KUAT-FM

I try to check my referral logs to find links to me. If I've missed you please let me know. I'm also trying to figure out why I have hits every month from CamGirlsLive.com.

The last recording

I'm eagerly awaiting delivery of the new Tristan und Isolde with Domingo, Stemme and Pappano. The reports are in general positive and the clip on the Gramophone cover CD whetted my appetite. It's due to be released today, so hopefully Amazon will oblige by sending it to my mailbox post-haste.

Now the EMI PR department has been working full-steam to let us know that this will be the last major studio recorded opera (which I actually doubt). I actually think major label, studio recorded opera ceased to be relevant a while ago. Decca, whose tradition included great recordings by Tebaldi, Simionato, Siepi, Bastianini, Hotter, Nilsson, Della Casa, Gueden, Corena, Kleiber, and Solti plunged into irrelevance by not recognizing that the Three Tenors was a fluke. It was like a great joke, fun and funny the first time, but increasingly tired upon retelling. The company then thought by exploiting these crossover and pseudo-classic wonders, they might recapture that kind of ROI, but in fact the world tired quickly of Boheme, Trovatore, Tosca etc. with a tenor with little career experience or potential. As pleasant as Bocelli's instrument might be (and I confess to enjoying the occasional pop tune by him), he does not have the kind of musical experience or natural instrument that speaks world-class. EMI too, fell into this trap by deciding that the Love Couple should record everything, suitable or not.

The people running the major labels fail to recognize, as their predecessor like Culshaw and Legge had, that classical recordings, especially opera, are a long-term investment at best. They cannot expect the quick return of a Three Tenors. Their distinguished back catalogues, many of which have had a shelf-life of over 30 years, continue provide income. This should have been their aim and not the one-hit wonders, which like most pop records, are banished to the cut-out bins after a few months.

So it is left to the smaller, more adventurous labels to provide quality recordings and repertoire. The big recording news of this year is not the end of studio-recorded opera, but rather the dangerous situation that Hyperion found itself in after its ill-advised legal battle with Professor Sawkins. If Hyperion fails because of it, that would truly be sad!

I'm back

Enough excuses. I'm not back to full internet access yet, but I'm going to do my best to update from now on. I've found that downtown Sarasota is 90% wired for free WiFi so if someone sees me on a park bench in the middle of the night, it's because I'll be updating my blog :)