Following Seattle Opera’s final performance of The Barber of Seville on Saturday night, the Italian language leaves our theater for a while. We won’t present an Italian opera again until January of 2012, when Verdi’s Attila comes to Seattle Opera for the first time. (We’ll be singing in French, German, and English before then.) Coming up next--beginning rehearsal tomorrow, in fact--is Don Quichotte, a French opera based on a Spanish story, and featuring an exciting international cast.
Ernesto Alorda, Seattle Opera’s Artist and Community Relations Manager, is responsible for getting all Seattle Opera’s performers to town, helping them find housing, and taking care of them in any other way that comes up. I checked in with him just now, and he’s had a busy weekend. His team of Artist Aides not only had to get all the Barber performers off to the airport, they had to welcome to Seattle: •Italian conductor Carlo Montanaro, making his Seattle Opera debut with Don Quichotte, and flying in from Verona •Canadian bass-baritone John Relyea, opening night’s Don Quichotte •Polish mezzo soprano Malgorzata Walewska (his Dulcinée), flying in from Warsaw •Argentinian bass-baritone Eduardo Chama (Sancho Panza), coming from Philadelphia •Nicolas Cavallier, who sings Don Quichotte in the alternate cast, coming from his home in Paris •Daniela Sindram, who plays opposite Cavallier as Dulcinée, coming from her home outside of Munich •Although Sara de Luis, our choreographer and one of our principal dancers, lives in Seattle, the other principal dancer, Raúl Salcedo, makes his home in Mexico and came to Seattle from Cancùn
Also in the cast are Seattle natives Alex Mansoori and Marcus Shelton, both alumni of Seattle Opera’s Young Artists Program and both making mainstage debuts in these performances, Seattleites Emily Clubb and Jen Bromagen, and native French-speaking Seattle actor Jad Kassouf, just back from Paris. The only person who’s doesn’t get here immediately, Ernesto told me, is American baritone Richard Bernstein, who plays Cavallier’s Sancho Panza. If you want to know why Bernstein is coming late, tune in to the Metropolitan Opera’s live broadcast of Simon Boccanegra on Saturday (10 am on Classic KING-FM, 98.1) and listen for his unctuous Pietro.
Although Ernesto is a big fan of Italian and French opera, he’s a native Cuban, and he’s most excited about this opera because of the story’s Spanish origin. “Cervantes’ Don Quixote is one of the great books in any language,” Ernesto told me, “And in every Spanish-speaking country, everybody has been exposed to Don Quixote, every household has a copy of the book. It makes no difference where you’ve been educated or even if you’ve been educated--everyone knows these characters. I remember how my father, who loved to read, when I was a boy on Sundays he often went into his room and read a chapter of Don Quixote, sometimes laughing so loud that we all wanted to know what it was. I was only 5, 6, 7 years old, so I didn’t always understand what was so funny at the time, but I’ll never forget how much he loved the book.” Ernesto started reading Don Quixote as a teenager. I remember the book’s warmth and hilarity pulling me through the long, dark winter of my freshman year in college. We couldn’t be more excited to get started on this opera tomorrow.
Seattle-based actor David S. Hogan has a unique role in The Barber of Seville. As Ambrogio, Dr. Bartolo’s servant, Hogan doesn’t sing or speak any lines, but he’s very much a part of the action—and the comedy. Today we chat with Hogan about what it’s like to be transformed from a handsome young guy into a crotchety old man, and how he manages to land those pratfalls without getting too injured.
This is your mainstage debut with Seattle Opera, but you’ve been in a Young Artists Program production with Peter Kazaras before. How did your relationship with the Opera begin? I was in the YAP production of Britten's A Midsummer Night's Dream, and I played Puck, the only speaking role in the opera. I am pretty certain that Vanessa Miller, who has an affiliation with Seattle Opera, passed my name along to the "right people." I had recently been in her production of Shakespeare's Midsummer with Seattle Shakespeare Company, so, I presume, passing along my named seemed like a good idea—which it was! At least in my opinion, because here we are now.
You have plenty of experience on the stage, but have your two productions with Seattle Opera been your only operatic engagements? Obviously, the giant singing makes an opera different from a play, but have you found any other differences between the two? Oh, yes, these have been my only two experiences in the opera—but, I hope, not my last! I have performed in one musical, and about 30 "straight" plays. I think that, yes, singing aside, it is similar. Of course, I have to act within the confines of the score when I do speak. In Midsummer, for instance, where I had quite a bit of text, I had to say the lines within the score. I was working inside or with music. Overall, in opera, as in theater, I believe we face the same responsibilities: interpret the text, discover the playwright's (or librettist's) intention, serve the story, listen to our scene partners, and collaborate with directors.
Sally Wolf (Berta) and David S. Hogan (Ambrogio), in mid-fall, during The Barber of Seville. Photo by Rozarii Lynch
There’s a lot of physical comedy in this Barber, especially with your character. Doesn’t it hurt to smash to the floor like you do? Ha! Yes, we all know people who fall down are funny, so I was happy to practice and perform falling to the floor as quickly as possible for a few laughs. Sure, it hurts. But only a little! I have a few bruises, but I know a few tricks and I am pretty sturdy. Funny enough, I have had a few opera-goers tell me that I should teach falling (or, rather, landing) classes, so people who do have accidents can bounce right back up, like Ambrogio does!
On a serious note, it is very important to do stunts safely. When I rehearsed the rail slide, I realized that the more I slid, the faster the ride became. That is why (spoiler alert!) I wear gloves in the scene—so I can slow down! I have done some training, locally, working with great people like Geoff Alm, Peter Dylan O'Connor, and Deb Fialkow. The training (don't break your falls with your wrists, land on your body's padded areas) and practice helps, but a lot of what I do with my body is instinctual.
David S. Hogan (Ambrogio), Nicholas Phan (Count Almaviva), and Adrian Rosas (Sergeant) in The Barber of Seville. Photo by Rozarii Lynch
On stage, you really appear like a brittle old man, but you’re this young, spry guy. What’s it like to be aged so intensely, and did you model your movements after anyone in particular? It is GREAT to be able to play someone who is nothing like me (old and grumpy!). Being able to create a convincing older character is an awesome achievement. My makeup artist, Shelby Adele Richardson, rocks, so I have to give her credit for at least half of the magic. And, we can't forget the fantastic wig (by Joyce Degenfelder) and the Costume Shop, especially Heidi Zamora. To answer your question, I can't say I modeled my physicality after anyone in particular. In the beginning of rehearsal, I started to incorporate the mouth frown, but it took me a few weeks to discover or develop the rest of Ambrogio's body. As I continued to play and experiment, I landed upon a slight slouch, shuffling feet, back pain, and (so I've been told) Martin Short/Ed Grimsley elbows. Ambrogio's physical movements came to life with help from Peter, our director, and Rosa Mercedes, our choreographer.
You don’t technically sing or speak in this role (aside from a few grunts), but I've noticed you mouthing a few lines when the entire cast is singing—what’s happening there? As you know, Mr. Jenkins comes to some rehearsals. We chatted after rehearsal, and he suggested that I lip sync during the Act I finale. I took his note to heart, at least half of it. Because I am an "actor" I have to justify EVERY choice I make on that stage, I decided that Ambrogio has enough wits about him by this point in the story—he was drugged earlier by Figaro, after all—to mouth along when the police comes to the door (because he is so startled), and when we all come downstage, hand in hand, in a kind of Act I climax (because he is so excited).
Sally Wolf (Berta) and David S. Hogan (Ambrogio) share a moment in The Barber of Seville. Photo by Rozarii Lynch
What’s next for you on your schedule? Well, I have had a good run lately. But after a fruitful 2010 with four productions, and a nice start to 2011, I have nothing lined up. I am auditioning, of course, but nothing in the books. I have spent the past three summers working with Seattle Shakespeare Company's outdoor outfit, Wooden O, so maybe I will land a role in one of their shows. But aside from hustling for the next acting gig, I am always busy running my dog walking and dog training company.
Last season, mezzo-soprano Kate Lindsey took on the title role in Seattle Opera's world premiere of Amelia, but this time around, she explores more familiar territory as Rosina in the Friday/Sunday cast of The Barber of Seville. We talked to Lindsey this week and asked her about returning to Seattle, the difference in prepping for a world premiere versus a classic role, and what Rosina really thinks about the men in her life.
Audiences here will undoubtedly remember you from Amelia. When it comes to how you prepare for a role, what are the differences between a new work like that and prepping for a such a well-known character like Rosina in Barber? Well, I have sung Rosina several times before this, so it was a very different experience to walk into Barber vs. Amelia. With Amelia, I began learning the music a little over a year before the start of rehearsals because I wanted to have the music completely in my body in order to feel fully comfortable with the music on Day One of rehearsals. In regard to Barber, I've performed Rosina in several different productions over the past 5 years, which naturally helped me to feel much more relaxed in preparing to walk into rehearsals in December. My main objective with Barber was to walk in with an open mind and blank slate so that we could all really enjoy being creative together—even though we've all performed it a few times before!
Patrick Carfizzi (Dr. Bartolo) and Kate Lindsey (Rosina) in The Barber of Seville. Photo by Rozarii Lynch
You’ve performed Barber with Dean Williamson before, is that correct? Yes, I did my first and second Rosinas with Dean back in 2006 at Washington East Opera and Opera Theatre of St. Louis. I'm still using the musical ornamentation he helped me develop for the role! This time around, I think we are much more relaxed. We've both lived with this rep for quite some time now, and I find it to be a true comfort to look into the pit and see Dean smiling up at me. We have a great time working together. All the productions of Barber that we've done together have been very different—but fun every time!
Let’s talk about your character a bit. Rosina and Figaro have some wonderful interactions in Barber and I wonder: What does Rosina really think about him? What do you think their relationship is like when we zoom out beyond this one day? I think Rosina and Figaro are great friends - they are so close that they even enjoy pushing each other's buttons from time to time! Figaro is truly the only person Rosina can trust, and he's her only link to the outside world, so I think she holds that relationship very close to her heart. This might be why you see Figaro still with "the family" in Le nozze di Figaro! Figaro cares about Rosina in a protective way, and she's lucky to have him, especially in Bartolo's crazy household.
Kate Lindsey (Rosina) and Nicholas Phan (Count Almaviva) in the The Barber of Seville. Photo by Rozarii Lynch
I think a very interesting moment in the opera is when Rosina finds out who the Count really is. What do you think it’s like for her at that moment, knowing her entire life is about to change? Hah—I think the first thing this fiery girl realizes is that she's been completely duped! She thought she had this whole thing figured out, and then she realizes that she never knew what in the world was going on. Once she gets over that initial shock, I think she feels shy because, all of a sudden, she's not really sure that she actually knows this person who's been serenading her all this time. Then, there's the classic "Whoa, this guy is way out of my league" moment in which the Count has to assure her that he loves her for her alone, just the way she is. I don't think she even realizes in that moment how much her life is going to change as a result of learning his identity. I just think she feels joy and relief that she doesn't have to marry Bartolo after all!
This is your second time in Seattle. How comfortable are you with the city by now? What sort of things do you do around town in your free time? I've gotten very comfortable in Seattle, especially since I've been here quite a bit over the past months due to the fact that when I was performing in Amelia, I started dating someone who lives here! Needless to say, I'm liking Seattle more and more each day. Life feels pretty incredible when you're able to pursue the passion of your work while also being able to share time with the one you love. To most people, that's a very normal thing, but for me it's pure novelty! Seattle has got great food, and we've definitely been enjoying our fair share of that over the past months. I've also just enjoyed getting to know various neighborhoods. Each one has a very distinct personality, and I can really appreciate that.
Baritone David Adam Moore has become a recognizable face and voice at Seattle Opera, going back to his days as a member of the Young Artists Program. More recently, Seattle audiences saw him as Zurga in 2009's The Pearl Fishers. Now he's currently performing in the Friday/Sunday cast of The Barber of Seville, winning audiences over with his "dashing and mischievous Figaro" (Examiner.com). Moore (shown here with Kate Lindsey as Rosina) has earned repeated invitations to Seattle and other cities thanks to his vocal and theatrical abilities, but he is also known as one of opera's best-looking men. Today we catch up with Moore and ask him what he thinks about that distinction, and we also learn about his interest in composing and DJing electronic music when he's not performing in the opera hall.
It’s no secret that blogs such as Barihunks are big fans of yours. What’s it like to have earned the title of a “Barihunk” and have people swooning over you online? It's very flattering. Naturally, though, talking about this in reference to myself is a little awkward.
Sex is an important element in opera plots, and I like the fact that these blogs exist because it indicates that there are opera enthusiasts who are aware of sexuality in opera and demand that performers have the ability to inhabit the sexuality of their characters. I don't really follow opera blogs, but from what I've seen, Barihunks seems to treat the subject in a tasteful way— it goes more deeply into aspects of the performers' work than just pointing out pictures of their biceps.
I often hear people worry that opera companies will begin casting more on looks than vocal and acting ability. I don't think this will happen because the learning curve that goes into becoming a decent opera singer is massive: vocal technique, languages, musicianship, acting. Unlike the film/TV/pop music world, there's no way to sidestep these requirements by being pretty. A full, beautiful voice and an engaging character will always give audiences more goose bumps than well-defined abs.
David Adam Moore as Zurga in Seattle Opera's 2009 production of The Pearl Fishers.
It seems that many people in these two casts are friends or have worked with each other before. What about you—do you have any prior connections to anyone in this Barber group? This production felt like a reunion of sorts. Most of us had known one another previously, and a few of the performers are long-time friends of mine. Larry Brownlee and I were in the Seattle Opera Young Artists Program together several years ago, with Dean Williamson as Music Director. Patrick Carfizzi and I worked together here just two years ago in Pearl Fishers: he was Nourabad and I played Zurga—VERY different characters with a very different relationship from Bartolo and Figaro! Kate Lindsey and I were Stephano and Mercutio in Roméo et Juliette recently in St. Louis. I've worked with Peter Kazaras (as a singer) several times.
You recently were honored by your hometown of Vidor, TX, with a star on their new Walk of Fame. Can you tell us a little about Vidor, and what it’s like to be immortalized there now? Vidor is a small town in southeast Texas, 30 miles from Louisiana, and 100 miles from Houston. The town itself consists mainly of pine forests, trailer parks, churches, and a strong, distinctly Texan, local culture. For some reason, a number of notable musicians have emerged from Vidor. Most of them have been Country-Western and Blues musicians like George Jones and Billie Jo Spears, so I was thrilled that when the city built a Walk of Fame, they decided to include someone from the classical music world. Very few people in Vidor have been exposed to classical music, much less opera, so I hope this will raise opera's profile there. My father, Bubba Moore, is a noted bassist/singer in the country music world. He was inducted, too, so this was very exciting for my family, most of whom are country musicians.
David Adam Moore (Figaro) in the Friday/Sunday cast of The Barber of Seville.
Some people may not know that in addition to singing, you also compose music yourself. How long have you been composing music? Growing up in a family of musicians, I had been making up songs since I was a kid. As a teenager, I began DJing, collecting synthesizers, and writing and performing electronic music in the style of Depeche Mode, New Order, etc. I didn't discover classical music or singing until college, where I spent my first two years studying composition and voice. Because I went in with no previous classical training, the body of knowledge I had to ingest was so enormous that I eventually decided to drop composition and concentrate on singing and acting. Several years later, after grad school, I rediscovered electronic music and have been composing as an avocation since. Most of my work has been electronic dance music under the moniker "kickplate"—bass-heavy minimal techno, electro, and glitchy downtempo. I've also DJed in a few clubs here in Queen Anne and Capitol Hill.
I'm beginning to compose more "serious" music, though. I wrote a piece for 6 dancers, 4 sopranos, and electronics, in collaboration with a Slovenian band called "Silence," that was performed at NYC's 92nd Street Y two months ago. It went very well. Stylistically, the music is very tonal and accessible, with a few minutes of extended vocal techniques by the dancers— clicks, hisses, moaning, etc.— building into a climactic, highly-structured chorale carried over by the sopranos, on top of a huge, slow techno beat. We crafted the electronic track in a way that uses frequencies that allow space for the voices to carry in the hall without being amplified—like in opera. I want to explore this idea of mixing unamplified operatic voices with amplified sounds more, so I'm now writing an atonal piece called "Minotaur" for bass-baritone and subwoofer, utilizing the subwoofer itself as an "acoustic" instrument.
I've also been getting into video and projection design. I put together a concert of Schubert's Winterreise with video projections, which I performed last year in Houston, and I've also been making little site-specific video installations.
Nicholas Phan (Count Almaviva) and David Adam Moore (Figaro) in the Friday/Sunday cast of The Barber of Seville.
So you’re clearly interested in many types of music, including very contemporary pop/rock styles. What about when it comes to opera? I love contemporary music! If it's well-written, it can offer audiences something to which they can more easily relate than older works. We often forget that many of the great warhorses of opera were once "contemporary" pieces. When Mozart's Le nozze di Figaro premiered in Vienna's National Theater in 1786, it was a contemporary opera in every sense. Its characters were contemporary figures in contemporary dress, its score was considered difficult, and it was based on a play so controversial that it was officially banned only two years before. To 1780s Viennese audiences, this opera wasn't a charming masterpiece to be coddled and preserved— it was an irreverent, critical mirror of contemporary society.
I try to perform as much contemporary opera as I can, but, because the music tends to be more complex, these pieces take a lot of prep time, so I usually end up doing 2 or 3 large-scale works per year and whatever smaller-scale pieces I can work into my schedule. The quality of vocal writing in contemporary music can vary wildly these days, so it's always nice, from a vocal standpoint, to return to a vintage work that has withstood the test of time. The standard repertory is essentially a sampling of the most successful writing of the past 400 years— pieces with superior vocal writing, beautiful music, and compelling stories that have been "naturally selected" over others throughout the decades.
One of my favorite contemporary operas to perform is a monodrama for baritone and chamber orchestra by David T. Little called Soldier Songs. It's a powerful piece that deals with war, combat post-traumatic stress disorder, and the way in which soldiers are misunderstood by society. Musically, its influences range from Schubert to Cannibal Corpse. It was a big hit in NYC two years ago, and we'll be staging it again at the International Festival of Arts and Ideas in Connecticut this summer. There is talk of a recording as well, but that isn't solid yet. At the moment, I'm preparing the role of Vincent Van Gogh for a biographical opera called Vincent by Bernard Rands, and the Lucifer in Peter Eötvös' Die Tragödie des Teufels.
Today we talk with supernumerary Andre Alabastro, who can be seen in Seattle Opera's production of The Barber of Seville as Figaro's young assistant. The middle schooler isn't a stranger to the stage, and we ask him about his performance history, his thoughts on Barber, and if he ever plans on doing some singing in addition to acting.
Andre, how old are you and where do you go to school? I’m 13. I’m in 7th grade at Hamilton International Middle School, and in my 8th year at Pacific Northwest Ballet School.
International School, huh…does that mean you speak a foreign language? Yeah, I’ve been taking Spanish classes since first grade. But I’m not that good.
Between your work with PNB and Seattle Opera, McCaw Hall must be like a second home to you. How many ballets and operas, total, have you performed in? I’ve been in The Nutcracker six times, plus six other ballets, so twelve of those. And Barber of Seville is my third opera. I was a Nibelung in the Ring. And last spring, in Amelia, I was in that, too. I was a kid in the Vietnamese village scene, I was up on a cart.
As Figaro’s Assistant in The Barber of Seville, we get to see your movement artistry, your physical comedy and you jumping around. But when will we HEAR you? Do you play an instrument, or sing? I’ve played a little ukulele. They say I’m OK at it. With the ukulele, you know, you sing “Somewhere over the Rainbow,” Hawaiian songs, things like that. Actually, I used to sing, but—[makes squeaky adolescent noise with throat]. Although, in the Ring, I got a scream! As a Nibelung, I was running through the caves and I had to scream.
Andre Alabstro (Figaro's Assistant) and José Carbó (Figaro, in the Saturday/Wednesday cast)
What’s your favorite thing about being involved with The Barber of Seville? I’m glad that I’m not just standing around at the back of the stage, holding Figaro’s props…[poses as a slack-jawed gawker]. I get to go and mess with Figaro. José usually sprays me with his water canteen, so I spray him back—stuff like that.
What’s your favorite moment in The Barber of Seville? I like when they’re all fighting and the cops come…[acts out scene]…“Knock knock knock” “Chi è?” [imitates Patrick Carfizzi’s delivery of Bartolo’s ludicrous ad lib] That’s my favorite part. Also, the scene when the Count dresses up as the music teacher and sings in that weird voice. That’s great.
What’s your least favorite moment in The Barber of Seville? The Gold Cast sings a much longer final scene, and I’m always standing around backstage at that point waiting for the curtain call. I’m usually thinking: it’s got to be over soon.
Figaro’s Assistant is clearly the best character in the opera. What can you tell us about him? You know, I don’t think he really likes Figaro all that much. Except when he sings his “Figaro Figaro Figaro” thing. Peter [Kazaras, the production’s stage director] told me, when he sings that part, it’s like “He’s Figaro, he’s awesome.” I once tried pointing at him like that, and then going, sort of, “Just kidding, he sucks.” But we don’t do it like that—at that moment I really like him.
What advice do you have for the other characters? What would you tell them? Rosina, Lindoro is actually Count Almaviva! You ought to marry Figaro instead. And then adopt me.
David Adam Moore (Figaro, in the Friday/Sunday cast) and Andre Alabastro (Figaro's Assistant)
If you were to work for an opera company when you grow up, what job would you most like to have? Depends on whether I’d be a good singer. Actually, I’d want to be the conductor. That would be fun, to be in control of the entire thing.
And in this opera, the conductor also plays the fortepiano, so he’s in the orchestra, too. Does that mean he gets two paychecks?
Good question. When will see you next onstage? My class at PNB will perform at McCaw Hall at the end of the school year. And I’m in an infomercial, for Brainetics, that you can see. I was in a commercial for Wii Fit, when that first came out. It played in all the stores. It was fun when we taped it—I got to use the Wii Fit before anybody else on the West Coast!
I checked in last night with Turkish bass Burak Bilgili, who plays Don Basilio, Rosina’s oleaginous music teacher, in The Barber of Seville. Bilgili, who first sang at Seattle Opera as Banco in Macbeth in 2006, has also appeared several times with Vancouver Opera, as Don Basilio, Leporello in Don Giovanni, Banco in Macbeth and, last fall, as Raimondo in Lucia di Lammermoor—appearing opposite his wife, soprano Eglise Gutierrez, who sang Lucia.
Where in Turkey did you grow up, and how did you get started in music? I come from Konya. It’s south of Ankara, in the middle of Turkey…the place where Whirling Dervishes come from. I started singing when I was very young: five, six, something like that, singing pop music, traditional Turkish songs, everything except classical music.
We have several conservatories in Turkey—three in Istanbul, and also in Ankara and in Izmir. I graduated from a conservatory in Istanbul and then came to the United States, to finish my training at the Academy of Vocal Arts in Philadelphia.
A young Burak Bilgili, shown here with his voice teacher in Turkey. Photo courtesy of Burak Bilgili
You’re also a new dad—how exciting! Do you and Eglise ever sing to your four-month old daughter? Yes, I tend to sing and speak to Lucia in Turkish and sing Turkish lullabies and songs; her mother and her grandmother sing and speak to her in Spanish. And since we usually speak to each other in English, she hears that too. I have no idea which language she’s going to start to speak first. I’ve read that when a child has to triangulate among three languages like that, it can take a little longer for her to begin speaking.
So you and Eglise mostly communicate in English. Do you speak or sing in Spanish? We speak in English, sometimes in Italian. I understand Spanish, but I’m not very good at speaking it. I have sung in Spanish—I did the role of the Captain in Catán’s Florencia en el Amazonas when we did it in Cincinnati.
Your beautiful bass voice is a ticket to a world of evil. Devils, tyrants, oppressive fathers, wicked priests…have you ever wanted to play the good guy? Good guy—ha!
So you enjoy always wreaking havoc when you come onstage? It’s true, there aren’t a lot of good guy roles for my voice type. I think Leporello is a good guy—he’s very innocent, and Don Giovanni uses him. I’ve also sung Don Giovanni, I like doing that role a lot. And, let’s see, well, Banco in Macbeth, I did that here in Seattle—he isn’t wicked. But yes: I like singing Mephistophélès.
Patrick Carfizzi (Dr. Bartolo) and Burak Bilgili (Don Basilio), in Seattle Opera's production of The Barber of Seville. Photo by Rozarii Lynch
Tell us a little about Don Basilio. Is there anything serious, or real, about this ridiculous character? I think Basilio is a completely serious person, he’s not a clown. What he says in his big aria is real—he isn’t lying, he’s completely serious. Figaro doesn’t tell the truth, but Basilio tells the truth. Basilio tells Bartolo exactly what he should do; Bartolo ignores him because he can’t accept reality, that’s all.
Your big aria in The Barber of Seville, “La calunnia,” is a huge crescendo illustrating the effect of calumny and slander. How do you pace yourself so that you don’t get TOO loud? The thing is, the great composers knew what they were doing: you just follow the instructions in the score. Rossini wrote it all out: this phrase is piano, then mezzo piano, then mezzo forte, and so on. Singing loud by itself isn’t interesting; the contrast is what makes it interesting. And you can’t do this piece by getting louder, louder, and then even louder, or it will be ugly. You end up just screaming. Opera is about singing.
I noticed tonight that you added a high G to the climax of your aria “La calunnia.” Pretty high, for a bass! Well, most basses.... If you can sing that note, you find a way to use it!
Today we have a chat with soprano Sarah Coburn, who appeared as Rosina in Saturday's opening night cast for The Barber of Seville. The Seattle Times said her performance displayed "stunning vocal fireworks," and today we ask Coburn about her character, her on-stage jitters, and if her daughter ever gets to hear her sing those spectacular high notes.
You’ve performed a lot of tragic roles in your career, but here in Seattle you’ve done more lighthearted productions (Die Fledermaus previously, and now Barber). Are you drawn to certain types of roles in particular, or do you try and keep a balance? I really don't make decisions based on whether the role is a comedy or tragedy; most of the bel canto heroines that I sing are rather sad victims. I have been singing Gilda non-stop for the last seven months, so this Rosina is quite a relief! I am also thankful that my roles in Seattle, so far, have been comic. It seems to help me to cope with the clouds and rain!
You’ve said in the past that Rosina is the “straight man” in this opera—but she still certainly elicits many laughs from the audience. What’s your approach toward performing this role? Comedy is very difficult, because it is all about precise timing. I think Rosina can be funny, but the humor comes from her reactions to the situations, and not from an effort to try and be “funny.” It also helps that Peter Kazaras has allowed us to speak directly to the audience, sharing our various predicaments and inviting them into the situation. My favorite comedy of all time is Frasier, and what is so great about that show is that no one is really trying to be funny. Their reactions to their situations are what come across as hilarious.
Sarah Coburn (Rosina) and Lawrence Brownlee (Count Almaviva) in Seattle Opera's production of The Barber of Seville. Photo by Rozarii Lynch
I’ve read that you’ve suffered from stage fright in the past. What’s that experience been like for you, and has your stage fright eased up over the years? Yes, I have suffered from stage fright, and I have no problem being completely open about it because my honesty can only help others who deal with it as well. One of the greatest investments I have made in my career was the time I spent working with Dr. Ellen Hollander, who was recommended by Renée Fleming, and who specializes in these issues.
I also must thank my daughter for helping me to overcome so much of it, because I was forced to deal with these issues while I was pregnant. After she was born, I began to really live in the moment, for the first time in my life, and that is something that I have been able to carry over to the stage as well. In most of my singing in the past, I tended to worry about a high note or a difficult passage that would be 20 minutes away, and this forward-thinking would sabotage the musical moment that was actually happening. I am still working on really focusing on what is going on at the exact moment it happens, but I now rarely have to deal with that scary, judgmental voice that says, "Just stop singing, apologize to the audience, and walk offstage."
Would you say it’s scarier to be on stage when you need to be funny and make the audience laugh, or when you’re in a more dramatic role? Or is it all equally nerve-wracking? I think I tend to feel more nervous when I am onstage alone. I love duets, and feel completely calm and happy when I have a colleague onstage. But I think the most comfortable moments for me onstage are during mad scenes, because I don't feel the pressure to look pretty, to stand still, to sound controlled or even elegant! Gosh, what does that say about me? Maybe I am crazy!
Sarah Coburn as Rosina in Seattle Opera's production of The Barber of Seville. Photo by Rozarii Lynch
You mentioned your daughter—how old is she? What’s it like being a mom when your career requires that you travel so much? Katie Rose is 17 months old and such a sweet girl. She has been with me on the road since she was 2 months old, and she is a great traveler. (I feel like I could write a book on the subject; I have taken her on 26 flights and 3 cross-country car trips!) It is a blessing that I am able to take her with me, and we have a wonderful nanny that travels with us. It is a difficult lifestyle, though. Finding balance and attempting to be a good mom, wife, singer, and employer is tricky. We are going to take some time off next season, and enjoy being at home with Dad. I can't wait!
How does your daughter feel about Mom’s voice? Do you ever sing to her? I don't sing that much opera at home—mostly lullabies and hymns at bedtime. The one time I attempted to really sing an aria in her presence ("Martern aller Arten"), she burst into tears! But I do warm up at home, and she imitates me. We have a funny video of her vocalizing at 3 months old, and I think she is definitely a coloratura!
On Sunday, January 23, from 1 to 1:30 pm, superstar tenor Lawrence Brownlee will be at Amusements, the McCaw Hall gift shop, to sign copies of EMI Classics' newly released CD of Rossini's Stabat Mater. In December, in newspapers across the country, the Associated Press said that in this recording, Brownlee "at moments even surpasses the late Italian superstar" Luciano Pavarotti. CLICK HERE to read Verena Dobnik's review of the recording, which features Brownlee, Anna Netrebko, Joyce DiDonato, and Ildebrando d'Arcangelo and is conducted by Antonio Pappano. Amazon has samples posted HERE.
Because Amusements is in the outer lobby of McCaw Hall, this CD signing will be open to the public. Those who have tickets to the matinee on January 23 will be in the building anyway; but everyone is welcome.
Listen to this live recording of Seattle Opera General Director Speight Jenkins as he candidly answers the audience's questions after the Saturday, January 15 opening night performance of The Barber of Seville.
Before we open The Barber of Seville on Saturday night, let's meet our guitar soloist, Michael Partington. Michael will accompany our Almavivas in the serenades in the first scene (photo by Rozarii Lynch), and will also join us at Seattle Opera next month for the Spanish guitar sound that's part of our upcoming opera, Don Quixote.
Welcome to Seattle Opera! You grew up playing guitar from a very early age in Wales; how did you end up living, playing, and teaching in Seattle? I actually starting teaching guitar during my last year in high school in the UK, and I continued to do it full time for about 3 years after graduating. To be honest it felt a little less like a career and more like a great way to avoid having to go to university and then get a job! When I moved to the US I stopped playing guitar for about a year and a half, and then I started taking lessons and practicing again, mostly because I missed it. Meanwhile, I was accepted at the UW to do an English degree (in an apparent effort to "grow up"). My guitar teacher at the time suggested I take the music scholarship auditions, and when they offered me the Brechemin scholarship I decided I should probably do music. While at the UW, I started playing competitions and performing, and I recorded my first CD in my senior year. At this point it seemed like the opportunity to continue not to have to get a job had presented itself once again, so I seized it with both hands.
You have a long history with the University of Washington. What’s it like to teach at a school where you were once a student? It's an honor and an exciting opportunity for me in many ways. I've always enjoyed teaching students of any level, but to have the opportunity to help aspiring professionals brings a different kind of satisfaction, as well as keeping me on my toes. While I was a student I felt university gave me a great opportunity to work with other musicians -- guitar is such a solitary endeavor most of the time -- and now it's doing the same but it means working with faculty rather than students, and of course it led to this work with Seattle Opera.
Your repertoire, which includes early music, twentieth century music, new music, and Romantic opera classics such as Barber of Seville and Don Quichotte, seems extremely diverse...but maybe that’s typical for a classical guitarist. Who are your heroes, musically speaking? The guitar has a repertoire that reaches back to the early 16th century, via both the lute and the vihuela – a Spanish ancestor of the 6 string guitar that is remarkably similar to the modern instrument. One of our richest eras was the early 19th century, and one of my musical heroes is Mauro Giuliani, an Italian guitarist composer who moved to Vienna in 1810 and was quite the celebrity – so much so that he was invited to play principal cello (his second instrument) at the premiere of Beethoven’s 7th symphony! He was also evidently very good friends with Rossini and wrote many sets of variations that featured themes from Rossini’s operas.
Michael Partington
Tell us a little about the instrument you’ll be playing in The Barber of Seville. It’s what’s generally known as a Romantic Guitar – an instrument dating from the early part of the nineteenth century -- which differs in some technical ways from the modern classical guitar, but is basically just smaller. If you think of the differences between fortepiano and a modern concert piano you’re on the right track. Mine is a French instrument, probably from the 1840s, with gorgeous flamed maple back and sides and a pearl-and-paste rosette. That’s the decoration around the soundhole – guitars traditionally have a wood-tile mosaic rosette but Romantic guitars often have these very decorative patterns of mother of pearl inlaid into ebony paste.
You accompany Almaviva’s serenade beneath Rosina’s window in The Barber of Seville Act 1 Scene 1. Since it’s just you and the tenor, you get to improvise a little in that scene. How would you characterize the difference between what our two tenors, Lawrence Brownlee and Nicholas Phan? There's an imperative to improvise; the intention is for the serenade to really feel improvised, and I end up having a bit of a duel with Almaviva, but he makes it pretty clear who's boss! Lawrence and Nicholas are both tremendous musicians, and playing with them is a real treat for me. Trying to compare them is like comparing The Macallan to a 12 year old Highland Park - both outstanding in their own way. Most importantly, when you're enjoying one you don't find yourself thinking about the other!
You’re playing Rossini for us now, but next month you’ll be playing Massenet when we do Don Quichotte (albeit Massenet imitating “Spanish” music). Are there any obvious differences between Italian and French music for classical guitar? That question brings to mind the story about Bizet: when asked if he was planning to go to Spain to do research before writing Carmen, he replied with an emphatic no, as it would only confuse him. At the risk of making what is clearly a vast generalisation I'd say Italian guitar repertoire is more brilliant, overtly virtuosic and passionate. French music is perhaps no less passionate, but it's a far more reserved and reflective intensity.
The Barber is here! Preview the singers, story overview, and some of the many slapstick moments in this laugh-out-loud production. See both casts ham it up while delivering impressive vocal acrobatics - for nine performances only.
For tickets to Seattle Opera's upcoming production of The Barber of Seville, visit the Seattle Opera website.
Dean Williamson, our maestro for The Barber of Seville, is no stranger to the Seattle Opera stage or to any of the performers in this production. He took the time to tell us a little about one of his favorite operas, the instrument he'll be playing during the performances, and the singers in our terrific cast.
How many times have you conducted The Barber of Seville before, and for which opera companies? Did you already know all the singers in the Seattle cast, or are some of these people new to you? It’s been the opera I’ve most frequently conducted so far...at least 21 performances, and after Seattle it will be 30. I've done it for companies such as the Opera Theatre of St. Louis, Kentucky Opera, Wolf Trap Opera, and Opera Cleveland. The first Barbiere I conducted was at the 7000 seat Filene Center in Wolf Trap, and was also Sarah Coburn and Nic Phan’s first essays in the roles. I also conducted Kate Lindsey and Patrick Carfizzi in their first Barbieres in St. Louis. Larry Brownlee and I have done Cenerentola (Seattle YAP) and Italiana (Boston Lyric Opera), so we are completing a Rossini comedy trifecta with this production.
Why do you like this opera? What would you say to a hardcore opera fan who claims to be “over” The Barber of Seville? I don’t know how anyone can be “over” Barbiere. Like Mozart’s Nozze di Figaro, it’s such a perfect marriage (pun intended) of comedy, theater, beautiful music, and expressive virtuosity of the voice. I never tire of conducting the two works...well, maybe my back and shoulders tire from doing Barbiere...but the time always seems to zip by once I start the overture. Mozart and Rossini have Beaumarchais to thank for creating wonderful characters that have become like old friends. If you are seeing the operas for the first time, you can instantly relate to the people onstage.
Of course, the opera connoisseur is going to look at Barbiere from a completely different angle, one of judging the quality of singing and orchestra playing.
Rossini makes evil demands on the voices and the orchestra. Remember the poor musicians in the pit are working just as hard and playing twice as many notes! It demands a lightness and sunny spirit, two things that are about as far from the mind as possible when sweating it out in the rapid fire 16th notes.
What’s the hardest thing about Barber, musically? Within the speed and agility, one has to strive for a naturalness and ease from the pit and stage, with a light hand from the director, conductor, and cast. It’s not easy for the conductor, as it can be like herding kittens! Musically there are also issues of period practice vs. modern practice, what edition to use, how often does one ornament, how does one ornament, etc. I wish I could get into a time capsule and go back to the early/mid 19th century and hear for myself how the singers and orchestras performed this music.
Also, as in all bel canto music, the conductor must know when to accommodate the singer, encourage more rubato, or do the opposite keeping them strictly on the beat. It’s a musical conversation that has a lot of give and take. With great singers such as those in our casts, it feels like chamber music, especially since we have done the opera before and are intimately familiar with each other on a musical level.
Dean Williamson played the recitatives on a Kurzweil keyboard during the rehearsal process. Here, Assistant Director Jeff Buchman helps the cast learn semaphore movements for the mayhem of the Act One imbroglio Finale (Photo by Alan Alabastro)
Audiences who attend on Saturdays and Wednesdays will hear a soprano Rosina; Sunday and Friday audiences will hear a mezzo. Beyond the voices of the individual singers, how would you characterize the difference between the sounds of the two voice types? The mezzo has a lower, warmer, deeper timbre, while the soprano has a shimmer and spin, especially from the middle to the upper stratosphere.
With Sarah and Kate it’s difficult to separate their personalities from their voices...each one brings a different element or pizzazz to the role. And each is stretching her voice in both directions, singing very high and very low. We do accommodate them in the famoua aria “Una voce poco fa” by doing it in different keys so it better fits their voices.
Other than that and the specific ornaments and cadenzas they choose to do, musically it’s not that different. I do slightly adjust the tempi...they each move faster or slower in different passages, and my job is to find the tempi that best allow their voices to bloom into the large space of McCaw.
At his performances, Lawrence Brownlee will be singing the pyrotechnically demanding aria “Cessa di più resistere.” How do you respond to the charge that this aria, which is traditionally cut, is dramatically superfluous? If done well by a tenor who can sing it (Larry is one of probably 3 in the world nowadays who can) it rings true. For me, it occupies the same emotional position in the opera as it does when it appears (in the identical tune) sung by Angelina in Cenerentola. Both occur in the end of the operas in what I call the revelation scene. Cinderella appears at the ball as her true self and speaks to each of her family members, offering forgiveness for their cruelty. The Count appears after removing his cloak as the true Count and man in love with Rosina, announcing his true intentions. In both cases they sing a tremendously difficult and sparkling aria with many changes of mood and tempi. It also must be staged with a delicate hand, so as to not stop all action while the tenor or mezzo sings a fancy aria.
You will accompany the recitatives from a fortepiano on your conductor’s podium. Tell us a little about the instrument you’ll be playing. It’s a beautiful instrument in a cherry wood case lent to us by Professor George Bozarth from the University of Washington. He is one of the world’s leading Brahms scholars and is also an avid collector of early keyboard instruments. The fortepiano is an early version of the modern pianoforte, smaller, with a more transparent tone. The instrument we are using has a clavichord action, which is a simple lever popping a leather covered hammer into the string. A modern piano has an escapement action, much more complicated, which allows more force and faster repetition. The fortepiano has about 20% of the key resistance of a modern piano, which makes it more difficult to play. I have to pull my arm weight out of the keys and use primarily finger action, which is counterintuitive to the many years of piano training I received. And the keyboard is much smaller with reversed black/white coloration of the keys, so my brain and eyes are having to adjust at the same time.
The instrument is also straight-strung, meaning the strings go straight back like a harp. The bottom third has brass strings, lending a unique brassy timbre. The middle and top registers have their own coloration, as well, so you can do neat effects by utilizing different parts of the scale.
It’s the first time I’ve ever played a fortepiano and I’m looking forward to the experience. Apparently it was Rossini and Mozart’s favorite instrument for secco recitatives in their operas. Previously in Baroque opera they used a harpsichord, which is still in use in many Mozart opera productions. Fortepiani are very hard to come by nowadays. So Seattle Opera audiences in for a rare treat.
Soprano Sally Wolf began Seattle Opera career as Gilda in the 1988 production of Rigoletto, and she's returned a dozen times since then, becoming an audience and company favorite in the process. In The Barber of Seville, which opens this Saturday, Wolf will be taking on the role of Berta, Dr. Bartolo's maid. She recently sat down and talked with us about the shift from starring to supporting roles, her passion for teaching, and what she'd love to sing—if only she were a baritone.
In your career at Seattle Opera, you’ve had a wide range of roles, both front-and-center (Norma, Lucia) and supporting (like Berta in Barber). Do you enjoy that sort of variety? I love the variety. When I was in undergrad, I did a lot of Gilbert and Sullivan summer stock. So I did comedy, and then when my career started, I did a lot of Queen of the Night and Donna Anna, and other "serious" things. But this is my thirty-second year of singing, and I’m not getting the ingénue parts anymore. That’s fine—I love doing the character roles. Alice Ford in Falstaff was fantastic, and this is my third production of Berta, and I enjoy doing it. Most of my career, it’s been the larger roles. And then people started asking me to do other things and I thought, "Yeah, this is fun." And that’s the way things go, with the aging.
Do you have any role in Seattle you’ve particularly enjoyed? People ask me all the time, "What’s your favorite place to sing?" And I say Seattle, and they go, "Seattle?" They expect you to say the Met or Covent Garden or something—and those places are really great—but I love this place because of the people and the work that they do. So I’d have to say just about everything I’ve done here I’ve loved. But one highlight is I got to sing Norma here [in 2003] and Kevin Langan, my husband, got to play my father. That was kind of special. Also it was the first time I’d ever worked with Edoardo Müller, and I’d seen him with Kevin in other places and I’d always thought that I’d love to work him. Another highlight is the first time I worked with Peter Kazaras, who is directing this Barber, when I sang Magic Flute with him here in the 87/88 season.
Sally Wolf, in rehearsal for The Barber of Seville. Photo by Alan Alabastro
In addition to performing, you also teach. How long have you been teaching? This is my tenth year, and I’ve been teaching with Westminster Choir College in Princeton, NJ. I’m what they call an adjunct, I’m part-time, but what’s great is that they knew coming in that I would still be doing some performing. For this job right now, it’s over our Christmas break so I’m only going to miss one week. But when it’s in the middle of the year—say I’m here in February for six weeks—then I’d have my husband or someone else come in and teach for me, and then I’d go back and make up the lessons. But they’ve been really good about that, because they knew I was still going to perform. And I’m not performing as much anymore, so it fits in and I can pick and choose what I want to do.
What is it that you like so much about working with students? I run the gamut of freshmen to graduate students to emerging professionals, and with this situation, I’m seeing all different categories of singers. I’m seeing beginners, and I’m also seeing people who are a little more polished—and I love being able to help people realize their potential. Also, I also feel that we as singers basically end up teaching ourselves. Our teachers give us the ideas but then we go to the practice room and do the work of figuring it out. And you want to make sure that the ideas and the technical things that you give your students, that they can interpret that and take that along with them so they can teach themselves. I feel so blessed that I’ve been able to do what I love to do and make a living, and I feel blessed and thankful that I can help someone else reach that.
The Sunday/Friday cast works with choreographer Rosa Mercedes. From left to right: Mercedes, David Adam Moore (Figaro), Patrick Carfizzi (Bartolo), Kate Lindsey (Rosina), Adrian Rosas (Sergeant), and Sally Wolf (Berta). Photo by Alan Alabastro
They say that bel canto operas like Barber demand and cause "healthy singing." As a teacher, do you find that to be the case? My opinion is that everybody has their own voice. So whether I’m singing Bach or I’m singing Verdi, I’m singing with my voice and my technique. I think that some things—especially Mozart—are written perfectly for the voice. But I’m a big fan of telling my students that you sing with your voice, and some music is not appropriate for one but is more appropriate for another. We as teachers, and as singers, need to know that. I know some people think, "Oh now I’ve got to do this or that because I’m singing Bach, and my voice is different when I go to this." And I’ve never felt that way. I just use my voice. If something needs a lighter touch, then I’ll sing softer, or whatever, but I’ll never make my voice something that it isn’t.
A big example is people who do roles that are larger than what they should be doing, and then they have to push their voice and make it get over the orchestra. There are certain pieces of music that people don’t do. I would never do Brünnhilde. You kind of know what music you can do and do well with your voice.
Has there ever been a role you wished you could have done, but you didn't think was suitable for your voice? I would love to do the baritone, Scarpia, in Tosca. [Laughs] So when I come back in another life....
But I guess I would’ve liked to have done Trovatore, because after my high coloratura days, that could’ve been one I could’ve done. But I’ve done so many great roles that I don’t feel like I’ve missed anything. I’ve loved all the roles I’ve done. I’ve been so fortunate to love the music that I sing. It would be terrible if you hate what you do!
Going back to The Barber of Seville, can you tell us about your character, Berta? What is her place in this opera? Well, I love this production because when I’ve done Berta before, it’s kind of like she’s this comical character that comes in and takes care of Bartolo and does his laundry and all of that, and she doesn’t really know what’s going on. She doesn’t know what’s going on behind the scenes. But I love the way Peter Kazaras has brought Berta into it here. She knows what’s going on—the whole household knows. I don’t think she knows at the beginning that it’s the Count, but she knows it’s the person that Rosina has seen and has fallen in love with.
The Sunday/Friday cast get animated in rehearsal. From left to right: Conductor Dean Williamson, Patrick Carfizzi (Bartolo), Burak Bilgili (Don Basilio), David Adam Moore (Figaro), Nicholas Phan (Almaviva), Kate Lindsey (Rosina), and Sally Wolf (Berta). Photo by Alan Alabastro
Do you have a favorite moment in Barber? I love the aria that’s not usually done by the Count, and Larry’s doing it this time. I love that. I just think it’s such an exquisite moment for the tenor. But in Barber, it’s the whole thing that comes together—there’s not just one highlight. It’s the beginning to the end that’s so much fun. We have these young singers that are so incredible—just beautiful—in both casts, and Peter makes it fun and Dean Williamson makes it fun. It’s a great time, and I hope the audience thinks so, too.
Maybe you’ve seen a performance of Rossini’s Barber of Seville before, or maybe your visit to McCaw Hall this month for Seattle Opera’s production, running January 15-29, will be your first time witnessing this fun and frothy spectacle. But if you think you’ve never heard the music, think again. Between Barber’s famous overture and Figaro’s "Largo al factotum" aria, the music of this comic opera is deeply embedded in pop culture.
Those who grew up watching Looney Tunes will no doubt recall "The Rabbit of Seville," in which Bugs Bunny and Elmer Fudd enact their endless battle while singing along to the opera's overture. In this clip, Bugs plays the role of a barber who tosses an elaborate salad on top of Elmer’s bald head. "The Rabbit of Seville" was originally released in 1949, but thanks to reruns and its status as one of the 50 greatest cartoons of all time, it’s been enjoyed by generations of comedy fans since.
Warner Bros. and Bugs weren’t alone—or first—in their reverence for Barber. Five years earlier, rival studio Universal made a short animated film starring Woody Woodpecker, who takes over a barbershop for a day and sings “Largo al factotum” (beginning at 4:15 here) as he gets patrons all lathered up:
Barber references aren’t just for animated comedy. ‘90s sitcom Seinfeld got in on the joke with the episode “The Barber,” in which Jerry starts seeing a new barber, a fact which he tries to hide from his previous—and very jealous—hairdresser, Enzo. Instead of using the sounds of a slap-bass throughout the episode as usual, music from The Barber of Seville was substituted for the episode’s soundtrack. In this clip, you can hear a bit of Barber intro the scene:
Seinfeld, of course, wasn’t for all ages—but even kids who were just growing up in the ‘90s had a chance to hear a bit of Rossini in the contemporary cartoon series Tom and Jerry’s Kids Show. Here, the dog Droopy makes an impressively mustachioed Figaro, while his son watches on appreciatively from the prompter's box.
Even more recently, The Simpsons parodied the opera world in an episode that had a Barber-influenced title: “Homer of Seville.”
Mrs. Doubtfire fans might remember "Largo" being featured in the opening of the film, and Little Rascal fans can catch Alfalfa making his operatic debut with his take on Barberin this clip.
But what gets our vote for the most unique interpretation of that captivating overture? It's definitely this performance by British a cappella group The King's Singers. Yes. An a cappella group singing an instrumental overture. Trust us when we say it's pretty surprising -- and entertaining:
Fitting for a night with the barber, the behind-the-scenes video takes you to our hair and makeup department, where you can explore the role of hair—how it makes the characters come to life and how much meticulous work goes into making the big, eighteenth-century-style wigs we see on stage.
For tickets to Seattle Opera's upcoming production of The Barber of Seville, visit the Seattle Opera website.
Barber Stage Director Peter Kazaras has a story to tell! In this video, learn about the Barber artists and their characters, and find out how the show is coming together in rehearsal, all straight from Kazaras and the cast members. Includes footage of singers in rehearsal.
For tickets to Seattle Opera's upcoming production of The Barber of Seville, visit the Seattle Opera website.
Now that the holidays are over, in rehearsal we're putting the finishing touches on our Barber of Seville, which opens Saturday, January 15 -- next week! Today we have a chat with our Friday/Sunday Almaviva, tenor Nicholas Phan (pronounced "pawn"), who is making his Seattle Opera debut in Barber. We find out what he thinks of the Pacific Northwest, how it feels to perform the Count, and what he loves to do in his spare time.
You have a lot of experience singing early music, and you also seem to do newer works as well. Is this type of balance intentional? Or has it just happened that your performance history has been diverse? My repertoire is definitely diverse--it spans from Monteverdi to Bach to Rossini to Mozart to Bartók to Britten to Jake Heggie. I have quite consciously sought out the variety (I have always had an insatiably curious mind when it comes to music), although I think I have also had the good fortune to have a wide variety of opportunities come my way. I fell in love with classical music as a young violinist (I played from the ages of 4 to 18), and my teachers and conductors raised me on a very wide-ranging repertoire including Bach and Vivaldi violin concertos, Haydn string quartets, symphonies by Beethoven, Brahms, and Mahler, the Bartók Concerto for Orchestra, as well as some contemporary pieces written by living composers. When I started singing, I applied the same insatiable curiosity to my vocal repertoire, and I've been lucky enough to have teachers who kept pointing me in different directions and didn't limit that adventurous musical spirit in me.
Nicholas Phan rehearses Almaviva, with Sally Wolf as Berta in the background
A large part of what accounts for the wide variety of music I sing is that I don’t only sing opera. I generally only sing a couple of fully-staged operas a season, and the rest of the time I am singing a lot of concerts and oratorios with orchestra as well as solo recitals and vocal chamber music, which I am incredibly passionate about. What I love about recitals is that there is the opportunity to explore a wide variety of repertoire in the most intimate of settings and in one concert, which can be a powerful experience for both the performer and the audience. It is most definitely my favorite way to perform.
I guess what it all boils down to is that there is so much beautiful music that has been written and has yet to be written. I just want to sing as much of it as I can!
Nicholas Phan rehearsing Act Two (while Bartolo chases Rosina upstairs)
Tell us about your experience singing Almaviva in Portland last season. So far, what are the differences you’ve noticed between that production and this Seattle Barber? My experience in Portland was actually one of the most special experiences I’ve ever had in an opera house. There were many good friends of mine in the cast and, as a result, the chemistry between the cast-members was instantaneous. We were a very light-hearted bunch, and shared a great many laughs over the course of that production. Being in Seattle is similar, because I have known some of my colleagues here for years (in fact, Sarah Coburn, Dean Williamson, and I all did our first Barber together at Wolf Trap Opera in 2003) and so the musical and rehearsal-room camaraderie feels quite natural as a result.
This is your Seattle Opera debut, but is it your first time visiting Seattle, or have you been to this city before? What sort of things are you looking forward to doing here when you have some spare time? This is actually my very first trip to Seattle! I have been looking forward to being here for a very long time, because everyone raves about this city so much. I fell in love with the Pacific Northwest during my many visits to Portland over the years, and I am really looking forward to exploring another part of the region. I’m very much into food and wine, so I am mostly looking forward to trying out the various restaurants that all my friends have recommended and basically eating and drinking my way through Seattle!
You sing two serenades in the first scene of Barber. Can you tell us about how they differ? I find the first serenade hilarious, actually, because the Count has obviously been planning that moment for quite some time, and it comes off so clumsily! It’s a completely ridiculous plan: getting a big band to play this over-the-top serenade right under her window at dawn? Insane! The music is very showy, vocally-speaking, with trills, very florid sections, and rangy jumps with a full orchestration. It’s clearly a case of someone trying too hard, which I actually find very sweet. Nonetheless, the Count is confident of his charms while he sings it, which is why it’s so disappointing for him when it goes off the rails immediately after.
In the second serenade, Figaro very much catches the Count off-guard, and he is much less sure of himself. The music is much simpler (he only sings with a guitar this time), and much more improvisatory, as the Count is clearly making it all up on the spot. That second serenade is actually my favorite moment of singing in the opera. It’s the one moment of quiet vulnerability for the Count. He’s on the spot and doesn’t have time to think, and, even though he is in disguise at that moment and lies about his identity, his declaration of his intentions towards Rosina is incredibly heartfelt and real.
As different as they are, both serenades establish one very important thing: they show the Count’s youth and the power of his love and passion for Rosina. In both arias, the Count demonstrates that he is more than willing to step far out of his comfort zone in order to woo Rosina. He puts himself out there and goes to great length to work for her affections (both in the amount of planning that went into the first serenade and his willingness to think on his feet in the second)--something he has probably never had to do before. It’s a remarkable moment in his life--one that is markedly more innocent and happier than when we encounter him again many years later in Le nozze di Figaro.
Nicholas Phan in rehearsal as Almaviva, with Kate Lindsey as Rosina and Sally Wolf as Berta
Almaviva gets to take on multiple disguises in Barber. What’s that like for you, as a performer? It’s incredibly complicated! Almaviva has to deal with so many props--swords, letters, other various pieces of paper, knives, money--and it can get very confusing at times. It also means that there isn’t very much down-time for us during the opera. When we make it off-stage, we spend most of the off-stage time frantically changing from one costume to another. With so many changes throughout the show, and not much of a chance to sit and relax, the evening really flies by.
Finally, I’ve noticed that you keep a regularly-updated blog. Is writing a hobby of yours? What kind of blogger are you--do you write only about opera, do you share personal anecdotes, or do you blog about current events? Writing is, indeed, a hobby of mine. Before I felt the call of the musician, I harbored childhood dreams of being a writer. I started the blog while I was making my European debut in 2006. I was working in Frankfurt on a new production of Mozart’s very first opera, La finta semplice, which had a very long rehearsal period of 6 weeks. I found that I had a lot of alone time on my hands outside of rehearsal, and so thought I would start the blog as a way to occupy my time and share some of what was going on in my head with the world. I try to write mostly about the music I am performing or studying, as well as some personal anecdotes about my life as a wandering minstrel, although sometimes I get off on a tangent about current events, because I simply can’t keep my mouth shut. I really enjoy keeping the blog. It’s helped me feel a bit more connected to the world when I am on the road alone, and it’s helped me connect with audiences in a way that’s beyond what I normally experience singing.
Following Seattle Opera’s final performance of The Barber of Seville on Saturday night, the Italian language leaves our theater for a while. We won’t present an Italian opera again until January of 2012, when Verdi’s Attila comes to Seattle Opera for the first time. (We’ll be singing in French, German, and English before then.) Coming up next--beginning rehearsal tomorrow, in fact--is Don Quichotte, a French opera based on a Spanish story, and featuring an exciting international cast.
Dean Williamson at the fortepiano in rehearsal at McCaw Hall (Photo by Alan Alabastro)
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