Operas, operettas, and musicals

I was just thrilled to see Die Fledermaus last night at the Wiener Volksoper. It was just great! It was my first opera – ok, it was an operetta. The music was beautiful, with some themes I already knew. The singers were excellent, and I didn’t hear any of this “operatic voice” thing that some people really don't like. Ok, it may be that because it was an operetta, which seems closer to a musical, the singer just didn’t seem so heavy and dramatic.

And in light of that I think of the pop music that I have done and wonder how it compares. It’s a totally different style, I know. But there is something wonderful in being able to open the voice and sing out without holding back. I envy them. It makes me want to add more of this kind of thing to my repertoire, more of this music meant for a big hall. But where could I perform it?

Ok, I did do a sort of opera in college. I can't even remember the name of it, but the plot was similar to the play "Our Town". I only sang in one piece. It was 5/8 time, and I sang a high baritone part over top of four singers. "I shall hold this tight. I shall remember." (What was that piece anyway?) The four singers seemed to have lost the timing, but I kept mine. Ok, theirs was a bit more difficult, I admit.

But I get a thrill when I sing songs where I am able to cut loose and sing big. Let’s see. Which songs are those.... Not the 50’s rock n roll. Not the folk songs. Not the bluegrass. Not the jazz. I think I get this feeling sometimes when I am at home singing old Italian songs, or some Broadway tunes. I don’t know, it just seems I’m not finding the opportunities – the right music? the right venues? the right audience? – to really show off my singing voice.

Sondheim said: "I really think that when something plays Broadway it's a musical, and when it plays in an opera house it's opera. That's it. It's the terrain, the countryside, the expectations of the audience that make it one thing or another."[1] What is my music then? Is it limited by the terrain, the expectations of the audience? Or something else?

Will I ever find my sound? Maybe it is just evolving. Maybe it is meant that way. I have heard music divided into three categories: pop, folk, and classical. Most singers find their favorite genre (sub-sub-sub-genre?) and stay with it. Me, I can't sit still. Now that I have a better appreciation for this music, I want to add some of it to my repertoire. Someone recently told me just to follow my heart, just do it, and not worry about the crowd. I think I will.



[1] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Musical_theater