From: Margaret Harrison
To: VOCALIST <vocalist>
Subject: Re: Opera
Send reply to: VOCALIST <vocalist>

Aliaknife-at-aol.com wrote:

I'd like to
> further the ? and ask how long do you work on art songs or other exercises
> before you hit the arias??? Just want to get an average idea. Thanks.

When I first started studying voice, I was SO far away from sounding good in arias, that
my goal was to be singing well enough to sing one, so of course I longed for one to sing.
In my case it took me a few years, but my progress was slower than most. Since then I've
worked on more than my share of arias.

These days, I like to sing the smallest, least "advanced" pieces, but sing them incredibly
beautifully and movingly. This is not easy, technically, artistically, or emotionally.
Nowadays, I feel like I don't want to work on an aria unless I can sing it as beautifully
as I can sing my favorite art songs. In fact, I am happiest nowadays working on art song
because the poetry is so interesting, and I enjoy discovering how in each song the vocal
line, the text, and the piano part are working together to interpret the text, and I enjoy
making music with my favorite pianist to make it all become reality.

Peggy

--
Margaret Harrison, Alexandria, Virginia, USA
"Music for a While Shall All Your Cares Beguile"
mailto:peggyh-at-ix.netcom.com