Date sent: Mon, 31 Jan 2000 00:29:46 EST
Subject: Re: Mabel cadenza/other stuff
To: vocalist, Teressa000-at-aol.com
Send reply to: VOCALIST <vocalist>

In a message dated 1/26/00 10:36:43 PM Eastern Standard Time,
VOCALIST-DIGEST-Owner writes:

<< Date: Wed, 26 Jan 2000 20:42:09 EST
From: Teressa000-at-aol.com
Subject: Pirates/Penzance Cadenzas

I'm going to do a "Mabel" soon, and was wondering what the current
performance practice is with regards to that lovely "cadenza ad lib" at the
end of "Poor Wand'ring One". I have usually constructed my own, and never
like to let it go on too long (or too indulgently) for fear of distorting the
aria. Are people lifting cadenzas from operas of the period, any opera one
can sing, making them up, or just mimicking the last D'Oyly recording?

Plus, any fellow "Mabel"s out there with warnings as to tricky
passages/stamina/whatnot?
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>.

Hi there!

When I did Mabel, my voice teacher wrote me a special extended cadenza with
flute obbligato, too. One of the girls in the chorus was a flute player, and
I thought it would be real cute if she whipped out her instrument and
accompanied me. Had to talk the director into it, though-----we made a joke
about how bored everyone else on stage (includingFrederic!) was during the
whole long thing!

Most of the time when I am singing the aria alone, out of context, I don't do
the long cadenza, but the one Valerie Masterson does on the D'Olyly Carte
recording I have.

As to other tricky stuff in the role, it depends on what type of voice you
have. Your profile says you're a lyric soprano, so I suspect the hardest
thing for you will be the long staccato phrases in the aria--real breath
control and tonal focus tests----all this talk we've been having lately about
the 'ah' vowel really comes into play in a situation like this! I am a
coloratura soprano, so staccato is my bread-and-butter. The only other thing
to remember in the aria is to keep those little runs on the breath, and don't
start too heavy at the bottom, or you won't make the high Db at the end of
them, halfway through the aria.

You will probably shine in the solo in the opening of Act II, which has a
beautiful lyric line, as does the HEAVENLY duet with Frederic later on in Act
II.

I also recommend you knowing both your's and Frederic's parts really well in
the ending section of the above mentioned duet, when they get to 'oh here is
love, and here is truth'. This is very easy to mess up the counting in, as I
have witnessed many times!

Mabel is my favorite G&S role to SING (unfortunately there is not much
opportunity for fleshing out the character, seeing as you only have about 4
lines!) and I hope you enjoy it as much as I do! :-)

Elise Curran