To: vocalist
Subject: Re: Opera: "When I am laid in earth"
Date sent: Fri, 17 Dec 1999 12:06:25 PST
Send reply to: VOCALIST <vocalist>

>From: "Fiona Chow"
>Reply-To: VOCALIST <vocalist>
>
Alia wrote:
> > try out 2 arias (When I am Laid in Earth.... I love it, but the high
>notes
> > kill me , HI Alia:
>
> When I was 17 I wanted to sing "When I am Laid in Earth," and my
>teacher
>said no - it's a big aria, and not easy either.

Just my own 2 pennies on "Dido's Lament": It's not so much the high notes
as the jump from D to G on the big finish ("Remember me"). I still have to
tread carefully on it, and I'm, uh, old enough to have worn platform shoes
the LAST time they were in style.

Plus of course, you have to act. As far as *young* singers go, I would
point out that Dido is a widow, and is lamenting the departure of her lover
Aeneas. Given the emotional content et al, I would think that she is in her
30s, at least.

For what it's worth, my wonderful lyric mezzo teacher tells me that ALL
mezzos find that jump difficult.


Elizabeth Finkler
Come see me play the Witch! Bay Shore Lyric Opera, Capitola, CA
December 19 at 3 pm.
mightymezzo-at-hotmail.com

"No man should be forced to pay his own bills. The basis of any civilized
society is unlimited credit." --Oscar Wilde

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