Margaret Harrison wrote:
> Professor, I don't mean this as a flame, but as a classical
> singer and opera fan I am SHOCKED that an academic
> institution would use electronics in a non-outdoor or
> non-stadium student presentation of opera.
>
> Is this how the school is are training students to sing
> professional opera in the real world?
It is precisely for this reason that we do this. It is neccessary for
students (vocal and instrumental) to become familiar with the standard
repertoire of the professional world. (We perform in original languages -
not translations.) It is also important for students to learn the crafts of
the stage. Younger voices are often tempted to overdrive in this
situation. We also perform chamber works but by in large these are works
which will be encountered in the professional rep.
>
>
> Do the audiences know how they and the students are being
> cheated?
How?
> Why are the students not performing in a smaller
> space with a smaller orchestra commensurate with the
> singers' capabilities? If the singers aren't capable of
> singing in a large hall with an orchestra, why is the school
> presenting full opera productions, rather than scenes in a
> large classroom setting with piano accompaniment?
Our students certainly are when it is time. One of our students won the
met auditions this year (without amplification).
The word 'capable' is loaded. They are able to do it, but until a certain
age and maturity, they shouldn't do it. Modern opera companies who search
for ever younger stars are brutalizing younger singers into pitifully short
careers. This fact has been lamented in opera journals for decades. We are
trying to give our students as much pre-professional training as possible
without pushing their voices beyond healthy limits. We are very proud of
our student's success after they leave here. They are prepared to sing
correctly, and they know the repetoire.
Dr. Barry Bounous
Brigham Young University
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