Vanessa M Quigley wrote: > > I am trying to decide whether or not to do a summer opera workshop. > Auditions are coming up in a few weeks so I need to decide if it is worth > the money. One of the ones I'm thinking about is the Crittenden Opera > Workshop. Has anyone done that one? It is for 2 weeks and a total of 100+ > hours. The other one I'm thinking about is at the New England Conservatory > here in Boston.
I don't know about the New England Conservatory program. Crittenden's main focus is getting the participant to be effective on stage. This has much to do with how the singers moves on stage in relation to the music, so there is a lot of emphasis on movement. Musical coaching is also part of the curriculum. There is little or no emphasis on vocal technique (as it should be - one gets that in private lessons). Acting is taught in relation to the musical means of accomplishing the acting. One moves in relation to the score, and in a way compatible with the score. The score also shows how the role should be interpreted. One learns to realize the music in the score in a way that makes the role work on stage.
What I've written above seems a bit disjointed when I read it over, but these are some of the lessons I learned. I found Crittenden to be the the most challenging artistic training I'd ever experienced. He deliberately makes his program hard, because the professional singing world is tough and he wants to give singers the opportunity to learn how to deal with tough performance issues in the shelter of the workshop, so they can be effective artists under a variety of circumstances get thrown at them. For example, if you learn his lessons well, you can peform effecitvely in situations like - you're covering or second cast in a role and get little or no stage rehearsal or time with the stage director. Or you haven't a clue as to what the director wants of you.
Personally, I think Crittenden is a bargain for what he gives you.
Peggy
-- Margaret Harrison, Alexandria, Virginia, USA "Music for a While Shall All Your Cares Beguile" mailto:peggyh@i...
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