Dear Michelle & Listers:
In your part of the world, you are probably not as "blessed" as we are here in
the Southeastern USA with that modern phenomenon: The Redneck!! Having
travelled among these individulas for years, I can safely say that they dislike
coloratura sopranos, counter-tenors and anything that has anything to do with
"opera". You should see them turn pale when I bring to their attention that
opera was originally performed in the Ryman Auditorium which later became "The
Grand Old Opry", and I've always been told that Enrico Caruso was among the
artists who sang there.
In the 80s I was introduced to the recordings of Mado Robin, a truly
stratospheric coloratura who died in the 60s of leukemia at the height of her
career. She sang for Princess Grace's wedding. I lived dangerously. I played
one of Robin's lps for a teenage redneck soprano. "Lordy! She's a-hurtin' ma
ears!!" Many of us have trained ourselves to avoid certain singers because we
have wearied of trying to get thru the densly encrusted brains of these (in this
area) automatically built-in boils on the butt of humanity! The musician,
thru necessity, builds up a protective armour. In privacy, we listen to
Kathleen Battle and Simon Estes. We begin to live very dangerously when we
hire wonderful black section leaders for our church choirs. In privacy we bathe
in the warmth of David Daniels' magnificent counter-tenor voice, but we'd be
tarred and feathered if we put these tones before our church choirs. A
colleague was told after a singing of "He was despised" by an haute-contre at
his Southern Baptist (BadTaste?) Church "Honey, we know you're queer as a three
dollar bill, but why in the Sam Hill do ya have to go an' rub our face in it
lettin' your boyfriend sing in church!?" These two were NOT a couple. As
the musician wept on my phone I just filed my nails and said "Hoss! They gave
up openmindedness for Lent!" I hired three beautiful black singers. Never
crossed my mind that the later-day Confederates would come up to me after church
as say "It looks like the Hall Johnson Choir up there, Ed!" to which I
immediately responded "I'm amazed YOU knew the Hall Johnson Choir! True
wonders NEVER cease!"! My mezzo friend who also happened to be Jewish sang in
this church choir, also. I reminded the Rector that it might have been lost on
him that Jesus happened to be a Jew! (Didn't stay long at THAT church, by the
way!)
Geography also has alot to do with our "taste" in singers and what we're
comfortable in listening to. As for the opera and most especially in the
recital, we have to remember that we wear our best clothing in recitals and
therefore don't have to don the drag! The recital would be a great place for
you to walk out the trouser stuff, Michelle. The rednecks in the audience won't
know if you're a man, woman or animal in that setting! By ALL means, tho, when
the auditions come up for Berg's "Lulu" plan something else to do that day!
Ed
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