Countdown

My concert is on October 1, and it's now September 5, so the official countdown begins.

I am in contact with the woman who runs the studio where I'm performing, and with the pianist, and we have some tentative rehearsal dates. Then I will get flyers and programs made up. I think my teacher's wife can do that. And spread the word! Other than my angst over that B flat (I think I really do have a handle on what to do now) I am very pleased with how I sound singing this rep. I just need to polish the recits and continue to drill the words to the Trovatore scene. (I know the Aida scenes by heart.)

I also have to reacquaint myself with "Florina", aka the chorus part for the Traviata drinking song which we will do either as an encore or a closing number. Back in my earlier incarnation as a mostly trouser role mezzo, I did numerous of performances of "Florina". For those who don't know, it's an amalgam of Violetta's friend Flora, who is in Acts 1 and 3, and her maid Annina, who is in Acts 2 and 4. The same person can play both roles as they're never on stage together.

My partner has stopped making snide remarks about how I'm wasting time and money - now she's telling me how boring that Trovatore scene is (I got her to listen to the performance on tv) and that no one will want to sit through it because it's not "something people know". I tried to explain that people who like opera all know that scene, but to no avail. So I told her just to put a sock in it and not to undermine me, especially as I've been working very hard on it.

But I just can't dwell on any of that. I am excited about the concert and want to give it my all (the woman running the concert venue, who is a mezzo herself, said she is "dying to hear me" and I am eager to make her a friend/mentor) and then it's on to the CD, and trying to organize the pocket Verdi Requiem. I mentioned the latter to the choir director when we were rehearsing the Bach (which I sang twice yesterday) and he said he thought I would have to "rent" the space but that I should check with the pastor. I am hoping that because it's a piece of sacred music that I want to produce during Lent, that she will be happy just to collect the ticket money. I know she likes my singing.

In other news, the Bach went really well yesterday. I sing Bach very well. I don't give myself enough credit for this, because I guess I feel, well, as none of these pieces goes above an E, so what? But then I have to remember that he is one of the two or three greatest composers who ever lived and that having an affinity for singing this type of music (not to mention the breath control and ability to sing clean ornamenetation) is a major talent and something I should foster. I don't know how many more years I can sing Verdi (and my extreme upper register will never be competitive) but I can probably sing Bach well into my 80s. The choir director seemed genuinely impressed.