Anatomy of a Phrase 2015 Version

Anyone who has been a reader of this blog, knows how long and hard I have struggled with the Amneris/Radames duet with the two high B flats.

Yesterday, as I don't have anything on my schedule to sing, I thought I would just give it a go and see if all the new technical things I have learned would allow me to sing through this as easily as I have been singing other things.

And - yes!!

OK, one swallow doesn't make a summer, but I was able to do the following:

1. Keep my jaw relaxed and not pound on those repeating E flats at the beginning "Chi ti salva".
2. Keep my jaw relaxed full stop.
3. Sing it sad instead of angry.  I actually don't know what it sounds like to an audience (this is too technically difficult to sing in front of the ipad, which would be too distracting) but if I feel sad (and yes, she can be sad!!  she is telling him that no one can save him now if he won't give up Aida) everything relaxes instead of tensing up the way it does if I am angry.
4. Sing the ascending scale on "aw" not "or dal ciel" (no one sings it as written anyhow) and not take a breath.  Catch breaths can be fatal.
5. Keep my larynx down and raise my palate as I ascend the scale.

Everything just feels about 20 pounds lighter.

So what I have to do now, just like someone who's lost body weight, is believe that this is me, now.  That I don't need all that weight, all that tension, and all that work.  The work has been done.  I just have to relax now.

I will take the piece to my lesson tomorrow and see what happens.