All you really need to do is look feeble and distracted.

Posted on October 27, 2011 by mnopblog

I Remember Thursday

Marcia Aubineau (Queen of Media, supernumerary), Susanna Phillips (Elmira, soprano)

Actually I remember four weeks before Thursday as well as the entire month before. It was March of 2008, and the Minnesota Opera was presenting the American premiere of The Fortunes of King Croesus written in 1711 by Reinhard Keiser.

I had been asked to appear as the exiled Queen of Media (pronounced mid-ee-ya), and after being assured that I didn’t have to sing (or even speak—a very wise choice for everyone concerned), I agreed and embarked on my “maiden voyage” to behind-the-scenes of Operaland.

I remember the director, Tim Albery, saying, “Marcia, you are a powerless regent in exile. Your husband has been brutally killed in a terrible war. You have had to leave your country and seek asylum in the court of King Croesus. All you really need to do is look feeble and distracted.” Hmmm, I thought: “feeble” might take some work, but as an abstract/random Gemini, I could be the poster girl for “distracted.” And so it began…

The rehearsal process was grueling but fascinating. And the cast members (who by performance time were calling me “Mum”)—well, how much fun can one have with the likes of Paul Nilon, Vale Rideout, Carlos Archuleta, and Dan Dressen back stage? Not to mention my very talented “daughter,” Susanna Phillips, who used to whisper all sorts of things in my ear as she was “comforting” her widowed mother.

Susanna Phillips (Elmira, soprano) See her as Lucia performs March 3, 6, 8, 10, 2012 (in at Minnesota Opera!

The entire experience was not only exciting but a real epiphany as to just how much effort goes into a production not only by the singers but by the entire artistic team and support staff—costume workers, wig masters, set builders, lighting designers, et al. And although King Croesus’s “fortunes” weren’t the best, mine certainly were in having the privilege of being a part of this amazing Minnesota Opera project.

It’s Rainin’ Men

Posted on October 21, 2011 by mnopblog

Feature Fridays

Ben Wager, the French General, (bass)

Ben Wager, the French General (bass)

Where are you based when not performing?

Philadelphia, PA

What advice do you offer aspiring artists?

Soak up all criticism and advice you can. When critiqued, always respond with “Yes, and…” rather than a “yes, BUT!”

Who are your biggest inspirations?

War vets. It keeps things in perspective.

Where do you feel you delivered your strongest performance?

At the Academy of Vocal Arts as Enrico in Anna Bolena.

What tends to be the most challenging element of performing?

Keeping that little chaos-loving demon living in your brain on a leash! It may sound strange but every performer I know has some version of that voice in his/her head who just likes to cause trouble when you’re trying your hardest to focus and take things seriously.

What do you think makes Minnesota Opera unique from other companies?

Positive attitude and an uncanny sense purpose and cohesion throughout the entire company.

What has been the most challenging piece you have worked on and why?

Britten’s The Rape of Lucretia. It’s just musically very tricky: unusual harmonic shifts and rhythms.

How has music changed your life?

It has brought into contact with so many different types of people in countless places that I otherwise may not have. It’s made me say to myself on numerous occasions: I can’t believe I get to do this for a living.

If you had to choose a different field of work, what would you choose?

I was a Criminal Justice major in college, I planned to go into the U.S. Marshal’s service. But if I had to choose one, I’d be a studio bassist.

Are there any favorite backstage stories/moments you would like to share from this or previous performances that our audience might enjoy?

I’m probably one of the last people to sing with Salvatore Licitra who was a good enough colleague to escort me down off a horrendously steep rake during a performance of Andrea Chenier because the costume department accidentally switched my boots so the ones I had on didn’t grip the copper plated surface AT ALL.

Andrzej Goulding (video/projection designer)

Where are you based when not in traveling for work?

Andrzej Goudling (video/projection designer)

I am based in London, England.

Are you really as scandalous as they say you are?

It’s just a rumour, I’m really quite tame.

What advice do you offer aspiring artists?

Work hard, as talent will always win out over just being able to talk the talk.

Who are your biggest inspirations?

I worked (and still do) in set design when I left university and the designer I have worked with all those years has been the biggest influence on my theatre work. From a film point of view it would have to be Tim Burton and Ridley Scott as they both started as artists before moving into film which I can relate to.

With what show would you most like to be involved and why?

As a child I always wanted to make Lord of the Rings as a movie because of the love for creating worlds from scratch. But then along came Peter Jackson and the rest is now history. I did get a slight recompense however, as I ended up working on the musical version.

How do you eat your eggs?

I tend to like mine fried with a little knob of butter thrown in at the end to baste the topside.

What tends to be the most challenging element of performing/producing?

The most challenging element is to find the time to fit all the ideas in. Video is very time consuming if done well, so part of it is knowing the limits of the show as with video you can within reason create anything you want.

If you were stuck on a deserted island and could only bring three things, what would they be?

My wife and our two cats.

What has been the most challenging piece you have worked on and why?

Probably this one simply because of it’s scale.

Do you have Twitter, a Facebook page or website fans can follow?

I have a website; www.agoulding.com.

**Michael Nyby, William Dale (baritone)**

Where are you based when not performing?

Michael Nyby, William Dale (baritone)

My wife and I just moved last month to Toronto from Vancouver.

What advice do you offer aspiring artists?

The most helpful thing I ever learned was how to accept disappointment from defeat or rejection.

Who are your biggest inspirations?

Mozart, Verdi, and Indiana Jones

Where do you feel you delivered your strongest performance?

In the shower every morning, but unfortunately I have not been able to attain to the same level of genius on the stage.

What tends to be the most challenging element of performing?

For me it’s usually the first entrance in a performance, but once I get past the initial nerves, it’s pretty smooth sailing.

What is your favorite Twin Cities destination?

I have a running route through Boom Island Park, around Nicollet Island and over the Stone Arch Bridge. It’s gorgeous in the autumn.

If you had to choose a different field of work, what would you choose?

I would probably be working as a mechanic in a neighbourhood mountain bike store in Vancouver.

Are you really as scandalous as they say you are?

Yes. Absolutely. No question about it.

Are there any favorite backstage stories/moments you would like to share from this or previous performances that our audience might enjoy?

Yes, but decency prevents me from sharing in a public forum!

Have you ever had hot dish, and if so what is your favorite variety?

Yes, because I have attended Minnesota Opera’s famous Church Basement Luncheon. I’m not sure what was in it, but I remember it had French’s fried onions as the top layer.*

(*editorial note, Green Bean Casserole)

Sometimes we have other things besides bottled water in the Orchestra Pit.

Posted on October 14, 2011 by mnopblog

Feature Friday

Michele Frisch (flute, Minnesota Opera Orchestra)

What made you decide on a career in the arts?

My father was a baseball player and my mother was determined that her seven children would be exposed to music, dance, theatre and the visual arts. All the music lessons, youth orchestra, ballet, and museum art classes were her idea and my father faithfully drove us all to these countless lessons. I’m a professional flutist by default, however. I wanted to be the first girl to play in the Major Leagues long before I wanted to be a flutist.

How long have you been working with opera?

I auditioned for principal flute in 1984, and I had played second flute for three years prior to that. So, 27 yrs. as principal, 30 yrs altogether.

What do you think makes Minnesota Opera unique from other companies?

I think that this Opera company covers a huge amount of territory with great skill. Every season offers standard, audience-loving favorites, the staple of the opera repertoire. But MN Opera has also successfully mounted many newly commissioned operas which have garnered considerable acclaim in the opera world, not to mention other contemporary operas which keep audience’s ears and tastes fresh. Also, MN Opera’s ongoing commitment to staging a Bel Canto offering every season is noteworthy in itself.

What is your favorite Twin Cities destination?

My own backyard gives me peace, solitude, flora and fauna, and a place to unwind. In more ambitious moments: Valentine Lake in Arden Hills, the Arboretum, St. Croix Trail, Midway Stadium when the St. Paul Saints are playing.

If you were stuck on a deserted island and could only bring three things, what would they be?

My Bible, my flute, and the Bach Partita in a minor.

What has been the most challenging piece you have worked on and why?

Anything J.S. Bach. Simplicity is elusive, but magical if briefly achieved. Gluck wrote: “I believe that my greatest efforts have been devoted to seeking a beautiful simplicity. I have avoided making displays of difficulty at the expense of clarity. Simplicity, truth, and naturalness are the great principles of beauty in all artistic manifestations.”

How has music changed your life?

I remember being 3 years old and sitting with my father, listening to the soundtrack LP of Mario Lanza as The Great Caruso. Music has always been a part of my life, so I can only try to imagine what it would be like without music: incomprehensible.

If you had to choose a different field of work, what would you choose?

I would write poetry, presumably with greater skill as a vocation than as an avocation. Even yet, in the reading and writing, it has brought me a great deal of pleasure.

Is there any “haute” backstage gossip you would like to share from this or previous performances?

The woodwind section has never, in my memory, completed the run of an opera without some offering of intermission chocolate from one of us. This is why tempos at the beginnings of certain Acts are often ambitiously lively…

What are your top three favorite operas?

Easy: Verdi’s La Traviata, because it is the first opera I ever heard, as a toddler; Bizet’s Carmen, because I met my husband, violinist Roger Frisch, while playing Carmen at Indiana University Music School, and Barber’s Vanessa, because of the divinely exquisite quintet in the Finale.

Amy Morris, flute

Amy Morris (flute, Minnesota Opera Orchestra)

What made you decide on a career in the arts?

You’ll have to ask my mom – she picked out the flute for me. Once that was done, it was a foregone conclusion (thanks, Mom!).

How long have you been working with opera?

I’ve played since 1997, and been a core member of the orchestra since the 2000 season.

What do you think makes Minnesota Opera unique from other companies?

The company has a vision of opera that pays homage to the great works of the past, while sponsoring works of the future. It does it seamlessly, as opposed to poking you in the ribs with its odd ends. It’s very much like architecture that melds old bricks and mortar with new design elements but creates one, beautiful whole.

What is your favorite Twin Cities destination?

My home in Richfield, where my nice neighborhood, back porch, garden and cats are.

If you were stuck on a deserted island and could only bring three things, what would they be?

A boat, an oar and a GPS.

What has been the most challenging piece you have worked on and why?

For the opera, it has to be Der Rosenkavalier. It requires technical proficiency, musical passion, and exquisite ensemble playing. Pinocchio was probably the most technically challenging piece we (I) ever played, but that made it really fun.

How has music changed your life?

Music is my religion. It has the power to transform lives and the ability to be incredibly banal. The transforming moments make the banal ones sufferable.

If you had to choose a different field of work, what would you choose?

I would go out to Sonoma, CA and start pouring wine at one of the vineyards and hopefully learn the process of winemaking.

What is your favorite thing about Minnesota?

MSP flies non-stop to Amsterdam.

Is there any “haute” backstage gossip you would like to share from this or previous performances?

Sometimes we have other things besides bottled water in the orchestra pit.

What are your top three favorite operas?

Der Rosenkavalier. I love the rest equally.

Have you ever had hot dish, and if so what is your favorite variety?

Tater tot casserole (we call it casserole where I come from).

How do you eat your eggs?

Over easy.

Besides opera, do you have any other favorite genres of music? What are some of your favorite artists from that genre?

The Beatles, and I love Springsteen’s Seeger sessions with folk music.

Do you have Twitter, a Facebook page or website fans can follow?

all of the above. www.amy-morris.com; www.indande.com; and Facebook pages for Indande and The Prairie Song Project.

What do you like to do when you aren’t busy creating great opera?

Drink great wine, travel to great places, play great chamber music, hang out with great friends, play with my great cats.

Getting Closer To Silent Night

Posted on October 5, 2011 by mnopblog

Watch + Listen Wednesday

Check out some of the videos from Minnesota Opera’s silent Night workshop. For more videos Check out http://mnopera.org/watchlisten#tab=3 and get a better look.

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A boat, a back up boat, and a captain…

Posted on September 30, 2011 by mnopblog

Feature Friday

Daniel Mobbs (baritone, Don Alfonso)

Where are you based when not performing?

Daniel Mobbs as Tell in Rossini's Guillaume Tell at the Caramoor International Music Festival Photo © by Gabe Palacio

My partner Vince and I live in center city Philadelphia.

What advice do you offer aspiring artists?

Don’t concentrate on “making it” because there is no “it”. A career goes up and down so many times, you just have to ride the ride.

Who are your biggest inspirations?

Beverly Sills for one. The American who was scrappy and long lasting in her many roles in the operatic world.

Where do you feel you delivered your strongest performance?

Every summer for 12 years I have had the pleasure to sing bel canto roles with the Caramoor International Music Festival. The most wonderful crowds and colleagues make for the best concerts I’ve ever done.

What is your dream role?

Just sang William Tell this summer at Caramoor which was a dream come true. In the future I would love to sing John the Baptist in Salome. I made my debut in this opera in a tiny part when I was 18, and have always dreamed of singing the leading baritone.

How long have you been working with opera?

This is my 20th season in the business.

What do you think makes Minnesota Opera unique from other companies?

The leadership here is unique in it’s closeness with the artists, the sweet and fun attitude of Floyd and Dale trickles down to all the staff here. Makes for a lot of fun at work, and a great product on stage.

If you were stuck on a deserted island and could only bring three things, what would they be?

A boat, a backup boat, and a captain.

What has been the most challenging piece you have worked on and why?

A piece called Dr. Faust, the last night by Pascal du Sapin at Spoletto. Terribly challenging music that took forever to learn. Made my brain hurt.

How has music changed your life?

One aspect of my career I love is introducing new people to the art form for the first time. People who never have gone to the opera come to hear me and they are really touched by opera.

Peter Rothstein (Director)

Where are you based when not performing?

Minneapolis

What advice do you offer aspiring artists?

Do what you love; your passion will take you further than your talent.

Who are your biggest inspirations?

My teachers (too many to list here), young people discovering their love of performance, those who dare to create art despite the dangers or audacity of the act.

How long have you been working with opera?

College

What is your favorite Twin Cities destination?

The Lakes

How has music changed your life?

This impossible to answer, because I can’t imagine life without music.

If you had to choose a different field of work, what would you choose?

I’m quite certain I would succeed at nothing else, because I would always feel like I showed up at the wrong place.

What are your top three favorite operas?

The Tender Land, La Boheme, Péleas and Mélisande

John Tessier (tenor, Ferrando)

Where are you based when not performing?

London, Ontario

What advice do you offer aspiring artists?

Don’t let anyone stop you.
Who are your biggest inspirations?

My parents, my Wife and my teachers.

Where do you feel you delivered your strongest performance?

When the police came to my door when I was 15. “Where did you get these 46 pink flamingoes we found on your ex-girfriend’s lawn”. I never had more clarity at any moment when I said “ Where did YOU get these 46 pink flamingoes”
What tends to be the most challenging element of performing?

Getting out of one’s own way.
What do you typically eat before a performance?

I eat early at about 3:30, chicken, rice and green beens.
What is your dream role? And why?

I love to sing Nemorino. I like to show the transition from “ Jerry Lewis to Dean Martin”. That is Jonathan Miller’s Idea and I buy it.
How long have you been working with opera?

Professionally since ’98.
What do you think makes Minnesota Opera unique from other companies?

Two things, the quality of the work and the organization itself. Top to bottom the people that work here are second to none.

What is your favorite Twin Cities destination?

Swimming the outdoor pool at the YMCA

He Can Have His Cake and Eat It Too…

Posted on September 28, 2011 by mnopblog

Watch + Listen Wednesday

Are you looking for a taste of Così fan tutte? Take a little sample and let us know what you think about our sassy treat…

More interviews and music clips at www.mnopera.org/watchlisten.

“I Am Far More Scandalous Than Most People Know”

Posted on September 16, 2011 by mnopblog

Feature Fridays

Jacquelyn Wagner

Where are you based when not performing?

Jacquelyn Wagner (soprano, Fiordiligi)

Berlin, DE

What advice do you offer aspiring artists?

First and foremost, really be brutally honest with yourself and find out if you can REALLY make it in the business, meaning if you will find work. I have seen too many artists really struggling, and it’s quite a sad thing! But, after that, work hard, take what you can, and by all means, only do it if you love it!

What is your favorite Twin Cities destination?

I haven’t had much time to explore the city, but I really love all the parks around here. The Stone Arch Bridge is also quite beautiful.

If you were stuck on a deserted island and could only bring three things, what would they be?

Never thought about it. I guess lots of water, my husband, and a piano.

What has been the most challenging piece you have worked on and why?

Probably a modern piece that I did in school but don’t remember what it was called anymore. But, that kind of rep isn’t a part of my normal rep, so I don’t have another answer than that.

How has music changed your life?

I’ve never been without it, so it’s so a part of my life that I don’t really know how it changed it. My dad is a musician so I really grew up with it. I guess it has helped identify me, and allowed me to express myself in a way that I can’t do with words and actions.

If you had to choose a different field of work, what would you choose?

Oh man, I think that I couldn’t really do much else. I’ve thought of that way too many times, and I’ve never come up with an answer. I would really have to do some soul searching for that!

Are you really as scandalous as they say you are?

Haha, you must be talking about someone else!

Is there any “haute” backstage gossip you would like to share from this or previous performances?

No. We don’t have any backstage gossip. Only goofing around!

What are your top three favorite operas?

Too difficult. Maybe top three composers? Strauss, Puccini, and Wagner

Nina Olsen

Nina Olsen, clarinet

What made you decide on a career in the arts?

I don’t know that anyone decides on a career as a performer. It’s more of a calling or a compulsion, and I feel fortunate that I have the opportunity to follow it.

How long have you been working with opera?

Since the Fall of 1989. My first production was a tour of Madam Butterfly through Iowa, Northern Michigan and South Dakota.

What do you think makes Minnesota Opera unique from other companies?

The (relative) intimacy of the Ordway, and the emphasis on Bel Canto and Contemporary operas.

What is your favorite Twin Cities destination?

The Opera pit at the Ordway.

What has been the most challenging piece you have worked on and why?

Nixon in China was the hardest technically, John Adams has high expectations of the clarinet section!

How has music changed your life?

Because music has always been a part of my life, I would say that it has defined a path rather than changed my life.

If you had to choose a different field of work, what would you choose?

I think being a NPR radio journalist would be interesting.

Are you really as scandalous as they say you are?

I am far more scandalous than most people know.

Besides opera, do you have any other favorite genres of music? What are some of your favorite artists from that genre?

My mother loved Pete Seeger and Mahalia Jackson, and I love musicals. Pete Seeger and Stephen Sondheim are my favorites.

Name your top five favorite movies.

The Princess Bride, Strictly Ballroom
L’Argent de poche (Small Change)
Strictly Ballroom
Pride and Prejudice (BBC 1995)
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban