When talking with
audience members after a long opera, one subject that seems to come up time and
time again is "How do you memorize all that?" In the next couple
articles, we'll try to address exactly that. These are mostly my thoughts as a
singer to other singers.
For those of you who are not singers, though, I think you may find this little window into our lives interesting. And as we go, if any of you have some thoughts to contribute, add to the comments below. Hearing about additional different techniques will be great for all of us on this subject, and will be featured in Part 3.
For those of you who are not singers, though, I think you may find this little window into our lives interesting. And as we go, if any of you have some thoughts to contribute, add to the comments below. Hearing about additional different techniques will be great for all of us on this subject, and will be featured in Part 3.
This is the first
article, and for now we'll just cover a bit of singer-lingo, and then address
what some of the common expectations are.
Here's a couple
common terms: "Off-book" means
memorized. Memorized here means you can roll out of bed and sing the role, even
with distractions involved. If you have managed to sing it all through without
a mistake only once, and that one time required every bit of concentration you
could muster, you are not "off-book" yet. There's so many
distractions in performance that can derail your memory, that you can't get by
with just this quasi-memorized state.
Being "on-book" is the other term. This
means you will be singing with a score in hand. Even here, though, if you have
to stare at the score in order to avoid getting lost, you need to up your level
of preparation. Most singers aim to be "mostly-memorized," even when
there is a score in your hand. This lets your eyes get out of the score, to
watch the conductor and to communicate with your audience. The book is there
mostly as a backup.
So, when should you
expect to be on-book, and when will you be off-book? This usually depends on
the type of performing you'll be doing.
Concert-work is an example where you generally
sing "on-book." This is true for almost any oratorio and for large
masterworks, like Messiah. Typically, it
is a large work with a handful of soloists, chorus, and orchestra.
Every now and then,
though, a conductor might ask for you to be off-book. If that is the
expectation, it is usually spelled out in the contract ahead of time, but not
always. If you're getting mixed signals in your communication with the company,
clarify right away, before the start of rehearsals. After the start of
rehearsals, it'll be too late to try to memorize. If a company did not
communicate with you about that, stick your ground. Don't let yourself get
bullied into risking a poor performance by trying to perform memorized when you
are not fully memorized.
For a fully staged opera (or a musical), the
expectation is always to be
"off-book" by the first rehearsal.
I can't think of any exception here. If you are not memorized, you did not
prepare for your role, simple as that. Many companies will reserve the right to
terminate your contract if you arrive without knowing your part. Even if they
don't do that, you will be letting down your colleagues. Don't be that singer!
For that matter, if
there is someone else that is unprepared at the start of rehearsal, try to be
professional. Don't complain, just do your job, and trust that if action needs
to be taken, the company will take care of it. There's too much gossip already
in this industry, don't indulge in it yourself. Just be the amazing professional you are, and let everything else fall where it may.
There is something
else to be mentioned here: prompters. This only comes up in the very largest of
opera houses. A "prompter" in this case is a person, who sits in a
"prompter's box" offstage, or in the orchestra pit. He or she calls out your next line at you just before
you sing it. The prompter cannot be heard from the audience, due to the
acoustics of the theater. However, if there happens to be a prompter (again,
this is very rare!), you are still expected to be memorized, especially if you
consider how much you are being paid at that high of a level. Show up without
knowing your stuff there, and you'll be out of a job in a heartbeat, with a
dozen other people that they can call on to replace you. The prompter is not
there to support a lack of preparedness; he's there only as a safeguard.
Personal note: I have never had a prompter.
Here's a confusing
one: Concert Opera. This is where you're
singing opera, but there are no costumes, few or no props, and minimal or no
staging, beyond standing and sitting. In most cases, these are
"on-book" - but you should probably clarify with the company
beforehand. Here's a warning sign: if the company is calling it
"semi-staged", they may be expecting you to be memorized, as if it
were a fully staged opera.
Being
"off-book" is the expectation when singing contests and auditions. This includes contests where you are
singing art song, music theater, and opera contests. An example (at least here
in WA state) at the high school level is Sole/Ensemble, but it's true at all
levels.
Recitals are also sung memorized. The biggest
difference between recitals, which are memorized, and concerts, which are not,
is basically focus. If you are a central, featured singer, if the performance
is about you, then it is a recital, even
if an orchestra is present. If however, you are joining another group to
perform some larger work with other singers (solo and choral), then it is a
concert.
Finally, choral work is almost always on-book. The only
exception to this might be some specialized group that does a lot of
choreography. The best example that I can think of here is a Barbershop chorus,
or certain, specialized, "spectacle" professional touring groups,
like Anùna, or some caroling groups.
Did I miss any?
In Part 2, I will be discussing my own, personal habits for memorization. Part 3, however, will be exclusively on others' techniques and tricks. So send me your comments, tricks, and tips!
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