Deutsch Oper Vorstellung

Finished my last performance here in Europe two days ago. What a rush! The four of us really stepped it up that night and had SO much fun with our script and music. Despite the fact that the audience number was low, I think that our sentiments boosted our performance. It really doesn't matter how big or small of a crowd you get - numbers aren't the point. It's what you can give back to those who ARE there. I have many fond memories of singing for absolutely no one - for the one or two people that come up to you afterward and say "wow, that was affective. Thank you."

I've learned a great ordeal being here. I've loved playing this role and am happy to be feeling better about my German! It's still not fantastic, but it's a heck of a lot better than it was a few months ago- the times when my lovely voice teacher would finish accompanying me in a lesson and look at me with that smirk. "What do you think I'm going to say, Allie?" And I'd laugh and say "there's so much. Do I really have to choose?" She'd smile and say, "well, you're German is pretty... terrible." We'd laugh and it would dawn on me as I'm walking out of her studio that... okay... five years of college really didn't do ANYTHING for my German diction? I think it was then that inspired me more than anything to travel to German speaking lands.

And now, I'll have a hard time coming back to America where I'm surrounded with English. I'm so accustomed to "danke" and "ich möchte ein café latte zum mitnehmen bitte." I'm envisioning myself in line at In N Out (because that's all I can think about these days) ordering my cheeseburger mit french fries and responding with "danke schön, tschüss!"

But Lord knows I'm ready to come home. Two more days! More thoughts to come...

<3 Allie

Opening Day! And too much food.

I am eating SO MUCH FOOD. Here is how I know.

I bought a "cocktail" dress 3 weeks ago for the performances of Der Schauspieldirektor and could barely squeeze into it for today's performance! I have to laugh - talk about really indulging in food and wine. The film (and book) Eat, Pray, Love has inspired me to just let loose and enjoy European culture. Culture DEFINITELY means food. And lots of it!

Today's performance went surprisingly well! There are many things that are not organized about this program. Like... getting an audience together prior to the start of the show. They are having each of the performers pass out flyers on the streets this week to advertise for our 3 operas. Those who are actually in that particular performance (most casts are doubled or tripled) don't have to stand there and pass them out but if you're not performing... well... good luck convincing German natives to come a free opera. Being that my cast was the opening matinee, I wasn't expecting much of a turn out. But hey! There were people! So that was a nice surprise.

Here is a clip of the aria I perform in the show. (With a cross of Jesus in the background, very appropriate, right?) Mind you - my character is extremely ditzy/flirtacious. I am "showing off" in order to receive a lead role in the next big opera. Der Schauspieldirektor is a diva-fest. Two sopranos battle it out (with too many high notes for one to handle) for stardom. So this is my "look at me, pick me, I am young and sing high" aria to showcase my "extreme capabilities as a star." Or something like that.

It's been fun. I'm glad we're performing more now. I have learned a bit from this program, no matter how many frustrations and... cons... there have been. What I wanted was answers, right? And I feel like I've gotten plenty!

My opera viewing challenge has failed. I haven't been able to watch an entire opera since my last post. So disappointing! But now that I have a ton more extra time, I definitely will. I've also discovered Spotify... how did I NOT know about this before?! It's the most amazing music downloader ever. And I'm fairly certain it's legal. Mahler and his 8th symphony accompanied me yesterday morning while I was getting ready for the day. All with one click of a button. I am ready to go classically crazy! And yes, classically. I do love my pop and indie, of course. But now I have NO excuse not to listen to the best music ever written.

After the opera performance, Jill, Ali, and I took a nice long lunch at Cafe Tomaselli - our new favorite hot spot (also Mozart's favorite place to dine back in the day). Too much food. I might have to fast for weeks when I get home. I'm not sure my jeans can handle all this anymore. I have never eaten so many carbs in all my life! How do Austrians do it all the time? Oh... but so worth it...

Tomorrow I plan on seeing all shows. I perform again on Wednesday and then Thursday evening. 

One more week. Oh man...

<3 Allie

Liederabend via Von Trapp Home

Guten Abend!

The program is slowly but surely winding down to its final week. The performances begin tomorrow! I can't believe it's here already. But I am so thankful because...

dun dun dun duunnnn

I am homesick! :(

Tomorrow, it will have been 8 weeks since I was last in America. I've definitely, shamefully, hit my "I want to curl up in a ball and watch movies all day" phase rather than exploring the outdoors. I feel like I've explored to point of no return. My body is very tired as well as my mental/spiritual mind. I want to perk up and continue on this positive path to the best of my ability. It's not to say that I'm not positive - I'm just ready for some delicious burritos followed by a healthy dessert of In N Out. I miss my life at home quite a bit and am ready to embark on the next journey of my life - the journey into a foggy abyss of the complete and utter mystery to what the heck I am going to do with the rest of my life.

The group performed in a Liederabend a few days ago at the Schloss Frohnberg - home of the Von Trapp Family in The Sound of Music! It was a beautiful venue indeed and everyone sounded lovely.

This weekend is filled with dress rehearsals and runs for all shows before tomorrow's opening matinee/evening. Change of schedules means that Schauspiel opens the matinee performance day tomorrow. I'm not usually a fan of matinee performances, especially after a late evening run, but what can you do. It will be a great show nonetheless. :)

Not much else to report. Feeling myself catch a tickle of a cold but singing is 90% mental, right? So all will be fine!

Until then,

<3 Allie

The Challenges

I'll admit - the program isn't quite as challenging as I had initially hoped. Yes, occasionally I'll get my butt kicked with German lied but generally, I feel like I have much more free time than I had anticipated. I feel ready with my role and was memorized before I got here. So instead, I have decided to delve into my own list of goals:

Challenge #1 - Hair. My lovely friend, Kathleen, inspired me to experiment with hair styles because her hair always looks GLAMOROUS. I mean, seriously, she can twist and turn her luscious red locks into any style she wants. So I've decided to do the same! Most of my mornings are free until German class at noon so I take my time in the morning getting ready. Nothing quite as wonderful as having time to drink coffee and play with hairstyles.

Sneak peak:

I've gotten up to 8 styles now, all with pictures that I'll be sure to post soon. Each morning is a new creation!

Challenge #2 - Exercise. I have been running! Every morning! I started last week and have only skipped one day due to a serious outbreak of blisters on the bottom of my feet. That aside, I feel absolutely wonderful. I'll admit, my first day was a complete surprise to me. I honestly thought that if I eat breakfast, drink coffee, and put the running outfit on, running would come naturally. Boy was I wrong. I was huffing and puffing and felt horrible the entire rest of the day. I knew this was going to be a tough week. But after about 7 days, I'm able to run 2 miles nonstop. That's really all I need. I'm not training for a marathon. Just a nice jog in the morning to fulfill my craving of healthiness.

Challenge #3 - No bread. For 24 hours. Done! Very difficult considering all I've eaten in Salzburg is sandwiches followed by jam and butter rolls followed by pastries. I had no idea what an amazing intake of bread these people live on! This may as well have been my hardest challenge. But I did it. I'll try another day when I'm inspired again. My dinner tonight was definitely a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. Whoops.

Challenge #4 - Auditions. So far, I have two auditions lined up immediately when I return home. I am thoroughly addicted to Yaptracker and other various audition sites. I live, eat, and breathe this research. It's really gratifying to know in my heart that I will probably get rejected to more than half of these things I'm looking at. But truly, that's the life of an artist, right? Might as well suck it up and realize that now.

Challenge #5 - Opera. I watched La Traviata this morning from the Salzburg Festival 2005. I know the story, obviously, and have seen parts of several versions of it. But I've never watched the entire thing all the way through. In fact, I realized, I haven't watched hardly ANY operas in their entirety. With that being said, my NEWEST challenge is try to get through 1 or most of 1 opera each day that I'm here. I started today. Wish me luck!

These last 2 weeks will, hopefully, go by in a breeze! I'm getting extraordinarily homesick. But have enjoyed my time GREATLY and have learned oh so much.... :)

Until then,

<3 Allie

  

Potluck Freitag!

Riddle: What do you do when you have 8 starving students gradually repulsed by ham and cheese stolen sandwiches for the past 15 days with access to a kitchen down the hall?

Buy a pot.

What do you do when you accidentally on purpose buy a massive amount of food from the fresh Thursday market and desperately need a break from stolen sandwiches for the past 15 days?

Get creative with that one pot.

Naturally, the girls cooked while the boys watched the Olympics but to make ourselves feel slightly less domestic, we attired in pajamas and blasted Nsync to assist with the arrivals of cooked deliciousness.

Potluck Freitag! Vegetables galore! The market provided a full meal of fresh produce and potatoes for 8 people under 10 euros!

Frugal students unite.

Europe = Plus One

La Boheme opening night for the Salzburg Festival 2012

Anna Netrebko - Mimi
Piotr Beczala - Rudolfo
Massimo Cavaletti - Marcello
Nino Machaidze - Musetta

The THOUSANDS filling up the streets to watch it on the screening outside the Dom. Aka those who couldn't afford tickets. Who knew opera could bring such a crowd...

Oh Anna. I really thought there was no possible way to make you look ugly. But then the director put you in the most hideous wig I have ever seen.

But despite the director's evident temporary meltdown, it was an absolutely stunning performance. Puccini is such an opera God.

I was actually feeling slightly down prior to this performance. My thoughts can be rather dangerous - the whole "oh my god, what am I doing with my life? I can't be a professional singer" toxic path started making its way back into my psyche but after this performance, I switched back to my "new positive" self.

To be continued... :)

Cats Say Schnurr

Eek! Sorry guys. My updates have been much slimmer these days - it's because... 

dun dun dun dunnnn

I'm having too much fun!

Okay, that was a dork moment. But really! This program is a blast. Though I will admit... wishing I was suffering a bit more. I love the challenge of music. Of being beaten to death by a coach or a voice teacher. Of leaving feeling exhausted but undoubtedly inspired. And I haven't exactly felt that way.

In fact, I've experienced quite the opposite. I've gotten that my German is "excellent" (I made both coaches say it again so that I could record them for proof). I've also gotten that I am possibly a "Wagnerian soprano." I actually laughed at that one. I think she was possibly full of it. But I'll take it.

Let's see... well, in good news, I'm finally taking photos again! Sorry for the pause in that area. I thought I'd start us off with this great one - um, what do cats say when they purr in Austria?

Exactly.

Here's some of me and my friends. Yes! I have made friends! A lot of them, actually. Who would have thunk!

 

The gang above had a beautiful little Italian dinner in the Old Town, had some Fürst balls (not Mozart - he's too touristy for our taste), and headed straight to the Salzburg Cathedral, also known as the Dom, to see a concert of Mozart's Requiem. YES. MY FAVORITE. No, seriously. I absolutely love love love the Mozart Requiem. I was in absolute heaven!!

And where better to hear this than the church that Mozart's parents were married, he was baptized, and later became the church organist? Ah, gosh, I am too lucky.

Okay, please forgive my lack of memory as far as days go. I couldn't even tell you what I did yesterday at this point. So I'll definitely be out of order.

Saturday was my wonderful roommate Kate's 22nd birthday. After a long day of master classes and a day off the following Sunday, it was time to celebrate. :)

 

AND, as this is always a growing musically educational experience, there was live American music playing classics. I'm positive all of us blew out our voices singing "Free Fallin'" at the top of our lungs. It was absolutely worth it.

Now the real work is getting done. We're in week two which means one more week and we're up and running with our shows. Luckily, Der Schauspieldirektor is a shorty so we finished blocking it within a matter of 3 days. Now it's polishing - character development, getting our arias into our voices, etc. All the stuff I really enjoy!

One thing is absolutely certain - I am so inspired to continue my studies of music. Grad school has always been a bit "eh" for me, but as of lately, I'm realizing it's where I belong. I love learning. I get a thrill being in a classroom and talking (or staging) something so artistic. (Which reminds me - I need to do my German homework!)

I'm thoroughly addicted to researching auditions as well as training programs. Anything. I just want to sing and learn more about it. I do love teaching. So so so much. And I actually really miss it! But there is nothing like being able to create music purely from what is given to you personally. I feel so incredibly privileged to be able to produce sound and affect other people.

So with that being said, I am happy. I am missing home like crazy and I can't wait to see everyone (including my puppy - gah!) as well as the comfort of my own bed. But we've made it pretty cosy here...

Home sweet home, eh?

Oh the joys of living in a dorm style hostel. 

It's creeping on midnight so I better be off to sleep.

More soon!

<3 Allie

When in Salzburg

My goodness, where did I last leave off? It's been quite a while and I'm losing track of days, travel experiences, etc.

Well, I have officially been here for 5 weeks. Only 4 more to go! Not that I'm counting...

I'll admit, I'm definitely homesick for America. But I'm feeling so much more in the "groove" of Europe that it's not nearly distracting me as much as I had anticipated before coming here. London was getting slightly boring considering I was alone, but I loved every second of exploring and learning about myself in very introverted ways.

The Franco American Vocal Academy program started and it has been everything I wanted so far! My roommate, Kate, is amazing and we clicked the moment we met. What better way to experience a summer abroad program? There are several others as well that I've made really great friendships with and all of the singers are wonderfully talented and supportive of one another. It's going to be an amazing 4 weeks.

One thing I'll have to admit - I'm getting slightly antsy. We've run music for Der Schauspieldirektor several times and am anxious to get started on staging/getting into character. These days are going by SO incredibly slowly. No one knows why! We all feel like we've been here forever and rehearsals only started 3 days ago... here we go...

One thing I have been thankful for is my sudden confidence boost in music. Graduating from college always gives the "oh my god... what am I doing with my life" freak out, and I think I experienced this for about a month or so. Not to say that all of these fears of vanished, but I'm feeling more at ease. Maybe grad school is the right track...? It's always scary being a musician. You can't help but think - am I really going to pursue... music? I love music. I wouldn't do anything else in the world. But imagining myself auditioning and being on stage for the rest of my life is very unsettling to me.

Anyway, I've been getting the answers that I've been searching for. I am SO excited to learn more! I want to be challenged in every way, shape, and form.

When in Salzburg.... :)

Spoiled by English speakers

Here is what I have learned on my time alone:

Nothing, no matter how crazy, scary, or unnerving, has yet to bring me down. It's as if everything I had been looking for suddenly appeared all because I wanted it to. I willed it to. Happiness is not pleasure. It comes from the mind, body, and soul. From within.

London was cold. And rainy. And hard to navigate because of how large the city is. I could have easily taken the path of loneliness and fear out of the the thought of being there by myself. And occasionally I did. I think I was more homesick than I had ever been on this trip during my time there. But I allowed myself to honor that feeling and be patient. And then I realized - I am the leader of my own fate. Happiness will not be sprung upon me if I sit and mope in my bedroom. I was coming back to the pad every evening around 5 or 6 and losing myself in movies or books rather than indulging in the city like I had planned. Granted, I was tired. I AM tired. But during my last couple of days in London, I decided enough was enough. I wasn't going to let any fear or any financial worries interfere with me experiencing what was around me.

I spent my two days in London living the life of a London-er. Or, at least, trying to. So, on Monday, I went to the Royal Academy of Music to hopefully sneak a peek inside. The museum/bookstore was open but none of the classrooms were. Darn. So I spent a good deal of time looking through scores, reminding myself of how much I love classical music. That day was tough because it was pouring rain pretty much the entire day. It's hard to explore when you didn't even bring proper rain shoes to walk in. But I wandered over to Regent's Park and just took a nice long walk in the rain. I put on my favorite Sufjan Stevens' album and admired the Queen's Garden full of flowers and waterfalls.

After a couple of hours of exploring, I hopped onto the tube and went over to see the Royal Opera House. Today was, apparently, the day of dreaming and scheming my future. I wanted to make it a point to see these things just in case I ever come back... :)

I sat at the Charles Dickens Coffee Shop for a little while, drank my latté, and stared out at the busy streets and the hustle and bustle of people running in the rain.

I really didn't do a whole lot the rest of the day. I got an email from my summer program reminding us of all of the music we needed to have memorized and ready to rehearse by next week so I mentally made the excuse to take the day to enjoy myself. Not to mention I needed to learn my scores...

Tuesday was my last full day there. So I woke up early and went straight to Westminster Abbey. Pictures aren't technically allowed to be taken inside the Abbey so many of these were sneak shots. It was BEAUTIFUL. I am so glad I spent the money to do this! If only I knew more about the British Monarchy - the tombs of most everyone were of the royal family. I know the famous stories of course - King Henry XIII and his beheading of Anne Boleyn. Or the rival of Queen Elizabeth I and Queen Mary I. But most of the history is new to me. I was inspired to learn more about it, especially knowing how strong British ancestry runs in my family.

The gardens within the Abbey                        The Queen's Corriders - the story of the current Queen Elizabeth II 

 

One of my favorite parts of the Abbey was the final tomb they had just before exiting - a tomb of an "unknown British warrior" from WWII. This is to commemorate the lives lost in the 20th century world wars. Very touching.

After this beautiful little trip, I grabbed a latté and headed over to the British Museum.

This was totally not what I was expecting. I walked in and was completely overwhelmed. There is SO much to see there. It reminded me a lot of the Louvre in Paris - it's a tour at your own will but you really need to know what to look for. So I took about 10 minutes just staring at the map until finally deciding that I, and apparently every other young person there, wanted to see Ancient Egypt.

This was FASCINATING. I spent forever in here! I cannot believe the genuine amount of coffins and mummies they were able to preserve there - it is disgustingly awesome.

Most of these mummies, if I remember correctly, were buried in their tombs between 3000-1100 BC. Completely mind-blowing.

They also preserved many of their writings and stone tablets.

And of course, after my personal awe over all of this, I went to see the Rosetta Stone.

By now, I couldn't believe how late it had gotten. So I went back to my pad, packed up my stuff, and went to bed early in prep for my 5 am wake up call to catch my flight to Salzburg.

I'll admit, I was really nervous about traveling to Salzburg. I had been spoiled by actual English speakers with English signs in London. I knew I'd have to take buses to find my hotel, as well as make my connecting flight with barely enough time.

And it all happened as planned. Both flights were delayed. I barely made the second one. I landed safely and couldn't find the bus station. Found it but couldn't read any of the signs (where are the English translations?!) and just picked the next bus to go on hoping to get somewhere. Asked for help from any person who spoke English. No one spoke English. No one helped me lift my luggage on and off the several buses I was on. AND, I'm dressed for rain when it's almost 90 degrees outside.

So, after about 10 hours of traveling, I made it to the hotel. I could breathe! And thankfully, I, the astute woman I am, picked the same hotel that I will be staying at for my program. This means - no more traveling!!! No more hopping on buses, trains, planes, subways, lugging my suitcase around and trying to read signs in languages I wouldn't even attempt pronouncing.

So here I am! My final stop! And I couldn't love Salzburg anymore than I already do... :)

So, I'll be here for the next five weeks. My program starts on Saturday and I am SO excited to be around people again. I do love and treasure this alone time. But this extrovert is getting slightly antsy... :)

Today and tomorrow are purely "prep" days. Learning my scores. Exploring the town again. Laying low. 

Let the new adventure begin!

Until then,

<3 Allie

London - Keep Calm and Carry On

Part Four of the Journey -

Cheerio puppets! London is an absolutely brilliant place for holiday. I am especially taken aback by how lovely the people are here (and their accents never get old!)

So, I must admit, when I woke up on Friday morning after a crazy travel day the day before, I started to panic. What am I doing here?! I'm a country completely alone thousands upon thousands of miles away from home. And I won't be coming home for another... 5 weeks... oh gosh, whenever I say this, I start to get slightly depressed. So I did my best to get myself out of bed and start the day. Just push myself out the door. Just do it. There is a world of amazement out there that I am missing if I don't.

Then it occurs to me - I don't have the key. The other guest staying at the pad, Giulia, has it and has left for work. So this means that the moment I leave and shut the door, I cannot come back in until everyone has come home from work around 6 pm.

It was 9 am.

What was I going to do in London ALL day by myself?! I didn't even have a plan! (Which, for anyone who knows me, knows that this is very unusual). So finally, I braved myself to get dressed and grab my travel books to at least get a start. But as I was approaching the door, I was unable to get out. I text my host lady and she said you must have a key to unlock yourself from the inside. So... I was stuck inside.

I started t laugh and then I started to cry. I don't really know why - I think I was just very tired and VERY nervous about being there. All of the excitement I had had the day before was not recreating itself that morning. So when I sat down on the bed, I decided to put in Eat, Pray, Love - a fantastic book and well done movie with Julia Roberts - and I instantly felt better. I even laughed at the fact that the date was Friday the 13th. Go figure.

Giulia ended up coming home around 1 on her lunch break so when she left again, I went with her on the tube and departed for the Houses of Parliament. It was raining and freezing outside, but I didn't care. I was determined now to enjoy myself.

 

 
I got off the tube and it took me a second to realize... I was right underneath Big Ben! And the minute I looked up and saw it, it was as if all the worry I felt earlier that morning never even existed. I was finally here! My favorite city in the world! So I took about 3 hours just to walk around and soak it in (no pun intended!).

I passed Westminster Abbey, which unfortunately was closed inside, and then crossed the Thames to find a cute little café overlooking Parliament.

 
So I sat with my English tea and ham/cheese croissant and stared outside at the most beautiful sight I have seen yet on this trip. I really don't know what it is about London that hits me so hard. But I can honestly say that walking along the water and popping in some Stephen Layton Polyphony music made me tear up several times. After all this planning and dreaming, I was actually in the place I love most to be in. And though I was alone, I loved every second of it.

 


The next morning, I felt rejuvenated and inspired to go out again. This time, I went with absolutely no plan. I hopped on a tube and got off at Hyde Park. And I did get lost. But what's lost when you have no plan? It was actually kind of fun! I ended up at Princess Diana's Memorial Walk and then hit Piccadilly Lane. I remembered Piccadilly so differently from the last time I was here, but then again, it hadn't been raining and horribly overcast 2 years ago. This week has been utterly depressing as far as weather goes. But I don't care! Rain actually looks beautiful in a city like this. Again, don't ask me why.

I ended up at Handel's house! He lived here for the last 36 years of his life and wrote most all of his famous works, including the Messiah, at this location!

Fun fact - did you know Jimi Hendrix ended up living here as well? Because I certainly didn't! I wasn't technically allowed to take pictures of these rooms, so unfortunately, I wasn't able to grab a snapshot of his bedroom - the place of his death. Very eerie. I always get weird vibes when I find out things like that...

Later that evening, I attended a small choir concert at a cute little church and walked around the Tower of London. The east side of the river is definitely not my favorite part of town, but at least I got to experience it.

Yesterday morning, I woke up early and attended a mass at St. Paul's Cathedral. I grabbed a latte and got there about a half an hour early to look around. Good Lord... this place is beautiful.

The service was about an hour and a half, and honestly, I could have stayed all day. I have never experienced anything like it. Not only were hundreds and hundreds of people there to worship, but the music... ah, the music.. it was so angelic! The choir is made up of young soprano boys and adult men along with the London Sinfonia. A true testament to the British sound that I love - they sounded absolutely incredible. And what do they sing, of all things? Mozart's Coronation Mass. AH! So incredible!!

Again, I wasn't allowed to take pictures inside, and there were ushers every which way keeping an eye out, so those pictures will forever be engrained in my memory. :)

From there, I went to Camden to do some shopping. Um... wow. So overwhelming. Why did I shop in any other place when I could have bargained ANYTHING there?! I spent way too much time there... and found myself in a Hindu shop buying god knows what. Sweaters, incense, earrings, books (The Great Gatsby for 1 pound... SERIOUSLY!?), you name it and I probably bought it. Yikes... I'm a shopaholic... :)

I came back to the pad and started really practicing for my program. I keep forgetting a small detail - I am supposed to have everything memorized by next week. Um... yes. About that...

Today I am going to go to the British Museum, the Royal Opera House, the Royal Academy of Music, and try to get back to Westminster to see if I can get inside. Tonight there is a Proms concert that I am DYING to go to! Got to get there early and see if I can snag a 5 pound standing ticket to see John Adams conduct.

Will continue my posts! Sorry for the long one! Clearly, I am in love with this city. :)

Until then,
<3 Allie