Sitzproben und Geleegehirne

We had our Sitz yesterday at the historic Round Barn.  It was great to finally be with the orchestra- they are really good players, and our Maestro really commands this piece in a wonderful way.  It's great to work with a conductor who is so easy to read- tempi, articulation, phrasing are all communicated beautifully in his stick technique.  It was a good rehearsal.  I generally felt pretty good about my singing.  I felt like I sang it well, was able to deliver the text the way I wanted to, and it didn't cost me a lot vocally (at least compared to the last time I did it).  There are still a few funny moments- like a stupid D natural on an open E vowel- that trip me up  here and there.  I think it's still the whole middle voice thing coming back to haunt me.  Having said that, it all feels a lot easier to sing and it makes me happy.  It's such a physical role, and it's amazing how much easier it is to sing when you're note running around the stage, sharpening a sword, shaving Cherubino, moving furniture, etc.  It was nice to get a chance to remind myself how I want to sing this music as we move onto stage and deal with all kinds of other issues.  

...Which brings me to our piano tech.  All things considered, it was a pretty smooth and painless tech.  When I am in tech, I get into some weird zone.  I just want to get through it with as little mess as possible (don't we all?), and I think some people think I'm pissed off (last night a few people asked me if I was ok because of the concerned look on my face.  I was just trying to assimilate into our new surroundings).  About halfway through the rehearsal, my brain turned to jelly, and I started to get a little slap-happy.  This is pretty normal for a tech, and especially after we had sung a sitz already, it was no big deal. Then Act IV rolls around, and my brain is completely off.  In my recit with Barbarina, I was supposed to say "avea gusto d'udir come il padrone ti die la commissione," and I said, "avea gusto doo deer la commissione tee dah doo blah blah blah blah...."  Poor Barabarina looked at me like, "What the @#$% was that?" I just said, "I'm sorry.  I have no idea what my line is."    That set the tone for the whole act.  And then I told Susanna that I was full of burning sky (ho pieno il ciel di foco).  Ah, well.  That's what techs are for, right?  On the bright side,  it's a beautiful little theatre, and the set looks great.  I think we'll have some fun this week.  

AW

PS- I had lots of great suggestions as to what to call myself as a Mythical Creature.  I really liked Baritonius (thank you Koch), but I think the winner has got to be bass-peryton, which would be a creature combining the characteristics of a stag and a bird, and a lower-voiced male.  I'm assuming that would also include a mane of freshly coiffed hair and vast knowledge of beer.  Hailing from the lost continent of Atlantis, this large winged creature casts the shadow of a man.