Hello, it has been a little while since I last wrote but I have been wrapped up in Werther Rehearsals and bank holidays along with the rest of the nation. It has been one of the most eye-opening months as I have been working alongside Rolando Villazón and Antonio Pappano.
Werther
In this production I have been singing the role of Kaethchen and covering Sophie. The style of Massenet’s music is very different to anything else I have studied; it has a conversational quality and a lyricism, which flows from the orchestra. Trying to get my head around this new style has taken a bit of time but has been helped massively by the amazing expertise of Tony Pappano. As Music Director of the Royal Opera House, he is busy so it was great that I was able to watch his intricate work up close and I am excited that I will be working with him again in the autumn on Puccini’s Il Trittico. Rolando Villazon has also been amazing; from the first day of rehearsals he has been relaxed and full of fun. What I admire in him is his complete commitment to the character and baring its soul. He can joke around one minute and then be entrancing you as Werther. Along with rehearsals he very kindly came to give myself and the other young artists a chat about his career and what it is like. He went into amazing detail about the process it takes to get your career of the ground and the method he uses to keep it alive. It has been a privilege to be offered this advice first hand. As you will see from the review attached the press have thoroughly enjoyed Werther and in particular Rolando’s comeback. The shows run until the 21st May.
Coming Up…
So what is coming up next, I am currently preparing the role of Second Niece for Britten’s Peter Grimes, we go into rehearsal soon enough. The piece is a wonderful ensemble piece with some outstanding pieces of writing by Britten. It is not for the faint-hearted as the story is a little harrowing at times. The show opens on the 21st of June so if you fancy getting some tickets follow this link
http://www.roh.org.uk/whatson/production.aspx?pid=13852
One last thing is the Jette Parker Young Artist Summer Performance. This is a once a year concert so try not to miss it. We are doing scenes from Rossini, Britten and Offenbach and it gives the young artists a chance to work on scenes on the main stage with the ROH Orchestra. The tickets have been on-sale for quite a while so I hope you can find what you are looking for!
http://www.roh.org.uk/whatson/production.aspx?pid=16339
See you all soon,
Anna
