Tip:
Highlight text to annotate it
X
The Dutch National Opera organises a contemporary repertoire workshop.
Talent development at the DNO is meant as a bridge...
between conservatory and the experience of the National Opera's main stage.
At least once every season a contemporary opera is performed.
And for that we need young talent to present itself.
That's who this workshop is for.
The main reason I participate in this workshop...
is that I can work with coaches and singers who are used to this repertoire.
I can experiment with things on the vocal level...
made by composers from different periods of contemporary music.
We're doing things from Schoenberg up to modern composers.
It's about taking time to experiment and getting to know this repertoire.
I'm doing this because I love contemporary music.
Contemporary music is interesting...
because it often hasn't been performed yet.
This allows you to interpret it in your own way, and explore it.
The notion of beauty in tone has changed a lot with contemporary music.
What we call bel canto, which means 'beautiful singing'...
is different in contemporary music.
That's because the hierarchy is not as clear.
I can mix things in my voice, like sounds, or shouts...
all kinds of extreme things, but still keep it beautiful.
Beautiful on the level of expression.
An expression that touches, that is emotional...
and that conveys a feeling.
You must master techniques that usually aren't taught on a conservatory.
Things like yodelling, inhaling singing, overtone singing...
making all kinds of strange noises, shouting, whispering singing.
Yesterday we listened to Aventures by Ligeti...
and there's a full page of just:
What I really like about this repertoire...
is the fact that you go beyond certain classical codes...
and even though you're bound by a score and framework...
you can go beyond that which you are used to...
and experiment with possibilities on the vocal, acoustic and physical level.
What we're working on, is acquiring a kind of dissociation between singing...
that must always remain accessible and comprehensible...
and not disturb the vocal instrument...
while at the same time taking chances to physically experiment with things...
that you aren't used to.
It's all about the division of your body and how to deal with it...
what you can do with that and how it comes across...
what emotion you're expressing. It really is an eye opener for me.
This workshop ends with a public presentation.
The idea is that someone who has sung in a contemporary talent production...
then moves up to the main stage and perform a contemporary opera there.