A great journal entry!

The Google shared document seems to be working overall for your journals. Some of you have asked what a "good" journal entry looks like. It's different for everyone, since each of you have different assignments. All of you, though, should be journaling on what you hear/see in your lessons, what you experience in your practice sessions, and what you think (and learn from!) the YouTube clips you post. Here's a great example from Madi: It’s always interesting to hear my high notes during warm ups. They don’t feel hard to do at all, but they just seem so high. It’s strange when singing pieces something lower than that feels high, even though it’s obviously not the highest I can sing. I think maybe the technique for singing those high notes gets lost in translation, so to speak, from warm ups to being put into context. Not that I’m currently singing anything that currently calls for it. Just kinda thinking through my fingers (since I’m typing rather than speaking...)? As for the actual music, the first time through, my voice sounds a little stilted. Almost like I’m trying too much to achieve something, whether it be stay on full voice or making sure I’m getting the notes correctly. It just seems like I’m lacking a certain fluidity and legato. It almost sounds too... contrived, maybe? Like I’m lacking a freedom and flexibility.On the other hand, I can understand the text I’m singing a lot better this week. Practice these two weeks has gone rather well. I’ve worked on the text, making sure to grab those double consonants, and keeping my voice vibrant through the repeated notes. Also, working, Quia Respexit, I’ve been working the whole versus half steps that trip me up on the descending lines, which is basically every line. I look forward to beginning to work on this piece; it’s just so gorgeous. The only other part that’s still giving me problems is the last melisma on “beatam” but I think given a couple more times practice on it will get it pretty solid.

YouTube - Vedrai, carino Cecilia Bartoli - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IZM1WEm9nKw - She sings the aria with such tenderness and expression, but there’s no video to see any action, to see how she would perform the part. The tenderness of her voice doesn’t seem to portray much of an earthy quality, but indeed she does express a sensuality at 1’58 to the end, but especially at the “qua, qua”s at 2’45.

Anna Netrebko - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IZM1WEm9nKw - This recording pops quite a bit, but her voice has a heavier quality than Cecilia Bartoli’s and offers a different approach to the portrayal of Zerlina because of it. I’m not sure exactly how to phrase what I mean by that, but hopefully you understand what I’m trying to say. Also, this was a live recording, but again, there wasn’t any video of the actual opera.

Dawn Upshaw - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VQUXExa3uEE&feature=related - An actual recording from the Met. The way Dawn Upshaw performs Zerlina is simply captivating. She holds her Masetto in her lap and comforts him, and he really seems to be enjoying his position, with a smile on his face. While he may have had the crap beaten out of him, he seems to have forgotten about it now that Zerlina has shown up. It’s so personal the way Zerlina sings to Masetto, holds him, and comforts him. I think the love Zerlina has for him really shows through in this recording. It’s nice to be able to see it performed.

Karen Burlingame - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L65t87RxYBw&feature=related - This one’s in English, and after hearing the Italian so often, the English version seems a little awkward. However, it was interesting to see a different version. This one also had the dialogue between Zerlina and Masetto beforehand.

Miah Persson - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0bI1SyjzqxE&feature=related - This was the most sensual of the ones with video. But it also showed Masetto getting beaten by Don Giovanni. She opened her mouth a lot taller than others I’ve watched, but it seemed to work for her.

Be as thorough as Madi was, and you'll be in great shape!