More info on MERRY WIDOW

•    HANNA (Madame Glavari) - "The Merry Widow". Young, pretty, vivacious, all the title implies. High soprano: low B flat to top B flat with optional C

•    DANILO (Count Danilovitsch) - aristocratic playboy-attaché at the Pontevedrian Embassy in Paris. Cheerful, debonair, irresponsible, very attractive to the ladies - of whose company, along with his wine, he is extremely fond. High baritone: low A to top F.

•    BARON ZETA - Pontevedrian Ambassador in Paris. Middle-aged: a little pompous, comic when he is trying to be a dutiful official, a bit of an old rogue but very likeable; over confident of his wife's virtues. Baritone: low A to top E, with optional F.

•    VALENCIENNE (Baroness Zeta) - the Ambassador's rather foolish but would-be-faithful wife. Naïvely amorous, she lacks the courage to stray from the straight and narrow path, but cannot bring herself effectively to dismiss the young man who tempts her from it. Soprano: low B flat to top B flat.

•    CAMILLE (Count de Rosillon) - the ardent young Frenchman in love with Valencienne. Light tenor: middle C to A flat, with optional B flat.

•    NJEGUS - Baron Zeta's Factotum. Sly; amusing; a "character". Baritone: low B flat to top B flat.

•    ST BRIOCHE and CASCADA - two diplomatic guests at the Embassy. Though entangled with married ladies, they are rivals for the hand of the Widow. They are both conceited, shallow and rather ridiculous. Baritones: St Brioche, low D to top F; Cascada, middle C to top F.

•    KROMOV - an attaché who is forever nagging his wife for flirting; self-important, with an absurdly over-punctilious manner. Baritone: low B flat to top E flat.

•    OLGA - wife of Kromov. Contralto: low D to top E flat.

•    BOGDANOVITSCH and PRITSCH - attachés at the Embassy. Baritones: middle C to top E flat.

•    SYLVIA and PRASKOVIA - lady guests at the Embassy. Sylvia mezzo-soprano: D to top A flat:

•    PRASKOVIA, contralto: D to D.
•  LOLO, DODO, JOU-JOU, FROU-FROU, CLO-CLO, MARGOT - "grisettes" at Maxim's - soubrettes: middle C to top F.

Voice Repertoire Assignments

Dear Dr. Kris Voice Students:

Following are ideas for repertoire for you. Feel free to ask questions, find other (similar) pieces, and do let me know if you absolutely don't like one of the pieces I've chosen for you. Life is too short to sing music you don't enjoy! You do not have to learn everything this semester, but have at least one piece learned well enough to begin work by Monday, August 20. Do not arrive to your first full lesson without something prepared.

Semester lesson times will be set by then. We will ALL meet during the first noon convocation on Wednesday, August 15, and at that time everyone will sign up for a half hour lesson for that week. Please bring your class schedule to that meeting, or even better, put it in the envelope on my door before then!

Charles:
Any of the Mahler songs from a year ago
Anything from RVW's "The House of Life"
Bernstein's "To what you said" (from SONGFEST)
Faure's "Au cimitiere" or "Au bord de l'eau"
Anything from DICHTERLIEBE
Korngold's "Liebesbriefchen"
Hamlet - "O vin, dissipe la tristesse"
Traviata - "Di provenza il mar"
Faust - "Avant de quitter ces lieux"

Shane:
R. Strauss "Allerseelen," "Caecilie" or "Wir sollten wit geheim," "Der Nachtgang"
Faure: POEME D'UN JOUR: "Rencontre," "Toujours," "Adieu"
Argento SIX ELIZABETHAN SONGS: learn the rest!
Nemorino and Tonio's arias

Jake: 
Purcell's "I'll Sail Upon the Dog-star"
Faure: "Sylvie," "Nell"
Handel's "Comfort Ye"
More Semele arias...we'll talk
Mozart: "Un' aura amorosa" or "Dies Bildnis"
Heggie: "Friendly Persuasions"

EmKay:
Faure's "Chanson d'amour"
Ricky Ian Gordon: "My Special Picnic"
Schubert: "Rastlose Liebe" and "Nur wer die Sehnsucht kennt"
"Fair Robin I Love" from TARTUFFE
"Vilja" from MERRY WIDOW

Valencia:
Faure's "Mandoline" and "Apres un Reve" OR...
Debussy's QUATRE CHANSONS DE JEUNESSE
Walton: Poems by Edith Sitwell
Mozart: "S'altro che lagrime" or "Durch Zaertlichkeit"
Menotti: "Monica's Waltz" from THE MEDIUM
"Vilja" from MERRY WIDOW
Schumann: "Der Nussbaum," "Er ist's"
Quilter: "Love's Philosophy"

Ariel:
R. Strauss: "Schlagende Herzen," "Die Nacht," "Ich Schwebe"
More Argento SONGS ABOUT SPRING?
Faure "En Priere"
Handel: "Mio caro bene," "How beautiful are the feet" from MESSIAH; JEPHTHA arias

Callie:
Bellini: "Vaga luna," "Vanne o Rose fortunata" OR "Per pieta"
Hahn: "Quand je fus pris au pavillon"
Mozart: "Als Luise die Briefe," "An Chloe"
Dowland: "If my complaints" or "Can she excuse," "Lend your ears to my sorrow"
If you don't like the Dowland songs, we'll work on some Purcell!

Nole:
from 24 Songs and Arias: "Per la gloria" or "Gia il sole dal Gange"
Quilter: "Weep you no more, sad fountains"

That's all I have for now...more to come, folks.

MERRY WIDOW links a problem?

If you'd like the music linked below, but cannot access it due to broken links, email me and I'll send you the files as a PDF. Can't figure out what I did wrong...*sigh*.

MERRY WIDOW auditions

Auditions for UAB Opera's fall production of THE MERRY WIDOW will take place Friday, August 17, two days after classes begin! You may sing anything in English that you wish, even if I have heard it before. The idea is to sing something you are comfortable with and can really communicate. Bring a copy of the sheet music for our accompanist.

For callbacks for leading roles, I may ask you to learn something over the weekend of August 18-19. If you'd like to get a jump on the game, following is what I'll ask for.

If interested in the role of Camille, please look at this aria and sing it in the audition if possible. Those interested in Camille and Valencienne should look at this duet, starting with the solo line at the top of the page, as well as this duet (start at the pickup to the third bar). Either or both of the duets may be part of callbacks. "Nat." (short for Natalie) is actually Valencienne's part.

Those interested in auditioning for the role of Hanna should learn this aria.

Those interested in the role of Danilo, please prepare this aria for auditions.

If interested in auditioning for Hanna or Danilo, please look at this duet (listed as "Sonia" rather than Hanna), as it may be part of callbacks.

You'll find the music is not terribly difficult, and the whole show is charming and wonderful. There are MANY smaller roles for both men and women, as well as some dance and chorus roles. Fun times ahead, folks!

We also have 11 weeks to put the show together, rather than the usual 7 or 8. This will make the whole process less intense and rushed...we should be able to rehearse three days per week until just before we open, and I plan to have NO weekend rehearsals until Tech Week.

Opera change for the fall!

The opera for the fall will be Lehar's THE MERRY WIDOW instead of FLEDERMAUS, due to student availability. The good news? It's even better than FLEDERMAUS in my view: better story, easier music, and (to be honest) I'm more excited about this show anyway. It will be great fun. Following is the story: YouTube links coming soon.

ACT I. The action takes place in the Pontevedrian embassy, Paris, 1905. Baron Mirko Zeta leads his guests in a toast to the Pontevedrian chief of state in absentia. Meanwhile, Zeta's wife, Valencienne, speaks privately to Camille de Rosillon, a young attaché with whom she has been having a flirtation. Oblivious to this, Zeta is concerned only that Hanna Glawari — widow of the wealthiest man in Pontevedro — not marry a foreigner during her sojourn in Paris, since this would spell financial disaster for the tiny country. Camille protests the seriousness of his love to Valencienne, who reminds him she is a respectable wife. After they leave, Zeta welcomes the temperamental Hanna, who is quite aware of his interest in her money and reassures him that she is still a Pontevedrian at heart. Several men confess they have fallen under her spell; she leads them into the next room for the festivities. Next to arrive is Count Danilo Danilovich, who says that after a hard day's work on behalf of his country he likes nothing better than an evening at Maxim's. Balking at the mention of Hanna, whom he evidently knows, he no sooner makes himself comfortable than Hanna herself walks in. It quickly develops that she and Danilo were once in love but that his uncle forbade the match. Danilo now swears that if saying "I love you" really means to Hanna "I love your money," he will never make such a declaration. Zeta, having seen them together, tells Danilo it is his patriotic duty to marry Hanna: since she is surrounded by suitors, danger to the national exchequer is imminent. Ladies' choice is announced for the next dance, and both Cascada and St. Brioche hope Hanna will ask them to dance. Hanna is inclined to ask Danilo, who at first says he doesn't know how to dance, then offers to sell his turn to Hanna's partner for 10,000 francs, to be donated to charity. The mention of so much money scares the other men away. Alone with Hanna, Danilo offers to dance with her after all, but she refuses, so he dances by himself.

ACT II. The evening of the next day, guests are gathered in the garden of Hanna's mansion, where she has promised a real Pontevedrian party. She interrupts the folksinging and dancing to sing the ballad of Vilja, a forest nymph who fell in love with a mortal. When she tells Zeta she is importing dancing girls to entertain Danilo in the style of Maxim's cabaret, the baron gets his hopes up: Hanna seems interested in Danilo. The latter appears and joins Hanna in verses about a couple going for a romantic ride in a carriage — but the gentleman seems unwilling to get the lady's message of acceptance. Zeta asks his aide, Njegus, and Danilo to meet him in the summerhouse at eight for a conference. With some other men from the party, they reflect happily on how difficut it is to figure out women. Hanna tests Danilo's interest by asking whether she should feel free to marry the man of her choice. They wander off, leaving Valencienne with Camille; having decided to break off with him, she reluctantly means to persuade him to propose to Hanna. Camille asks why the flower of their romance must fade so soon. She replies that one evening remains before they must part, and they will spend it in the summerhouse. When Zeta appears for the conference, Njegus — having seen the lovers enter the summerhouse — rescues Valencienne through the back door. Zeta thinks he saw his wife in there; meanwhile, though, Hanna has taken her place — to the jealous Danilo's annoyance, since he assumes she is having a tryst with Camille. When Camille repeats his protestations of love to keep up the pretense, Valencienne is shocked by his fickleness. Enjoying the joke, Hanna announces her engagement to Camille. At first Danilo pretends nonchalance, saying marriage is a private matter, not subject to diplomatic opinion, but as rage gets the better of him, he recites a warning fable about a princess who ruined herself to spite her lover, then heads for Maxim's to forget his troubles.

ACT III. Later that night, Njegus has transformed Hanna's parlor into a replica of Maxim's, complete with dancing girls, including Valencienne. When Danilo is brought in, he accepts the illusion and is greeted by the girls. Handed a telegram confirming the imminent ruin of the Pontevedrian treasury, Danilo bows to patriotic duty and officially forbids her marriage, then learns with joy that she never meant to marry Camille. Admitting his own love, he waltzes with her. Meanwhile, Zeta figures out (with the help of a telltale fan) that it was really his wife in the summerhouse; announcing he will divorce her, he proposes to Hanna. Under her late husband's will, Hanna cautions, she will lose her fortune if she remarries. Delighted, Danilo wants to marry her, but she adds that she will lose it because it will pass to her new husband. Laughingly, he resigns himself to his fate, saving the fortunes of his country at the same time. Valencienne's standing with her husband is restored by her inscription on the fan — "I am a respectable wife" — and all ends with a recapitulation of the men's ode to the delightful enigma that is woman.

Jury sheets available

Folks, nice job on juries today! I was proud of all of you, and in spite of a few little things that probably felt much bigger to you than they actually were, you all sang well. Instead of trying to get together to review jury sheets or wait until the fall when we've all forgotten what you did, I've posted them on my door. I've also included Honors Recital audition sheets, SERNATS comments, etc. If you have any questions about the comments, let me know and we'll talk.

Be sure you have posted your listening assignments in your Google doc by noon tomorrow. It was due the last day of class, but I have given you a few extra days to be nice. Missing out on doing your listening can knock you down a grade if you're on the edge...it's in the syllabus, so this should not be a surprise to any of you. Be sure to get it done!

Auditions for THE MERRY WIDOW will be Friday, August 17, two days after classes resume. Callbacks will be the following Tuesday if necessary, and some of you may be asked to learn a duet or trio over the weekend. If you'd like to be considered for a major role and need guidance regarding what to sing, email me. Otherwise, sing something in English...and it's fine if I've heard it before. The idea is to sing something you're comfortable singing. Les Fillmer will be our conductor.

Have a wonderful summer! 

Voice juries

Darlings, remember to bring 5 copies of your completed Jury Repertory Sheet (link to the form is here) to your jury. We'll provide our own jury sheets for comments: no need to bring them. Enjoy yourselves and know that we want you to succeed! Happy summer.