Prior to Cristina Necula’s recent trip to Vienna, Classical Singer sent an email to the CS Onlie Community asking for your suggested questions for the two following interviews. Ms. Necula was able to interview very different European manager’s to get the insider information you need. Compare their stles and answers before you consider your next audition for a European job. Our thanks to Mr. Seitter and Mr. Hollaender.
by: Cristina Necula
May 20, 2003- Vienna
In an artistic profession, it is oftentimes difficult to cut through the emotion associated with artistic creation in order to develop a more practical view of building a career. An opera career is a business, not unlike a sales venture. The singer has a product to offer to various clients-opera houses, concert venues, recording companies-and based on the universal law of supply and demand, this product will either sell or be rejected, as rejection is an intrinsic aspect of any business. Instead of taking it personally, salesmen continue to search for other markets. Obviously, they have a less intense relationship with their product, since the product is usually a tangible, material, separate entity, not so deeply associated with their emotional, spiritual, inner being.
In the following interview, Adrian Hollaender of the Hollaender-Calix agency offers a business perspective on opera singing. If a singer is able to view his or her talent as a product, in a somewhat cooler, less emotional mindset, it can be easier to discard rejection right away, and like a good tradesman, pack up the merchandise and travel to other marketplaces. Agencies can help, but only after they have tested the marketability of the product themselves do they actually commit.
Please describe the process of auditioning for your agency.
Our agency holds monthly auditions in Vienna. If interested in auditioning, singers need to send us their résumé, a list of repertoire with roles performed on stage, including where and when, and one or two photographs. Some singers send us tapes or CDs; that is fine, but not essential. We do not decide on the basis of a tape.
When you say decide, does that mean deciding whom to invite to an audition?
Right. We want to see if the singer has already performed somewhere. That doesn’t mean we don’t work with beginners; however we are generally interested in someone with stage experience. Repertoire is important too. There are certain Fachs in Europe that are especially in demand.
Such as?
Bass. But a real bass-low, deep-someone who can really sing Sarastro, Sparafucile… Spinto tenors are very much in demand for roles like Manrico, Radames… Lyric tenors who speak very good German and can deliver the text of a role like Tamino, as well as various Mozart roles in German, are also in demand. As for women singers, dramatic sopranos are in demand, and real mezzos who can sing roles like Dalila and Erda, Amneris, Azucena…
So a spinto dramatic soprano has a better chance to find work?
Statistically speaking, since there are so many lyric sopranos and fewer spintos. Opera houses are looking for more spinto dramatic sopranos.
What about coloratura sopranos?
There are a lot of coloraturas in Europe. Real coloraturas who can sing Lakme, Queen of the Night, and very high roles in general are more interesting. However, these statistics are more a form of general information and do not determine the outcome of an audition. Most important is the quality. Better to have a good lyric soprano than a terrible low bass.
Does your agency maintain a quota for the different Fachs when hiring?
I wouldn’t say we maintain a quota, since if singers are very good, they will be in demand. It’s more from the repertoire aspect that this quota comes into play, because there are roles that only certain voices can sing. But of course, a very good lyric soprano is always welcome.
During an audition, what qualities and characteristics do you look for right away?
We have an audition sheet for each singer, divided into three categories. First is repertoire: what the singer just performed-I usually ask for four pieces in different styles and languages, and I choose one or two. Second is stage presence and performance/presentation. There is a difference there. Someone can have a gorgeous stage presence but deliver a boring performance. There are others with a less impressive presence, yet they know how to perform very well. The third category is voice and interpretation. Again two different sub-categories. One singer can have a good voice but an unpolished interpretation of the piece. Another can be wonderfully artistic in interpretation and have a dull timbre. Then there is also a small section titled Deutsch, where we rate the singer’s German. I cannot stress it enough: it is very important, especially for beginning singers in Europe, to speak German well! It is important for certain operas and operettas because of the spoken parts, but most of all, when we bring a singer to an opera house for a one-year Fest contract, the house expects the singer to speak and understand German.
What counts more in the balance between these categories?
In the end, it depends on our general impression of the singer. What counts most, however, is voice and interpretation. Second would be performance, and third, stage presence. When someone has an incredible voice, it’s not a prerequisite to look good. Image counts, but more so for musical theater. Our agency has different departments: opera, musical theater and theater. Theater is only for those who speak German really well.
So, it’s unlikely that you would represent a foreigner who speaks German with an accent for theater?
Unlikely, but possible. There are roles that require an accent. But most of our actors are native German speakers… Musical theater requires singing, dance, and acting, as well as German, because most musicals are performed in the local language here and in Germany and Switzerland. However, our top field is opera and operetta. There can be ties between opera and operetta repertoire. For example, a good Tosca with a nice stage presence and great German would also make a very good CzardazsfŸrstin for example.
Going back to the audition process, let’s say you hear someone and decide to work with him/her. What is the next step?
If we like the singer, we immediately check the vacancies in opera houses throughout Europe, and if there is something that fits that singer, we recommend him/her and arrange an audition at the particular opera house. Sometimes we can get our singers hired directly, without an audition…it depends on the circumstances, how good a singer is, and how well he or she fits the specific roles. We do not actually offer exclusive representation in the beginning. We do that when the singer receives more work and becomes better known. It always depends on their marketability. So, first we send them out, and after noticing how they fare in their first auditions, we might decide to represent them in Austria, Germany, and Switzerland, for example.
Do you obtain both Gast and Fest contracts for singers?
Yes, both. It’s relative, depending on the vacancies. It’s actually more desirable for young singers to sign fixed contracts for one or two years, because they can build their repertoire. But sometimes, an opera house will need a specific role filled, so we obtain a guest contract for the singer. It varies. I must say that generally, everything is based on the law of supply and demand! When we hear some singers and don’t work with them right away, it doesn’t mean they are not good, but perhaps their type of voice or repertoire is not needed at the moment. We keep them on file for the right opportunity. In the meantime, all singers are free to audition elsewhere. That is why we don’t sign exclusive contracts with our new singers right away. Besides testing them, we want to give them the possibility to try out other agencies and auditions. It is possible even to audition directly for an opera house. It is not as easy as when one goes through an agency, because the agency can present and represent a singer better. Also, the agencies know more about what types of voices are needed and what roles are available where, so they make a singerÕs life easier. Going back to the idea of exclusivity, once we see results from our work with a singer-and this becomes obvious quite fast, after the first rounds of auditions-then we consider representing them exclusively for certain theaters or in certain countries.
Then an artist can grow into this agency…
Yes. We act according to their capacity to grow. Let’s say a tenor shows up, we like him and see him as a good Radames, so we send him to several opera houses for auditions, and he is not hired anywhere. Then we send him out for a similar role like Cavaradossi, but again, nothing happens, so we part ways, since the demand for him doesn’t seem high at all. If the reverse happens, and he is hired everywhere, our interest also grows in proportion to the demand for him, so we work more intensively for him.
So, there is a certain risk involved in the beginning…
Not so much. There is really nothing to lose. The worst case scenario is not being hired, but at least there was an audition. There are no obligations, no promises, no guarantees that something will happen. We keep holding auditions in Vienna every month.
Only in Vienna?
Mainly. Sometimes we hold auditions in Italy-in Rome, for example. We’ve even held auditions in the U.S. in the past. We have so many audition applications from the U.S. alone that when we decide to hold auditions in America and invite singers who have already sent us materials, we are set.
What precisely are your responsibilities as an agent?
I am responsible for searching and offering job possibilities, and once someone is hired, I become responsible for the negotiation of the contracts: how much does the singer get, what conditions can be demanded, how long is the singer hired for, etc. The more famous and in demand the singers are, the less pressing is the first responsibility, while the second increases. When we have a famous singer, the job offers are guaranteed, and it is important to know how to handle them. We are constantly in contact with all opera houses, and another major responsibility is to be aware of the vacancies.
What about concerts? Do you organize them?
We are not the actual organizers, we are always the Vermittler. There is a difference between Vernatstalter and Vermittler. The Veranstalter is the producer and organizes the concert, sells tickets, and hires the singers. We as Vermittler bring singers to the Verantstalter, so we are the liaison.
Is there ever collaboration between agencies, or mainly competition?
From our point of view, there is no problem collaborating with other agencies. When another agency asks us for one of our singers for a specific part, we draw the contract together.
Is there a tendency in Germany to cast “one Fach heavier?”
No, not a tendency, but it can happen that a theater will pay more attention to casting all their roles rather than to the damage a role can do to a singer. That is why, before committing to the European system, every singer should be aware of his or her limitations. The agency can also advise them on the right and wrong roles. I must say the Fach issue also depends on the singers’ interpretation of a certain role. A lyric singer can sing a more dramatic role when he or she does it well. An example is Nikolai Gedda, who sang Don Jose in Carmen very well, although the part was heavier than his Fach. But he sang it carefully and acted it well. Gigli sang Radames in Aida, as a lyric tenor. So, it really depends on the capabilities of each singer. Some have no problem singing one Fach heavier…I must add that another essential element is a recording background. I don’t mean demo tapes, but CDs with orchestras.
Please elaborate.
The recording industry is so important as promotion today. As soon as a singer has a professional CD on the market, it increases his or her value. If a singer has little performing experience in Europe, but has a professional studio recording with orchestra and preferrably a good conductor, then his or her credentials are more impressive. We also give singers the chance to make such a recording, with the conductor, Anton Guadagno, for example. It’s such an important promotional element and a step forward. A real studio recording with orchestra presents a good calling card.
Does the agency sign contracts with recording companies?
We do. But the recording companies usually want famous singers, not beginners. It’s hard for beginners to break into the recording industry. That is precisely why we offer the possibility for professional recordings that we can later pass on to a recording company. When a less-known singer has a recording in Europe with a good orchestra and conductor and has the digital master tape plus all the rights to that recording, then it might interest a recording company.
Tell me about age. How much does that count?
Opera houses prefer young singers. But of course, there are cases in which a certain artistic maturity that comes with age could prove interesting. There are careers that have started late. However, the tendency is towards hiring younger singers.
Do you ask about age when singers audition for you?
Yes, but that doesn’t mean anything. If the voice is good, and other qualities are there-stage presence, performance-anything is possible…Career is half talent, half promotion. Talent alone is not enough. Presence on the record market, in the media, interviews-all of this helps to build a career.
Is it true that with the reduction of funds in Germany, there is a reluctance in hiring foreign singers?
Not really. If the singers speak German very well, there is no problem. Now the Euro is at a very high exchange rate, so it is convenient for Americans to be hired here. Besides, even if there were budget cuts in Germany, there are always enough funds for culture.
Do you work with American singers a great deal?
Yes. We also work directly in the States with American opera houses, like Chicago, Palm Beach, even the Met. We have a lot of contacts in Palm Beach. However, we are more present in Europe: Germany, Italy, Spain, Austria, Switzerland, France.
So, if an American singer works with you, you could actually find work for him/her right in the U.S.?
Yes. Of course, it is not as easy as in Europe, but sometimes, it is possible. We have a higher rate of success in Europe, though, since we are here, and more singers are needed here.
How are American singers seen by European agencies in general?
Very professional. A little lacking in style sometimes. For example, in Italian operas, sometimes they lack that certain “Italianita” (Italian-ness), but otherwise, they are very well seen. They have a much better training than some of the singers from other parts of the world. Russian singers often have good voices but don’t have such a thorough musical education. But again, this is looking at things a bit stereotypically. There are many American singers who do have this innate “Italianita,” just as there are very well-trained Russian singers.
In short, it all depends on the individual. The possibility of a career exists by auditioning for us or for other agencies, but there are no guarantees. What is important for singers in approaching a European career is that they sing well, have good stage presence, speak German, have a repertoire that is in demand, and use each opportunity to present themselves, especially in the beginning. They should not limit themselves to one audition, one agency, one opera house. There are so many opportunities waiting to be discovered.
