Conductor Sings Radames from the Podium
On April 1, Vladimir Kuzmenko stepped on stage to sing the leading tenor role in Pittsburgh Opera’s production of Aida, even though he was ill, reported the Pittsburgh Post Gazette. The company had asked Eduardo Villa to fly in and substitute, but an airline problem delayed him, so Kuzmenko agreed to soldier on. After the third act, however, he told management that he was unable to continue. Artistic Director Christopher Hahn realized that the conductor, Antony Walker, had originally studied singing before he switched to conducting. Desperate, Hahn asked the maestro if he could both sing and conduct Act IV. It was the only way the performance could continue.
Walker reasoned that Act IV is lyrical so he agreed to do double duty. He sings frequently in rehearsal, but, as he later said, singing in a performance, from the podium, was quite a different thing. He pulled the feat off with great success, however, garnering tumultuous applause from the grateful audience.
www.post-gazette.com/pg/08093/869798-388.stm#
Crossover Has Pros and Cons, Say Musicians
Judith Kogan, a writer for The Strad, asked various musicians on both sides of the Atlantic about the pros and cons of playing both classical music and more popular forms of music. She found that some people still don’t welcome crossover. Some feel that rock music dulls the sensibilities of its listeners and might cause ear damage because it is played at such a high volume. Others noted that learning another form of music requires a great deal of practice time and requires the purchase of additional instruments.
Conversely, a number of respondents thought that having knowledge of other forms of music is valuable, particularly if the genre encourages improvisation. Some thought that a well-rounded musician should be relatively comfortable in various forms of music.
www.thestrad.com/nStory.asp?id=972
Modern Orchestras are Louder than Verdi’s, Says Conductor
Modern orchestras play much louder than in earlier times, says conductor Barry Wordsworth in timesonline. The amount of sound orchestras produced in the 1900s, says Wordsworth, was nothing compared with what audiences hear today. “Cymbals are twice as big now, flutes are metal instead of wood, violin strings are metal instead of gut,” says Wordsworth in the story. “ . . . All brass instruments are bigger bore, that means they need more puff and produce more noise.”
Wordsworth added that orchestras generally play louder than necessary. He thinks conductors need to realize that if the overall sound level comes down, but the contrast between piano and fortissimo remains as large as possible, the piece will be as exciting as ever for the audience.
http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/tol/arts_and_entertainment/music/article3676238.ece
Singing Might Make Weight Loss More Difficult, Say Studies
Studies in 1986, 2005, and 2006 indicate that any kind of singing which involves deep breathing can have some cardiovascular benefits but may make extra pounds harder to lose, reports the New York Times.
A 1986 study by the American Journal of Nursing compared heart and lung function in 20 opera singers with that of a control group. The 2005 and 2006 studies also involved small numbers of people, so all the results need to be replicated to establish accuracy—but that does not say the findings are false, says the report.
www.nytimes.com/2008/04/01/science/01qna.html?ex=1207713600&en=7047f877a22cc6ff&ei=5070&emc=eta1
