Dear Irwin,
It sounds like you’re the kind of guy we’re looking for. We need you and could put you to work in a hurry! You’re right to investigate as much as you can about singing in a chorus over here before making such a big move. I’ve tried to categorize your questions and my responses to them so everything will make sense to you. Here goes:
There are lots of jobs here, especially for tenors (preferably high tenors), high sopranos, and second basses. The road to hell is paved with baritones, tenors with no top, and light sopranos with voices that don’t carry. A person with a really good voice can almost certainly find a job.
As a second tenor, you could start right away (!) and go back to get your family during the six-week summer vacation (which is with full pay). You could finish this season as a second tenor and move up to first at the beginning of next season, or you could wait and start then.
Salaries run between $30,000 and $-40,000 per year. There is a very good chance that you could start at full pay (beginners almost always have to spend two years at 80 percent), and we might be able to get you a small signing bonus to cover some of your costs, although I really can’t promise that.
By the way, do you have a family? Everyone in the chorus gets the same base salary, but the supplements are set according to family status; i.e., married with children is worth several hundred dollars a month more, as well as tax advantages!
The benefits are really great: 13 months’ pay (one-third of the bonus comes at Christmas; two-thirds before summer vacation) and full medical coverage. Chorus singers have tenure from the first day, making us virtually “unfireable” (if I can create that word). Soloists are not as secure in their jobs, however. We get to do small roles in the house, as well as church jobs, weddings, funerals, etc. Singing with other companies is out of the question, though, as there is no time. This is truly a full-time job and not something that can be done between waiting tables and driving a cab. That’s what makes this job so great!
Yes, you would have to come for a personal audition. There is no guarantee that you would get the job, even with a good one. Every singer knows all too well that opinions about voices can vary widely. No, the theater would not reimburse you for the audition trip.
For an audition here, they always want to hear Tamino’s first aria and, Bildnis from Magic Flute, in German. After that, give it your best shot—whether it be “Che Gelida Manina” (I haven’t heard that at an audition yet), something from Tosca, Traviata, L’elisir d’amore, or whatever you think best shows your voice.
Your letter said that you are “…getting a few pieces together to send: ‘Bildnis,’ ‘Il mio tesoro’ (Don Giovanni), ‘Halt!’ and ‘Am Feierabend’ (from Die Schone Mullerin), and possibly ‘M’appari`, tutt’amor’ (Martha).” A couple of tips: Martha is a German opera with German text. Just because Caruso sang the aria in Italian doesn’t mean it makes sense to sing the aria in Italian these days, especially for an audition in Germany. “Ach, so fromm, ach so traut” is the way it goes. It sounds to me that Nemorino’s aria from Elixir would be good for you. Also, don’t sing an art song at an audition; this is for a job in a professional opera chorus.
Musical rehearsals run a maximum of two hours with a 20-minute break. Stage rehearsals are no more than three hours and also have a 20-minute break. Since shows can last until 11 or 12 o’clock at night, rehearsals don’t begin until 10 a.m. Here is what a week looks like.
Monday: 10:00 a.m.-10:50 a.m.—musical rehearsal for the whole chorus for “The Nose” (Shostakovic—in German). 10:50 a.m.-11:10 a.m.—break. 11:10 a.m.-12:00 p.m.—men’s musical rehearsal for “La Belle Helene” (J. Offenbach—in German). The women are off, and the afternoon is free. At 7:00 p.m. there is a two-hour musical rehearsal for the men for “La Belle Helene.” Again, the women are off.
Tuesday: 10:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m.—musical rehearsal for the whole chorus. From 7:00 p.m.-9:00 p.m. there is a rehearsal for the whole chorus and extra chorus for “The Nose.”
Wednesday: 10:00 a.m.—stage rehearsal for the whole chorus for “Cosi fan tutte” (in Italian). Because the chorus part in Cosi is so tiny, we will probably be through after an hour. The show will only use half of the chorus per performance, which means that you would have every other show off. The evening is free.
Thursday: Free all day.
Friday: 10:00 a.m.—whole chorus musical rehearsal for “La Belle Helene.” At 7:30 p.m. there is a performance of “Aida” in Italian.
Saturday: The morning is free. At 7:30 p.m. there is a performance of the operetta “Gräfin Mariza” in German.
Sunday: Free all day.
There are usually more performances: Four in a week, sometimes five, would be more normal.
We’ve started doing most of our productions in the original language. A singing knowledge of French and Italian is a definite plus. Speaking knowledge is nice but not a prerequisite. All of the work here is done in German, so the more of that you know, the better.
As for housing and a car, that’s no problem. Although to be honest, most people can’t afford a car right away if they haven’t brought money with them. An apartment can usually be found within a few days or weeks, but you’ll have costs just like in the United States: a deposit for the apartment, telephone and electric bills, etc. Life isn’t cheap here. You probably won’t have much disposable income until you have gotten yourself settled in. But remember, you’ll be earning your living singing!
I hope this information helps as you consider moving over here. Regardless of what you decide, good luck with your career!
Joe
Joe Turpin is a former Captain in the United States Air Force. After his tour of duty was finished, he began a second career as a tenor soloist, singing for over 20 opera companies throughout Germany. He has resided in Lübeck since 1990, where he is a member of the opera chorus. A native of Spartanburg, S.C., Joe got his Bachelor of Music in Voice Performance from Converse College where he studied with Professor John Richards McCrae. He spent his first two undergraduate years at UNC-Chapel Hill where he studied with Professor Wilton Mason. He has sung in the Brevard Music Festival and the Bayreuther Wagner Festspiele. Joe taught voice in the U.S. as well as in Germany
