Christina Aguilera was a demanding diva promoting her new song, “Dirrty,” in London last week, according to the New York Post. Arriving at MTV studios in a seven-car caravan, the pop (ups)tart held up taping for hours because she was tired, and then demanded 20 buckets of KFC chicken, 25 hamburgers, several platters of fruit candies, mints, cheeses with crackers, a fruit platter, organic milk and 30 bottles of mineral water. When an assistant brought her Evian (no-no-no-no, take it back, she’ll freak out), Aguilera freaked out and sent the shaken woman out to find another brand.
Salt Lake Tribune, October 21, 2002
The last time someone tried this type of behavior in the operatic field—and it was much more mild—was Kathleen Battle at the Met, and she was promptly fired. The term diva seems to have been pre-empted by pop singers because they are the only ones who can get away with this type of behavior—at least in America.
Nowadays, singers are taught to be “nice.” We have to learn to be nice in the conservatories, nice to some very “diva-ish” teachers, nice to some very diva-ish stage directors—it seems singers are the only ones NOT allowed to have tantrums. Have a tantrum and you’re out on your ear.
Right in front of me is the November issue of Opera News with its discussion of diva behavior. Steven Blier—a wonderful pianist and coach—laments, “I don’t go to the opera house to see ‘normal.’ I crave the larger-than-life, the outré, the singer who communes with the unseen, the artist who exorcizes her demons onstage.” Further in the article, “‘American singers want to be liked,’ comments an Italian manager. ‘European singers want to be feared.’ At most Italian theaters, being nice won’t win you half the respect of a good tantrum.”
Italian singers weren’t trained in an American environment, obviously. But maybe we American singers need to sit up and pay attention. Perhaps we are allowing potential greatness to be taken over by “nice-ness.”
This issue of Opera News is important reading. I’d suggest singers pick up a copy. Blier makes a good case for a return to a certain type of diva behavior, especially as it expresses itself onstage. The current disdain for diva behavior has perhaps resulted in “…a wide public acceptance of low-energy performing. A segment of the modern audience gladly tolerates niceness onstage as much as it seems to crave it in the offstage personas of star singers.”
Wouldn’t you love to see a conductor who would put his foot down when a stage director starts off on far-out interpretations, baselessly unconventional staging and costumes, etc.? A conductor who would insist on being true to the composer’s intentions? Birgit Nilsson’s interview in the November issue of Opera News issues a call for conductors to do just that. Take their power back. Conductors used to exhibit incredible divo behavior. Now some seem to roll their eyes in commiseration with the singers whenever the stage director’s back is turned. More of the disease of “nice-ness.”
Outrageous behavior by singing divas was commonplace in a different time. One example is Maria Malibran (1808-1836), who became notorious for canceling performances or changing her mind about what opera she wished to sing that evening—at the last minute! It didn’t seem to hurt her popularity at all. In fact, entire cities turned out whenever she came to town to sing.
Certainly Malibran’s behavior isn’t something we could or should emulate in this day and age, but I think Steven Blier makes some excellent points in his article about a certain type of diva behavior in performing, and I hope singers building careers as soloists will take time to read his article and the ones following.
This issue of Classical Singer magazine—the holiday issue—explores working as an opera chorister either as a vocation or while working towards a career as a soloist. Many of you will have varied singing jobs this holiday season, and we thought this topic might be useful right now. Should you take those jobs as a ringer (ringer: a paid singer who is brought in to beef up a choir or chorus) you will be offered this season? Should you pursue a job as a professional, full-time opera chorister?
Our interest in this topic was started by soprano Annette Nauraine, who wrote an article on choral gigging in New York and Chicago. She gets down to the nuts and bolts, including salaries. From there, chorister Jennye Guy from the Atlanta Opera Chorus researched your opinions as expressed on the forum to see what you thought about moving from the chorus to a soloist career. Jennye also wrote about her wonderful experiences singing with the Atlanta Chorus. We included an interview with San Francisco Opera chorister, Julie Booth, Lubeck (Germany) chorister ______ and even a chorister in Australia, _____ all with salary information. We hope it gives you the information you need.
Have a wonderful holiday, and don’t wear yourself out…too much!
CJ Williamson
Editor
