Hey, music majors! Not taking classes or lessons this summer? Have you always dreamed of being an overachiever? Never fear, I’m here to offer you both an assignment and a challenge.
The Assignment: Listen to one opera a week for 10 weeks. We often hear of operas being among the top 10 most performed works around the world. If you dream of being a professional singer, then what better time to start learning the great operas than summer break?
The Challenge: Study an opera a week for 10 weeks by listening to a recording or watching a production.
This is your mission, should you choose to accept it: Make a list of 10 operas, listen to them, take a few notes, and submit my survey back to me at the end of the summer via e-mail. I will compile your lists and comments and share them in the October “Music Major Minute.” For extra fame, I might quote you—with your permission, of course.
So how do we do this? You can listen, watch, or attend live productions. Following with a score is a great way to do this if you are only listening to a recording. Check out a score from your library or beg, buy, or borrow—but don’t steal—one. Complete recordings can be found on the Internet and downloaded. If you want to watch a production, review the Metropolitan Opera Live in HD broadcast archives or check YouTube. If you are able to attend a live production, this could be your debut as a published critic.
Find a time you can listen to the whole opera (taking intermissions, of course). Invite your singer friends to take the challenge with you and get together for Friday night or Saturday morning listening parties. Choose a time you are alert and ready to be inspired. Resist the urge to skip all the parts your character doesn’t sing. This isn’t a role preparation challenge; this is an introduction to 10 entire operas. You will find out more about a character than you might expect when you learn the entire plot.
It’s OK to admit you don’t like an opera or two on the list—but if you don’t like any of them, perhaps majoring in communications isn’t such a bad idea after all.
Pick 10 operas you have always found intriguing. You can pick an opera with an aria you already sing or find interesting choices from my lists of the top 10 operas performed in North America, the top 20 performed in American universities, and my favorites that didn’t make either list (available at www.classicalsinger
.com/ten-opera-challenge). There are a wide variety of styles and languages recommended.
The library is yours to devour, so pick what interests you. Maybe you end up with a dream board of your favorite operas, singers, and conductors. Maybe you will discover an appreciation for Mozart’s structure or Wagner’s leitmotivs. By listening to the classic operas, you will familiarize yourself with the best operatic repertoire and hopefully find styles that appeal to the singer in you.
Warning! The 10 Opera Challenge is meant for introductory purposes only. Although it may lead to a love of drama, please ask your voice teacher before you start singing the Toreador song, “Vissi d’arte,” or “Nessun dorma,” etc.!
Ten Opera Challenge Survey
Reply to as many questions as you like and e-mail to: amonsonsings@gmail.com
1. Which 10 operas did you choose?
2. Which operas did you actually listen to start to finish?
3. What was your favorite opera? Why?
4. Did you find a new composer that you love?
5. What surprised you about this challenge?
6. Listening to a recording vs. watching a production: which did you prefer and why?
7. Did any production details stand out (costume design, set design, direction, lighting, etc.)?
8. Is there a scene you heard that you would suggest to your opera director?
9. Did any of the operas induce a solid nap?
10. Which arias inspired you to keep practicing?
