Naked, or Not?
Dear CS: I enjoyed very much reading your January issue. It reminded me of Hans Christian Andersen’s story, “The Emperor’s New Clothes,” in which everybody praised the beauty of the king’s attire, which did not actually exist. It took a little boy to say the truth, that the king was naked. Diana Walters’ letter to the Editor nicely exposes today’s general attitude towards the art of singing. A typical example of this attitude occurred on January 22 in Ottawa at the premiere of Peter Paul Kaprowski’s Cantata, a truly opulent and monumental work. The orchestra and the conductor were excellent. However the chorus of 100 people produced a shallow, on-the-tongue sound. The colorless pitches created a certain unexplainable dissonance with the rich orchestration. Nobody made any comment about it afterwards. Perhaps everybody chose not to notice.
Your magazine valiantly supports the struggle against the generally accepted consensus that singing is doing just fine. Sadly enough, mediocrity always rejects perfection. A bravo for your magazine for not accepting the general complacency towards today’s singing.
—Igor Voivod London, Ontario
Classical Singer tries to tell it like it is, as well as tell it as it ought to be. It is important to keep in mind always a clear idea of what good singing is. How can young singers become great if they aren’t given good examples? Also, when the singing is first rate, we like to think we can recognize that as well, and give credit where credit is due. —Editor
New Artists
Dear CS: Could you please talk more about new, up-and-coming artists? I am a tenor and I always like to hear about tenors, how they started, what they do prior to their singing careers, how they overcome their fears, and what it really takes to make a living.
—Kenneth Ebaugh
Ferndale, MI
Thank you for your interest in CS. We have some interesting tenor interviews coming up, one with the leading up-and-comer, and one with the “big guy,” himself, the only one of the Three Tenors we have not yet featured. Your idea on up-and-comers is a good one, and we plan to explore it with interviews with all voice types at the emerging level. Keep reading! —Editor
They Know What They Want (Not!)
Dear CS: I would like to know why casting directors and the administrators of programs are not inclined to do “breakdowns,” that is, descriptions of exactly what they are looking for—types, ages, coloring, etc. This would save them and their auditionees a lot of time if they weed out what they are not interested in and state what they want.
Julia Watkins-Davis Burbank, CA
Your idea is a good one, and logical, which is the reason it probably won’t work. There is a possible flaw in your logic: You are supposing that these administrators have a preconceived idea of what they want. They are often waiting to see what’s out there. —Editor
Saturday By the Radio
Dear CS: I would like to see a list of the Saturday afternoon Metropolitan Opera broadcasts posted in the magazine.
—Name Withheld
Yours is not the first request we’ve had for such a listing. It’s almost too late, as the Met season is nearly over. But here, in the nick of time, is a list of the remaining Metropolitan broadcasts for 2001. They are listed in Eastern Standard Time. — Editor
Tools of the Trade
Dear CS: I believe you give every singer the tools it takes to get started in the business and performance of opera. I am a grad student with the CSCN voice department and I think your cream-colored pages are just dreamy.
—Franz Stary
Tujunga, CA
We’ve still got the tools you need and we hope you’ll stay with us even though our new printer doesn’t do those cream-colored pages! We hope you’ll find the full-color cover to be a fair trade-off. —Editor
Dear CS: If anything ever was a good colleague, CS is. Your magazine is wonderful and provides a unique service. It serves as a binding force for the classical singer community and as a great networking tool.
—Janet Bookspan
Singers ‘Fess Up
Dear CS: I enjoy your magazine and find that the interviews with singers are most valuable to me. Singers tend to be very unwilling to share honestly about their progress and trials, so reading about the views and experiences of established professionals is educational, enlightening and orienting.
—Jennifer Tucker
Brooklyn, NY
We are pleased and gratified that singers seem to be increasingly willing to speak candidly to us. They sense that we are not a fan magazine like others, that through us they can address the community of singers and reach the very people who would best understand them and benefit from their experiences. We are proud of the atmosphere of trust we have been able to establish with singers, and the word of mouth among them helps us get more and more singers to share their experiences with our readers. This trust is exemplified by a recent interview with the contralto Ewa Podles. Prior to the interview, Madame Podles had requested that she be able to read her quotes before publication to check for accuracy. At the actual interview, however, the communiction was so easy, so direct and open that we parted without the caveat’s being enforced. All she requested was a copy of the finished magazine. This interview, by the way, is scheduled to lead off our special contralto issue in June. —Editor
