Hailed for her finely honed singing and acting in such roles as Bellini’s Norma, Puccini’s Tosca, and Verdi’s Leonora, Caroline Whisnant is an American soprano now enjoying great success in Germany. She recently appeared as Calixto Bieto’s Lady Macbeth in Frankfurt and will be singing Brünnhilde in Karlsruhe. In addition, she is under fest contract with Mannheim Opera in Germany.
CS caught up with Ms. Whisnant at the end of her vacation in the United States, just before she headed back across the Atlantic for an audition in Bayreuth. Speaking with a charmingly sultry “down home” voice, she told of traveling the long road to the German opera stage from her childhood in the mountains of North Carolina.
Where were you born?
I was born near Blowing Rock, N.C. My brother still lives there with his family, but my mother and both of my sisters now live in Richmond, Va.
Did you grow up in a musical family?
Yes, my mother was our church organist and a piano teacher. My aunt, who was the choir director, also taught piano and composed shows for the local community junior music clubs, which involved the girls in grades five through high school. Thus, musically inclined youngsters who did not go to school together could meet others with similar interests.
My older sister sang and as a young girl I wanted to be just like her. She did not make an opera career, but she still sings for her church—and, on occasion, we sing duets.
When did you start piano?
I was so young that I can’t really remember it. I took lessons from my aunt, but I was very good at sidetracking her. I started voice relatively young, too. When I was in the seventh grade, I studied with a lady who had sung opera many years before. Mainly, she just let me sing, but she did teach me good vowel sounds and kept me from singing incorrectly.
When did you see your first opera?
The first one I can remember was Tales of Hoffmann at North Carolina’s Brevard Music Center. My sister sang Antonia’s Mother, and I remember how still she had to sit when she was acting the part of the portrait. I guess I was then 4 or 5 years old.
When I was in high school, I sang in the chorus and took on my first opera roles, the Sandman in Hänsel und Gretel and the First Lady in The Magic Flute.
At that time, they put on six operas in seven weeks. I learned not to be too caught up with trying for perfection, and to be relaxed under pressure. Also, I learned to push myself into doing more acting. I was very lucky to have had that experience.
Where did you go to college?
After high school, I went to Converse College, a girls’ school in Spartanburg, S.C. My voice teacher there was Perry Daniels, father of countertenor David Daniels. After graduation from Converse, I attended Florida State University in Tallahassee for my master’s degree, and from there I went on to the Academy of Vocal Arts in Philadelphia.
At AVA, I began to study with William Schumann. I have been very lucky with teachers, because I have always found the right one at the right time. When I began to work with Schumann, he would tell me things I had heard from Yvonne Ciannella at Florida State, but only later, at AVA, was I capable of really understanding what I should have been doing. It took a few years before I was able to internalize certain aspects of technique, then I would ask myself: “Why hadn’t I gotten that before?”
How do you know when you have a good teacher?
It is such a personal thing. It’s not easy to find out whose method works best for you. I noticed that all except one of the AVA students who studied with Schumann improved markedly over the school year. The one exception was a fellow who was sure he was perfect to begin with. When I realized what an excellent record that teacher had, I knew I wanted to study with him.
Schumann spent a great deal of time lining up my technique and making sure everything was working all the time. I’ve always had a natural voice, but he extended my range both up and down. Best of all, he taught me how to manage those days when I’m not feeling up to par.
Bill’s method is wonderfully effective for me, but other teachers’ methods work for other people. You just have to try out teachers until you find the one who has the right prescription for you. It’s a bit like looking for love! [She added the last phrase with a low chuckle.]
Did you participate in any apprentice programs?
Yes, I spent a summer at Central City Opera and some months in the fall at Virginia Opera, enjoying both their programs very much. The experience in Virginia led me to move to New York City, and that was the right thing to do at that time. I enjoyed the city, and I worked as a secretary at Goldman Sachs for more than four years. They were very flexible and let me have time off when I needed it.
What are the differences between auditioning in the United States and auditioning in Europe?
In the United States, my audition outfit was a conservative dinner dress that I wore with heels, an off-the-face hairdo, and carefully applied makeup. I think you need to be very well put together for an audition in the States. In Europe, on the other hand, I’ve seen people wear jeans. It really shocked me. They are really much more relaxed about clothing there. When I’m over there I still try to look smartly dressed, but I have found that I can wear slacks and an attractive top instead of a dress, even if I am not trying for a pants role. Headshots are very different, too. American pictures are much more formal.
What kind of a home life do you have?
Well, I’m not married, and in Europe I live with my two cats, Siegfried and Phantom. Like most cats, they don’t like to travel, but I had them brought over in Singapore Airlines’ pressurized cargo compartment. They make a specialty of animal transport and the cats arrived in excellent shape.
Tell me about your work in the Arizona “Rings” of 1996 and 1998.
It was a wonderful experience for me. I sang Freia, a very easy role with only a few lines, but it was a wonderful opportunity that allowed me to just be in that environment and listen. Of course, I named each and every line in my part: the “high C” line, the “quiver” line, etc. The artists were a very friendly group, and I enjoyed the opera’s trip to the Grand Canyon, as well as hiking, when I had free time.
What advice do you have for young singers who have to perform with a cold?
I got sick the last week of the season this past year. Everyone in the company had a virus and I got a nasal infection. For the first time in my career, I had to cancel. I was to sing Ortrud, and I cried about it, but in the long run, it’s better not to sing if you are really sick. I did not want to get out there in a new role when I was not in good voice.
Do you get much rehearsal time in Germany?
This past season, Mannheim repeated its “Ring Cycle” and I sang Helmwige. Our Brünnhilde had that virus and Susan Marie Pierson was brought in from Paris at the last minute, so she had no rehearsal. We Valkyries had only one stage rehearsal with piano and another with orchestra, even though five of us were doing our roles for the first time. Nevertheless, everything went well and we had fun. For a premiere, however, we can have up to six weeks of rehearsal, not counting musical rehearsals at the theater before the director arrives.
Tell me about working on the Frankfurt Macbeth with Calixto Bieto.
I love Calixto Bieto! He was the kindest man I ever met. He is incredibly intelligent, wonderfully understanding and fabulous to work with. He never made me feel uncomfortable. I did do things in that production that I had never done before, but I was never naked and I never felt that he was taking advantage of me. There was one thing he wanted to try to which I said “no.” He immediately said, “That’s OK.”
I went to the rehearsals with an open mind. I told myself that I would try to understand what he wanted and do my utmost to achieve it, knowing that I could always talk to him later if there was something I just could not do. We performers knew exactly what his vision was. He explained his entire concept and it was quite clear to us, but I’m not sure it carried over to everyone in the audience. Some of my friends loved it and others hated it. I enjoyed the experience because it made me try new things.
Bieto was to direct Don Carlo in Mannheim, but some singers there said they did not want to work with him because of his reputation, and there was a confrontation when he arrived. He left after that one day.
Do you have a fest contract at the Mannheim Opera?
Yes, I am fest there at the moment—2005-2006 was the second season of my two-year contract. I’m also doing guest appearances in Frankfurt and Karlsruhe this season. Now, my agent and I are contemplating a renewal of that contract. I like Mannheim a great deal. It’s a good house and I love the people. I have a delightful apartment there. I just want to be sure that the Mannheim Opera will continue to allow me to accept guest engagements with other companies.
This season in Mannheim, I will be singing Cherubini’s Medée, Elektra, Tannhaüser and my first Isolde, in a great production. I will also be doing the Walküre Brünnhilde in Karlsruhe, and in Frankfurt I have more Macbeths and another Elektra production.
How is artist management different in Europe?
It is very different for most people, but since my German agent takes care of more for me than most of them do, I generally just work with him. He handles my whole schedule and all of my contracts. German agents often call singers out of the blue and ask if they can work with them on some one thing. Friends of mine work with four or five agents. They have to be very organized and ready to take care of their own schedules.
Where can singers who wish to audition in Europe get more information?
The Deutsches Bühnenjahrbuch [German Theatre Almanac], the Annuario EDT/CIDIM dell’opera lirica [Italian Lyric Opera Almanac] in Italy and the Musical America International Directory of the Performing Arts are all described on http://www.eur.com/theatre/. They can be ordered from the addresses given there.
