As we look into getting in shape this season, most of us dial our ubiquitous iPods away from opera and toward our favorite flavor of popular music. Here, three of the opera world’s biggest fitness fanatics argue that our instinct that opera is good for the soul but bad for the heart rate may be wrong.
First, acclaimed baritone Teddy Tahu Rhodes describes his motivation and gives some suggestions for a nature walk. Then, blogger (and soprano) Robin Flynn of The Athletic Performer shares her playlist for distance running. Finally, Robert Swedberg, opera faculty at the University of Michigan (where his classes include Yoga for Performers), takes you through an entire workout based on opera tunes.
Now these are some oldies you can sweat to!
Baritone Teddy Tahu Rhodes: Singing professionally for a number of years, performing roles that have required a certain physicality, was something that inspired me to put a fitness structure into my life. I had always been a very keen sportsperson, but actually focusing on fitness was something quite different. Something that really helped was considering it part of my work, which actually made me schedule it into my week. That is my key, I guess: getting my mind prepared to work out just as I would to focus for a music rehearsal session. It has now become such a part of my life that I truly look forward to the fitness sessions.
I have to confess, however, that classical music has not always been my choice of music while working out. The only time I wear an iPod is [during] an outside cardio session and put something on that I am preparing at the time. Otherwise, I prefer to train either outside with just nature around me or in the gym with the blandly generic music in the background. Working out is all about focus and intensity—otherwise, I am wasting my time. I love the feeling of exhaustion at the end of it!
Having said all that, here is a sampling of music that you might like to consider for a twice-weekly cardio session.
Take a one-hour intense walk in your favorite locale. Mine has always been the cliff walk along the Sydney beaches. When preparing Don Giovanni for the first time, I would take my CD player (iPods didn’t exist then!) and turn on the Supper Scene through the finale of the opera and walk at a rhythmic pace immersed in the music. The music just gets better as the scene progresses, which in itself seems extraordinary until Don Giovanni’s death, followed by the sextet. Repeat the scene and you should have done almost an hour of inspired walking! If you are at the beach, a refreshing ocean dip in the waves is a great way to massage the body and warm down.
Other pieces of music I might consider would be the Overture to the Marriage of Figaro or Così fan tutte. Set them up back to back and have them on repeat until the hour is up. I never tire of the music. The pure joy of it seems appropriate when out walking.
Mezzo Robin Flynn (www.TheAthleticPerformer.blogspot.com): Training for endurance sports (ultra-marathons, marathons, Half and Full Ironman triathlons) is intense, and I like my music to match that intensity. I prefer aggressive, gut-wrenching tunes to keep me pounding out the miles.
I tested this list on my 30-mile training run yesterday and it was just as aggressive to listen to as is my usual Jay-Z, Ludacris, Eminem, Rage Against the Machine, and Nickelback.
1. “Un pensiero nemico di pace” from Il Trionfo del Tiempo e del Disinganno by Handel—Opera Proibita with Cecilia Bartoli
2. “The Field Marshall” from Songs and Dances of Death by Mussorgsky—Romantic Russian Songs with Ewa Podles/Graham Johnson
3. “Es gibt ein Reich” from Ariadne auf Naxos by R. Strauss—Jessye Norman/Kurt Masur
4. “Qual favellar? . . . Anderò, volerò, griderò” from Orlando finto pazzo by Vivaldi—The Vivaldi Album with Cecilia Bartoli
5. “Sola, perduta, abbandonata” from Manon Lescaut by Puccini—A Celebration with Mirella Freni
6. “O don fatale et détesté” from Don Carlo by Verdi—Verdi Arias with Elena Obraztsova
7. “Acerba voluttà” from Adriana Lecouvreur by Cilea—Opera d’Oro recording with Magda Olivero, available on iTunes
8. “Uzh polnoch blizitsya” from Pikovaya Dama by Tchaikovsky—Portrait with Olga Borodina
9. “A lui vivo, la tomba!” from Aida by Verdi—Aida with Elena Obraztsova and Claudio Abbado
Robert Swedberg (University of Michigan faculty): Here are 16 varied exercises with accompanying operatic tunes in an hour-long program. I have included the artists’ recordings I use, but substitute as you like with your favorites. Use them as I suggest, or create your own use for all or for just a few of them.
1. “Largo” (3:02) from Handel’s Xerxes—Fritz Wunderlich with the Bavarian State Orchestra conducted by Hans Muller-Kray on Fritz Wunderlich: Great German Tenor
Begin with three minutes of slow stretching. Go slowly, relax, keep breathing, and get a nice even series of stretches over your entire body.
2. “Happy We” (1:51) from Handel’s Acis and Galatea—the Robert Shaw Chorale and Atlanta Symphony Orchestra on Grand and Glorious: Great Operatic Choruses
Did you know that conductors generally live longer than the rest of us? It must have something to do with the continuous movement of the arms so close to the heart. Now you get to conduct this one with a simple down-and-up motion as we get both arms moving and the blood flowing.
3. “Bei Männern, welche Liebe fühlen” (3:11) from Mozart’s The Magic Flute—Lucia Popp and Wolfgang Brendel on The Most Famous Opera Duets
Here is a good exercise for the muscles of the neck and shoulders. As Papageno and Pamina sing about the bliss of love, slowly rotate your head with the music, changing direction with the response from each character.
4. “Manella mia” (3:04) on0 Jerry Hadley: A Song of Naples
Slowly stretch arms—each alone and then both together—up and way over the head on an eight count.
5. “Soldiers’ Chorus” (3:02) from Gounod’s Faust—The French Army Chorus with the Orchestra of Toulouse, conducted by Michel Plasson on Faust
Now that we are stretched and warmed up, we are ready for some aerobic exercise: three minutes of jumping jacks with the French Army Chorus!
6. “I Got Plenty o’ Nuttin’” (2:35) from Gershwin’s Porgy and Bess—Simon Estes with the Berlin Radio Symphony Orchestra conducted by Leonard Slatkin on Gershwin: Porgy and Bess (Highlights)
For those who want more of the same, continue with two-and-a-half minutes more of jumping jacks or jogging in place, and be sure to contemplate what you will have at the end of this next selection.
7. “O Isis und Osiris” (3:22) from Mozart’s The Magic Flute—Martti Talvela with the Vienna Philharmonic conducted by Georg Solti on The Magic Flute
On the carpet: low stretching to this invocation to Isis and Osiris, the ancient Egyptian gods of exercise.
8. Finale (3:41) from Wagner’s Das Rheingold—the Cleveland Orchestra conducted by Christoph von Dohnányi
Row—or sit with knees slightly bent, weights in hands, with rowing motion. (If you have no weights, use soup cans.)
9. “Non più andrai” (3:34) from Mozart’s The Marriage of Figaro—Samuel Ramey with the London Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Georg Solti
Listening to Mozart makes one smarter, so it follows that exercising to Mozart must make one stronger. Now, on the treadmill, or more jogging in place, do a second set for three and a half minutes as Figaro sends Cherubino off to war.
10. “Barcarolle” (3:46) from Offenbach’s Les contes d’Hoffmann—Edita Gruberova and Claudia Eder with the National Orchestra of France conducted by Seiji Ozawa.
Now relax a bit as you imagine gracefully gliding in your gondola through old Venice and, as you do, let the music inspire you to touch your toes, then your waist, and then stretch your arms above your head—and then reverse.
11. “Intermezzo” (4:04) from Mascagni’s Cavalleria rusticana—James Levine conducting the National Philharmonic Orchestra on Opera Goes to the Movies
Time for some core building with some slow crunches to the middle part of the body. Lie down on your back and draw your head toward your knees on an eight count, hold for eight, release for eight, and rest for eight, then repeat. Feel the slow burn as you visualize sunny Italy.
12. “Anvil Chorus” (2:49) from Verdi’s Il trovatore—the Robert Shaw Chorale and the Atlanta Symphony Orchestera on Grand and Glorious: Great Operatic Choruses
Now it’s time to get on the exercise bike, or on your back with legs in a pedaling motion overhead, as we work the legs and thighs with Verdi’s “Anvil Chorus.”
13. “O sole mio” (3:21) by Di Capua—Luciano Pavarotti on Tutto Pavarotti
Change of pace now with a slow shoulder rotation. Hands on hips and rotate the shoulders individually in each direction, and then together in any direction. As the music swells under you, go ahead and let the feet do what they will.
14. “Zitti, zitti” (1:52) chorus from Verdi’s Rigoletto—the Robert Shaw Chorale and the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra on Grand and Glorious: Great Operatic Choruses
Now push-ups, in full plank position or with knees to the floor, your choice—but build upper-body strength by seeing how many you can do in this short chorus of conspirators from Verdi’s Rigoletto.
15. “Infernal Gallop” (2:54) from Offenbach’s Orpheus in the Underworld—the Orchestra of Toulouse, conducted by Michel Plasson
Did you ever think that so much pain could bring so much joy? Now a bit more aerobic exercise: Build slowly into a graceful kicking motion as inspired by the can-can.
16. “Gentle Morpheus” (3:08) from Handel’s Alceste—Dawn Upshaw with members of the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra on White Moon: Songs to Morpheus
Now you really deserve three minutes of cool down as you relax and do nothing but enjoy the sentiment of our final musical selection.
