competition

Oh, competitions... I sang today (as did ACB - although I only know this from reading her blog, not personally meeting her in the real not bloggy world) for the Sullivan's.
I was having first piece issues.
Ok, this season I know what I'm using as my starter for auditions.
But competitions are different. You want to get the most bang for your buck, you want to wow them, you want to use every cliche possible to describe getting the most exciting piece and performance you have and showing it to the audience.

I was originally going to start with Lakme. Then for reasons mentioned in yesterday's post, I knew I'd NOT be as good as I could be if I started with that.
So I was down to my "audition" starter- Durch Z, or Queen- something that people either like or hate in my voice. I'm not a huge thunderous voice, but the F's are always there and I am definitely HEARD over the orchestra, as recordings and live performances in the past month will attest to--in the lovely Orchestra Hall which I hop to be asked back for yet another season of concerts.

My other pieces are just too long- but they're great competition pieces- Zerbie, Doll, O luce, Glitter- all just ONE minute too long to start with, but good 2nd pieces that the panel could ask for from a second verse perhaps.

So I'm sitting in Liederkrantz just basically playing eenie meenie etc. with my replists which I've typed out. I finally decided to go with Queen. I sang it really well I think, and it definitely contrasted with the piece THEY chose- the 2nd half of the doll!!!! (I even got to make a little joke about revisiting this past weekend and the recent Olympia I just finished singing in "currentyap"

Here comes the over-analyzing part. Now, I could be thinking too much about this (inner voice: yes, you are), but in choosing the doll (and knowing that I impressed them because suddenly everyone was looking up and smiling instead of writing), did they think that my Queen was on the "inappropriate" side and wanted to hear the possibly "lightest/youngest" thing that I could sing?
I have no idea.

If ACB is correct in knowing that the number of awards given out and the number of people they hear, I have a one in 8 chance of getting SOMETHING out of the competition- besides a chance to impress the panel of all-powerful and mighty operatis.


Still tired and achy,
g