Tired.
Not much else to say after a day of 9am-7pm with one hour for lunch and staging and coaching the rest of the day.
NOW- to Zerbinetta staging!!!! Note to some- what follows may be not at all interesting to anyone except me because it's an exercise in remembering my blocking while also describing the feeling of the first staging of the "orgasm" cadenzas in the aria.
Ok, Ok, I guess that it MAY be interesting!! (scroll down almost to the end for that info)
We finally got through the first quintet today. It's going to be really cute. A mix of commedia, our own characters, and me flirting a lot--or course!
Aria:
Grossmachtige- bow to A, this first line is in "her" elevated style. Remeber that I'm always expecting to get an actual response from her after I sing every phrase- the aria doesn't go on in my mind. I WANT her to turn around and just agree with me so we can go on with the opera.
Jedoch, sind wir nicht frauen unter uns- A little more cutting and spiteful. Why hasn't she answered me or looked at me? Fine, I can play her game too- let me tempt her with the description of both of our womanly wiles.
Ein unbegreiflich---DON"T WALK AWAY FROM ME---Ein unbegreiflich herz!
--she walked away. Rude. Like a statue she stands there on her tomb.
Swoop around her SR (stage right) indicating the "fels" and "wellen" that she'd rather have the company of.
Prinzessin horen Sie mich an--- Right behind her.
Almost touch her shoulder out of pity. No, she doesn't have my respect...yet.
Verlassen- Climb up beside her. Describe those idiot men.
Ich, ich selber---the first inward realization that, wait...I actually feel like you do too.
Eine kurze nacht- in my own world, crouched on bench beside Ariadne, remembering the passion but also the hurt.
Verwandtlungen?- will you respond NOW? No. Ok, I'll go on. And be HONEST about it:
Noch glaub.
Noch bin ich war- XR, telling the real truth. Oh, no--self depricate- und doch ist es gelogen.
In between bearing my soul and not wanting to admit that I'm in the same position she is.
Betrug ich in endlich- She's goingaway! But--betrug ich ihn endlich und LIEB in noch recht!See what I said there? You are STILL leaving?
Ok, I'm a bit dejected now.
Noch glaub- to myself. My truth.
How do I deal? My commedia music INTO: so war:
See my purse at the bench- it has all of my tokens of love inside!
Pagliazzo- a locket, Mezzetin- a red rose, caviccio- a dirty letter, burratin- a box with ring inside- pasquarielo- perfume- and sometimes TWO- who wrote me THIS dirty little note.
DOCH niemals launen- But NEVER a caprice..always with motions...feelings... This wasn't just fleeting love- these things all mean something.
From letter to rose with ribbon-(staunen)
Das ein herz (to the box)
sich selber (CLOSE box) nicht versteht
Gar (to the locket)
nicht versteht- to the perfume.
and finally (ah) to the folded letter---
(this is the part where the director specifically wants me to use Dessay's opening of the letter scene inthe opera paris interpretation..ok, I'm down with it if it makes sense).
But I put my own twist on it at the end. Last three trills- touch objects, last arpeggio, gather them all in my arms.
Als ein Gott (1) Put things back in my purse. Be truthful about how they came forth.
Als ein Gott (2) Glass screen in my b/f now-- roll it DR
(it's getting good, really)
Als ein Gott (3) on the glass screen- pretending he's behind me. Hands run up and down him/it.
This is the slow-ish part where I get to take some time.
Hingegeben--- Jump off b/f, get ready for the excitement that's about to come.
I'm made weak in the knees (first Ah)
Find a place to sit (2nd ah)
Here it comes- third and HELD ah- lying down slowly backwards onthe bench...etc. etc. etc.
(yes I just yadda yadda yadda's sex)
Oh, a note to the reader IF you're still reading---
The FIRST time I did this I was on my back first and then...yea...I turned over and looked over my shoulder...
NOT exactly the picture of clean sex that the opera donors of age 65 and up may be "up" for...so that was nixed.
oh well--maybe for a younger crowd some day.
SO we cleaned it up and now I'm on my back for the held Ah's--kind of arching the back...well, you know just being real about it- and then for the final
Kamm der neue Gott gegangen I'm "recovering"- hands drop to the floor, head turns to the audience (it was previously up in that whole arched back/head back position)...
It's so cool. And hottt!
I loved staging it.
It felt really right and not inappropriate and necessary for the music. I mean, could Strauss have been any clearer about what he wanted? If this was just "excitement" at the ex-boyfriends I could play it that way too- but I'm glad that I get the chance to explore this side of it in my first ever staging and performance of it because that it what I would connect it most strongly to.
The best part is when Harlequin "walks in" on me toward the end and the recit that follows.
So verschieden geschaffen!!! Wonderful exhale.
night night.
sweeeet dreams!
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