Give him this orchid (Rape of Lucretia - Britten)
I was a constant faithful wife (The Bear - Walton)
Augusta Tabor's aria(s) (Ballad of Baby Doe - Moore)
Afraid, am I afraid (The Medium - Menotti)
Elizabeth Proctor's aria (The Crucible - Ward)
This message has been edited by Not-a-coach on Jan 5, 2002 5:03 PM
"We cannot retrace our steps," THE MOTHER OF US ALL, Gertrude Stein/Virgil Thomson (It's a soprano role, but definitely do-able if you can float a high G. Dr. Robert Larsen included it in the new Schirmer mezzo anthology)
"All that gold," AMAHL AND THE NIGHT VISITORS, Menotti
"Iris, hence away", Handel
Look out for the score of LITTLE WOMEN, by Mark Adamo, which is currently being performed all over. Meg has a very nice aria for lyric mezzo, ("Things change"), and Jo is a powerhouse mezzo role, but you need a really flexible and WIDE range, able to jump from contralto to high mezzo tessituras. There are also the more mature ladies, Alma March, and the Aunt.
Nancy's aria from Martha by Flotow: Jägerin, schlau im Sinn (it's a silly little ditty but no sillier than Orlovsky)
Orlovsky's aria from Die Fledermaus by J. Strauss: Chacun a son gout
The Composer's aria from Ariadne auf Naxos by R. Strauss: Sein wir wieder gut
Klytaemnestra's arias from Elektra by R. Strauss: Ich will nichts hoeren; Ich habe keine gute Naechter
Octavian: Der Rosenkavalier, R. Strauss: Wie du warst
Gaea (Daphne's mother) in Daphne by R. Strauss: Daphne, wir warten dein (more for a contralto --- has a low E!)
Reinhild Runkel in Die Frau Ohne Schatten by R. Strauss
There are a couple of things in Oberon by von Weber
Countess Geschwitz in Lulu by Berg
The Mother in Hansel and Gretel by Humperdinck
Wagner:
Das Rheingold: Weiche, Wotan (Erda)
Die Walkuere: Wo in Bergen du dich Birgst (Fricka)
Goetterdaemmerung: So gut und schlimm es geh' ... through "weisst du, wie das wird?" (First Norn); Treue berath'ner Vertrage Runen ... through "weisst du, wie das wird" (Second Norn); Höre mit Sinn, was ich dir sage! (Waltraute)
Tristan und Isolde: Einsam wachend in der Nacht (Brangaene)
Lohengrin: Entweichte Gotter! (Ortrud's Curse)
Rienzi: Gerechter Gott (Adriano)
Tannhauser: Venus
Nancy's Aria-- works in English & Italian as well...
January 14 2002, 9:45 AM
...and is equally silly in any language. But, if you're stuck trying to find something in German OR English, it works. And if you want another bel canto Italian aria option, it also fits the bill.
The aria was written for (I'll look at the score and fill it in later), and is included in the appendix, in all three languages.
Could the section in ARIADNE from "Ich will mich nicht beruhigen!" or possibly "Das Geheimnis des Lebens" through just before "Hast ein Stueckerl Notenpapier?" be exerpted as an audition aria? I know mezzos are short on German arias, so I was wondering why this section wasn't used more often.
Welt, du kannst mir nicht gefallen,
hast dich förmlich umgekehrt,
von den heut'gen Männern allen
ist auch keiner etwas wert.
Ich trete ein
mit Schüchternheit,
doch sie verliert sich mehr und mehr;
der grobe Mann
sieht mich nicht an,
als ob ich alt und hässlich wär.
Ich sag ihm
und sehr gemessen,
was man hier Sehenswertes nennt;
er dankt mir nicht,
läuft wie besessen
zur Tür, als ob der Kopf ihm brennt.
O holde Schwestern ihr,
die ihr Gefühl gleich mir,
heisst das nun Achtung, sprecht,
vorm zarteren Geschlecht?
O Welt, o Welt!
Welt, du kannst mir nicht gefallen,
hast dich förmlich umgekehrt,
von den heut'gen Männern allen
ist auch keiner etwas wert. -
In früheren Zeiten
naht man bescheiden
stets einer zarten Jungfrau sich,
und man war selig,
entspann allmählich
sich ein Gespräch fein sittiglich.
Man sprach vom Wetter,
von teuren Zeiten,
und nach und nach, jedoch ganz fein,
wusst man gar zart
vorzubereiten
von Lieb' ein einzig [winzig] Wörtelein.
Man reichte abgewandt
dem Flehenden die Hand;
er drückte, küsste sie,
sank vor uns auf die Knie,
und dann - und dann -
Verschämt ihre Schürze vor die Augen haltend.
Welt, du kannst mir nicht gefallen,
hast dich förmlich umgekehrt,
von den heut'gen Männern allen
ist auch keiner etwas wert.
Mrs. Patrick de Rocher (the Frederica von Stade role) has two arias. The first one, the clemency hearing aria ("I am a mother who is asking you to spare her son's life") is rather long, but very moving and dramatic. It's also interrupted at one point by the victim's father, and I'm not sure yet how you'd cut around that. But I am going to figure it out, because this would be a great audition piece!
The other one is "No, son, no ... don't say a word" from the last family visit scene just before Joe's execution. It's easily excerptable, and is sort of a blusey Southern lullaby.
I'm sure Sister Helen has some excerpts that would work, too. The score is not available just yet, since there were some word changes after the NYCO production, but it should be available soon.
or someone at the publishing house, they might want to mention that mezzi have a shorage of good audition arias in English and that such arias published as sheet music would sell rather well. Someone was smart enough to put out tenor arias from A View from the Bridge (beautiful and useable) and Great Gatsby (ugh!). Hopefully they will think of this on their own but a hint would be a good idea.
"I feel like taking all my clothes off and dancing to the Rite of Spring. And I wouldn't normally do this kind of thing."
--The Pet Shop Boys
Heggies' website makes note that his songs are published by Schirmer, and "For all other works, including Dead Man Walking, please contact BentPenMusic@jakeheggie.com " I know of a baritone who received/purchased a DMW excerpt and has been using it for almost a year now.
Back to the Stacks
The masked Researcher
"In a situation like this, I always ask myself, what would my hero Edward R. Murrow think? And I think that Ed would think that this was censorship. Then I think about what my other hero, General George Patton, would think, and I think George would think that radio and television ought to be cleaned up, and if he were alive today, he'd take two armoured calvalry divisions into Hollywood and knock all those liberal pinheads into the Pacific! So as you can see, I'm a very confused man. And when I get confused, I watch TV. Television is never confusing. It's all so simple somehow."
I did a project for Opera History on this opera...
April 7 2005, 9:26 AM
...and was able to get a score through interlibrary loan from some library in PA (I can't remember which one). It is out there and there are amazing mezzo and baritone arias in there (no soprano stuff - pooh). If I were on an audition panel, I would love to hear these done well. They are so emotionally charged, so it would be a great acting challenge.
The Lullaby is very comfortable but you MUST have a solid bottom for this aria. It lies ralatively low and calls for a secure sustained low F at the end. There is an optional low A there but the low F sounds better IMHO.
This message has been edited by smithie82 on Jan 26, 2003 8:37 PM
There are a few other exerptible sections from the Mother or the Secretary's role in The Consul. "Oh, those faces" for the Secretary, and the end of Act II, i for the mother: "I'm not crying for him, not for us..."
I attended a GREAT masterclass today at Boston College, given by Sondra Kelly. A young dramatic mezzo sang the Lullaby, and despite her solid technique,trorough understanding of the character/opera and great potential, it was discussed that this role wasn't appropriate for a mezzo under the age of 40. As one could derive from the previous poster's repsonse, this IS a contralto's aria. Special considerations should be made, with these key issues in mind. MORAL: it is hard for the young dramatic voices to choose appropriate rep. since there's is a fach that is cast with more mature singers in mind.
two more arias i've heard a lot recently are 'what a movie' (tahiti) and 'what would ms. herring say' (albert herring). i don't know why.
it's a difficult balance trying to find material that's both age appropriate and voice appropriate when you're a distinct voice type. being a fachless voice, i know this first hand. still, i'm 22 years old, and so i only present heavier repertoire like 'lullaby', 'der holle rochte', 'vissi d'arte' etc. in conjunction with bright pieces like 'je veux vivre' and 'una voce poco fa', and never for auditions or master classes! the best advice a coach ever gave me was "sing anything that works for your voice, so long as the character is YOUNG"; i hope that advice is helpful to some other people, also!
This message has been edited by aoi_siva on Jul 20, 2003 2:31 AM This message has been edited by aoi_siva on Jul 20, 2003 2:30 AM
you need to find the pieces that really sparkle when you sing them otherwise there is no way to distinguish you from the 29 others singing the same aria. I, too, used to sing whatever I could sing, with an extensive range, that gave me lots of stuff to sing. Then I started really listening to singers - really listening with a critical ear not for their interpretation, their language skills, or their technique, but to the sound of the voice, the colors presented in the aria, and listening specifically for that sparkle. When a voice is singing rep that is really right, the voice dances, it is vibrant, and therefore, it sparkles. When a voice is singing rep that works in the voice, the sound can be any combination of the following: duller, edgier, shrill, labored, wobbly, pitchy, and otherwise not quite right. You need to have ears you really trust, people who know what a voice will sound like in a large house, and you need to really work to find the arias that allow your voice to sparkle. You would be better off presenting two or three arias that really sparkle, than 5 that are just good.
two more arias i've heard a lot recently are 'what a movie' (tahiti) and 'what would ms. herring say' (albert herring). i don't know why.
it's a difficult balance trying to find material that's both age appropriate and voice appropriate when you're a distinct voice type. being a fachless voice, i know this first hand. still, i'm 22 years old, and so i only present heavier repertoire like 'lullaby', 'der holle rochte', 'vissi d'arte' etc. in conjunction with bright pieces like 'je veux vivre' and 'una voce poco fa', and never for auditions or master classes! the best advice a coach ever gave me was "sing anything that works for your voice, so long as the character is YOUNG"; i hope that advice is helpful to some other people, also!
This message has been edited by aoi_siva on Jul 20, 2003 2:31 AM
Menotti has several mezzo arias. Here are some others:
Ah, Michele don't you know from The Saint of Bleecker Street
Afraid, am I afraid from The Medium (if you're brave--more
dramatics than vocal)
The Lullaby is often sung by many mezzos (I even sang it in high school). The role is not sung under forty, however, because its a typical grandmother type--not because its impossible for younger people. If you have an F, go for it. Its a popular aria
Menotti, however, is the controversial subject. He has some beautiful arias out there, but there are many many opera buffs who believe that his work is not "acceptible" and will not allow anyone to audition with a Menotti. I have sung all three of those arias, and even use the Baba aria for auditions. But, I don't want to take the chance of being told, "What else do you have" when I announce it as my opener, so I've changed to Handel's Iris Hence Away from Semele.
I am a young dramatic mezzo---23---and I can tell you that I have been fussed at more times than I can count for singing the Desideria aria this past audition round. I won competitions with it...but it was not what they wanted an early 20s dramatic voice to sing yet---most judges wouldn't even ask for it...I was discussing this same topic this past month--and the three that came up for me were Baba the Turks scene and aria from Rake, Meg's aria from Little Women (which can handle a bigger voice if the rest of the cast is big---Jo is meant for a lighter voice--or so I was depressed to learn this summer---he intended it for a more lyric mezzo), and Nina's aria from the Seagull (Pasatieri)....there are still others...like Rape of Lucretia....etc....
I like Isabelle's aria from the Herrmann Wuthering Heights--though not many people know the show....its a great dramatic piece if done well...Just some thoughts...
See, I'm doing this song, and I'm an 18-year old possible Dram. mezzo soprano. We aren't sure yet..
It's just in the most beautiful part of my voice, and it's a song that'll help me kick the ass out of sustained notes (something I have to work on). I apparently come across as very mature/old on stage.. (i.e. in school I played Ouiser Boudreaux in Steel Magnolias and Dolly in Hello, Dolly!)
So, is it wrong for me to do this song for my opera chorus audition at school? (FSU)
This message has been edited by klmnumbers on May 27, 2005 4:27 AM
There is an absolutely hysterical (but challenging) aria that Baba the Turk sings in The Rake's Progress. It has a couple of throw-in lines from the tenor, but they aren't necessarily deal breakers as far as making this an aria you could audition with or perform.
You could just have your accompanist throw in those lines. I don't know the aria, so I don't know how gender specific those lines are, but having the accompanist interject some remarks ususally goes over very well with the crowd. I don't know if I would cheese it up like this for an audition.
This message has been edited by pestossimo on Oct 21, 2004 2:57 PM
Schirmer has come out with a new Anthology of American Arias for each voice type. My favorite English Aria (Ah, Michele, don't you know) is in there... it is listed as a dramatic mezzo in most of the fach break-downs, but there is absolutely no reason why a lyric can't sing it and it is simply a wonderful role!!!
I walked into an audition a few weeks ago with "Must the winter" and the judges literally cringed when I announced the selection. I guess I was the 9th one that day to sing it, and it was only about half way through their auditions!
Re: Spring '05 Hip-Hop-BUMP! I still have a complete list!
September 28 2005, 11:48 PM
Hi there,
am new to the nfcs world and am looking for exactly this list....even though a complete stranger, would you mind passing it along to a lonely little mezzo on the west coast of canada?
I'm smarter than you
I'm harder than you
I'm better than you
I'm just raw
I'm hotter than you
More popular than you
More clever than you
and, gosh darn it, people like me
-Lyrics Born
i don't know the name of the aria.....i'm guessing.......do i make you cry, something like that. it is hysterical. i would suggest this to anyone if you have a good sense of humor. it is a brilliant opera. by edwin penhorwood of indiana university. please at least look at this aria. it's a wonderful piece. that is my 2cents.
Michael Tippett: Helen of Troy's "Let her rave...Women like you cannot know what men may feel with me" (KING PRIAM)
A killer to learn, but if you're wanting to show you can do challenging modern rep, it would definitely be worth the effort.
John Musto: Erminella's "Ah...Venice!...Where is the son I never knew?" (VOLPONE)
A bit long for auditioning, but very lovely and haunting.
Tobias Picker: Sondra's "New York has changed me" (AN AMERICAN TRAGEDY)
Role created by Susan Graham.
Thomas Arne: several arias for Arbaces in ARTAXERXES (Amid a thousand wracking woes; O too lovely, too unkind; Disdainful you fly me; By that belov'd embrace; Why is death for-ever late?; Water parted from the sea)
Arne was profligate in his use of fioratura, so many of his arias are tour-de-force coloratura pieces. Thanks to the wonderful Clifford Bartlett and King's Music (http://www.kings-music.co.uk/), the score of this opera is once again available. (The two arias for Artaxerxes are good possibilities for coloratura altos.)
Michael Balfe: The Gipsy Queen's "'Tis gone, the past is all a dream" (THE BOHEMIAN GIRL)
Replaced the less interesting "Bliss forever past" in a revival during Balfe's lifetime. A lyrical strophic aria with a final cadenza that shows off the compass of the singer's vocal range.
Charles Cadman: the eponymous character's arias (Once on a time when a little maid...Oh ye birds of spring; So glad you liked my little tale!...Out on the lake my canoe is gliding; Be silent! Let me speak...For half a thousand years)
For DRAMATIC
Purcell: Sorceress' "Our next motion" (DIDO AND AENEAS)
Nifty declamatory aria with bits of coloratura that's perfect if you're looking for something very short but with impact (it clocks in at less than 45 seconds).
Tobias Picker: Elvira Griffeth's prison aria (AN AMERICAN TRAGEDY)
A show-stopper. Role created by Dolora Zajick.
When I am laid in earth...from dido and aeneas? or her other one "Belinda, I am pressed"?
“I am not an angel and do not pretend to be. That is not one of my roles. But I am not the devil either. I am a woman and a serious artist, and I would like so to be judged.” -La Callas
OK... so I am a lyric mezzo in dire need of finding "that" English aria for my 5. (A little long)
Here's the background: I had been singing "Must the Winter" for a while but so was every other mezzo. Then it was replaced by Kirk Mecham's "Blow Ye the Trumpet" from "John Brown". I really like this aria but I have been told from a variety of reputable sources that 1. It isn't that well know 2.It doesn't really show anything. So back to the drawing board. I have tried to sing "The Little Women" arias not quite the perfect fit for me. I do have Dido's lament... but I for the various styles part I already have a couple of baroque pieces and would like something more 20th century.
Presently working on "What a Movie" from Trouble in Tahiti. I love singing this piece but I have been told it's a bit too long for an audition setting. So what do you all think? I'm really at a loss and would love your input!
Feel free to e-mail me for a copy.
