Felt quite tired yesterday, so took it easy. I did go into the opera offices though and work for an hour or so on the Russian arias, and Brian came along to correct me. There's a big difference between speaking a language and singing it, and I wanted to make sure that the vowel modifications that have to be made to sing, still made sure the language could be understood. We had a low key evening and watched Saturday Night Live, before I went to bed. I was very happy to put the clock back an hour, knowing that I would have to get up early to be ready for the matinee.
Even so, when I woke on Sunday, I wished I had another several hours to sleep, but dutifully got up and had my eggs. I don't like matinee performances particularly, as I'm not a morning person. Even though you don't have to sing until the afternoon, you still need to be up and awake for quite a few hours before the performance starts. I don't warm up my voice too much, but just like to get my blood flowing.
I enjoyed my walk to the theater and when I arrived started saying goodbye to various cast members. Some of the cast left before the end of the show if they were only in the prologue and I didn't want to miss them. This has been a wonderful, friendly cast to work with and I hope to stay in touch with old friends and new ones too.
The performance went very well, and in fact my husband thought it was the best overall. Often we are getting ready to leave immediately after the show, but we don't leave until tomorrow, so it was nice to not have to rush off and be able to have a drink and a bite with some of the cast.
We had a very nice time chatting and discussing favorite films and TV shows. It seems 'Shaun of the Dead' is a particular favorite among many of the cast...a film which, I'm happy to say, is English!
We walked back to the apartment and then began the unpleasant task of packing. As I write this we have finished 3 cases and have 1 more to go. We have also packed a box for sending home, and are gathering piles of rubbish, so we are doing pretty well.
I would like to thank all of you who have been reading this blog. Several people at the opera have read it, I believe, but I really have no idea how far this has reached. I think some of my collegues have also contributed, but I have simply written my daily musings, and not actually read the blog itself. I hope that it has given some insight into the workings of an opera company and putting on a production, and some idea about the life that opera singers lead.
I hope you continue to enjoy your opera...see you there!

The final performance of "Ariadne auf Naxos" was, for me, the best performance of them all. I have often found that matinee (afternoon) performances turn out this way. I can't explain it really, other than the fact that it is that time of day when our bodies are very awake and still fresh from having rested the night before. The rest of the day turned out to be eventful as well, since my flight was scheduled to depart that evening from the Pittsburgh airport. Following the performance, I had about an hour to get back to the apartment and take care of final things, before a car service was to pick me up to take me to the airport. Everything went smoothly. I disconnected my cable modem which I had rented from the local cable company, boxed it up with all the included cords and cables, and left it with the front desk, and a representative at the front desk delivered it to the leasing office of the apartment, who in turn returned it to the cable company upon their next visit to the apartment. The car picked me up on time and I was at the airport with plenty of time to spare. I was afraid one of my luggage items to be checked, probably weighed more than the required minimum weight, so I made sure to check my luggage at the curb to avoid having my luggage weighed on the scales beside the ticket agents! Having succeeded in that endeavor, I found my way to my gate, and still had over an hour to spare before my flight began boarding passengers. It turned out that Joachim Schamberger, our Assistant Stage Director, was on the same flight, but he had much more difficulty getting to the airport, as for some reason, the car that was scheduled to pick him up at his apartment (from the same car company) did not have a reservation for him so his car did not come! After waiting, Joachim called the car company and discovered that there was no car reserved to pick him up, even though he had been given a reservation number for the car to pick him up. He asked for a new reservation to come immediately, and after another 20 minutes, a car picked him up and he made it to the airport, albeit flustered at what he had just gone through! He shared with me that in the hurry to get out the door of his apartment, he also spilled an entire bottle of soda into the kitchen utensil drawer, but did not have time to clean it up. Sometimes, as they say, "When it rains, it pours."

The only problem on the plane, was finding somewhere for my small-sized carry-on luggage and computer briefcase, as there was literally no room in the upper storage areas- less room than I had ever encountered on a flight. I had to put my items in completely different areas of the plane, one of them far behind me, and the other in the first-class section, which the air crew finally relented to after I showed them there was nowhere else to put it. I guess it was my fault for waiting so long before boarding the plane, as I waited so that I could board the plane with Joachim, as he was telling me about his adventures on getting to the airport. Therefore, everyone else got "first dibs" with the placement of their luggage. The plane was completely full (something I am now used to, on U.S. flights), and I settled into my window seat and managed to nap, despite the passenger beside me in the middle seat, who decided to use his overhead light for reading. Fortunately, I kept my fedora hat with me, which I was able to wedge onto the front of my face to block out the light. I'm sure it did not look very pretty, but it did the job and also succeeded in allowing me to breathe with more humidity!

Once we arrived to New York's La Guardia Airport, Joachim found me at baggage claim, and told me that his girlfriend's mother was picking him up from the airport, and they would have enough room to take me to my destination. I obliged to this and his generosity saved me a good $25 in taxi fare. Joachim was extemely helpful in helping me out with my other checked luggage; remember that huge one that weighed beyond the weight limits of the airline? At one point we went the wrong way and found ourselves going up an escalator to an out-of-the-way area, and there was no escalator back down. Sort of like a stairway to heaven, except that it wasn't very heavenly at the top and no way to get back down with all our heavy luggage, except to schlepp it back down. Joachim helped me cascade my luggage down the fixed stairway, back to our original starting point, below. Before I knew it, he had grabbed my largest piece of luggage in one hand and his own luggage in the other hand and stated down the stairs. I don't think I would win in an arm-wrestling contest with him. So thanks to him and his girlfriend's mother, I arrived at my apartment a bit richer, and was thankful to be finished with my day.

And with that, my time in Pittsburgh is done, and I'll sign off of the Pittsburgh Opera OperaBlog. Congratulations to everyone for a job well-done. It was a pleasure to be a part of this project, with the vibrant, energetic and dedicated staff and artists. I hope to see you all backstage many times again! Please continue to visit my own blog, which can be found at my website, http://www.michaelhendrick.com. I hope you'll let me know you stopped by. Blessings always! -Michael Hendrick

Slept well and had the usual breakfast and backgammon. I'm finally getting my score up a little higher. The site I play on doesn't have a very good dice program and it's amazing how many times you will lose to someone getting 4 doubles in a row!
Spent the afternoon starting to sort out the apartment. It's amazing how much rubbish we accumulate over a fairly short period of time. We are going to send some things home so we don't have to carry more than necessary around Europe. From here on, we will not be in any place longer than a week, so we really will be living out of suitcases, which is never fun. We will be a week in Barcelona then just over three weeks in the UK, travelling all over the place, catching up with family whenever we can. I love to drive, so I am quite looking forward to the UK part of the trip.
Despite the performance starting an hour later than the last one, I still managed to leave it to the last minute to arrive at the theater. The speakers which relay the performance to the dressing rooms appeared not to be working at the very start of the show, and I realised it had begun before I was ready, but luckily I am not on stage at the beginning, so pulled on my boots and coat and made my entrance on time.
A very good audience again tonight, who laughed loudly and in all the right places. The show went very well and all the cast seemed happy.
There was a short meeting afterwards with some university students, who asked some interesting questions. Several of them said it was their first opera, but definitely wouldn't be their last, which is always heartening.
We had some friends in the performance, so we saw them afterwards, and rolled into bed around 2am.

Our third performance went extremely well. From my perspective of how I felt during the performance, it was my best vocal performance so far in the run; I could have run the Bacchus scene again that night, which is a good sign for me, that I'm singing with good fundamentals. After the second performance, there was a gathering of people who had attended the performance, and each of the singers came forward to answer questions. I was introduced as a "Heldentenor", mostly because many heldentenors do sing the role of Bacchus, however to say my voice is a heldentenor voice would be too limiting, because my voice is effective in many different types of roles. As far a category for my voice, I am a tenor- yes, a tenor who can sing Bacchus, but a tenor. For example, this year I also sang Pinkerton in "Madama Butterfly", and also the title role in "Faust". The other night I sat down to watch some DVD segments that were recorded of some of the scenes from that production of "Faust", that I just received in the mail, and it was so gratifying to watch and hear me sing that role which is so different in style.

This is an issue I have constantly dealt with. My "issue", which in reality is a blessing, is that I have been successful in a deep variety of roles and styles over the years. This does not always bode well for those in the opera profession, who want to categorize a singer as this type or that type. For example, in roles in the English language, I have often been praised for my ability to convey the English language understandably, so that the audience can hear and understand what I'm saying. You can go to my website, http://www.michaelhendrick.com, and select the "Press" page to see what the press has written about my over the years. My last role in English was Britten's "The Rape of Lucretia" from New York City Opera, directed by Christopher Alden, where I sang the role of the Male Chorus. I have also been successful in several roles in the Slavic languages of both Russian and Czech. This puts me in an advantageous position of staying busy internationally in many different styles of singing, which ultimately is more healthy for my voice in the long run.

Several people told me during the third performance that they were reading and enjoying the Pittsburgh Opera OperaBlog! That was wonderful to hear, and although it is almost time for my contributions to end on that site, http://www.pittsburghopera.org, it has been fun to be a part of the initial stages of their new publicity vehicle. I think everyone in Pittsburgh should be extremely proud of their opera company here in Pittsburgh, and its role in the community. I have been proud to be a part of it.

Wednesday morning was a lazy one, sleeping and taking it easy after the show the night before. 'Ariadne' is a much shorter role than many I sing, particularly some of the Wagner roles, but it's still a performance which takes energy, so I try to take it easy the day after. When performing 'The Ring' I always tell people that I never plan to do anything the days in between performances. Brunnhilde is in 3 of the 4 Ring operas, and when they are done as a cycle, means you are doing a different 4 hour plus opera every other day. If I am feeling fine then sometimes I will do some shopping or meet a friend for coffee, but I never plan anything. Keeping fit and getting enough sleep is vital and that is always in my mind.
On Wednesday evening I gave a Masterclass for some of the young artists in the program here. As they are all in 'Ariadne' it was a strange experience to give a Masterclass to collegues, but I tried to just make it about giving some advice to friends. I have done several Masterclasses over the last couple of years and enjoy it very much. I am so lucky in that I have had one singer teacher since I was 17. His name is Joseph Ward, and I don't believe I would be here today but for him. He knew how to teach my voice from being young, right through its developement and still now I work with him when I can. I have always wanted to pass something of that on, and through teaching and Masterclasses I can. All the four singers who sang in the class were excellent, and the things I talked about were all just trying to put the icing on the cake. I am sure all of them, as with all the young artists here, will go on to have great careers.
After the class Christopher Hahn, took Brian and myself for an excellent dinner. Nothing like good food and conversation!
Thursday turned out to be a very different day from how we had thought it would be. We had planned several weeks ago to go to Frank Lloyd Wright's house Fallingwater, which is about an hour and half's drive from Pittsburgh. As this was really the only possible day to go, we booked tickets and reserved a car. We managed to get up early, and luckily I checked my email as Brian's sister is in our home and had got a message to say that Fallingwater was going to be closed due to downed trees and bad weather. We were very disappointed but at least found out before we left.
We decided we would go to Kentuck Knob, another Lloyd Wright house, so went to wait for the car. We were told it would be 10 mins late, but after 45 mins, we decided we had stood in the cold long enough, and starting the trip over an hour later than we had planned would make it all too rushed, so we cancelled the car and came back to the apartment.
We thought we would go to the Frick Museum, but after waiting for 10 mins on hold for a cab, Brian and I decided we weren't meant to go out today, so we read, and I worked and took a nap.
We were sorry to have had our one day out disappear, but hopefully we can come back to Pittsburgh and see those things then. So often you spend time in cities and see nothing, so we are used to it, but it was a shame nevertheless.
My husband cooked a delicious dinner, so the day ended nicely!

We are now halfway through our performances. The second performance on Tuesday night definitely had a different feel than our opening. For me, I noticed early on that the climate onstage seemed much dryer that it had been in previous runs onstage. Many others in the cast told me they noticed the dryness at the end of the performance. Someone mentioned that the company had turned on the heat for the first time in the building. Another person told me she thought it was due to the sudden weather change outside, as it was very cold and rainy that night.

Due to the dryness onstage, in the Bacchus scene at the end, I found myself struggling just to swallow. Although it probably wasn't noticed by many, I think I began the role with a bit too much effort than I had to, working harder than I needed. The role of Bacchus has to be respected by the tenor. If not, due to the nature of how it was written for the tenor voice, as I like to say, it can easily "kick your a..". I started out with a bit too much voice at the beginning. In combination with the dry air, when we got to the middle of the scene, I discovered that my voice was starting to become more fatigued than I would have wanted. Once I realized this, I corrected it by singing with more lyricism that I had been singing, which helped me stay fresh for the big high notes at the end. With the role of Bacchus, I have never missed (so far) any of the high notes in a production of "Ariadne". (Knock on wood!)

Last night the Pittsburgh Opera hosted a master class headed by Jane Eaglen, at the Benedum Center. It was well-attended by many opera supporters, and featured four excellent singers from Pittsburgh Opera's Young Artist program, NaGuanda Nobles, soprano, Jennifer Holloway, mezzo-soprano, Tammy Tyburczy, soprano, and Charles Unice, bass. Jane Eaglen mentioned her normal dislike of master classes when they focus on the teacher instead of the student. And embracing this policy, she created an inspiring and downright enjoyable evening, as she focused expertly on each of the singers, showing an ability to work with different voices and different personalities, as she offered valuable truths of vocal technique, as well as constructive ideas for the singers to consider.

Tomorrow, Friday, is our third performance, with the final matinee performance on Sunday. My flight is scheduled to return back to New York City on Sunday night, following the performance. So as I write this, for the first time, my thoughts are beginning to turn to the need to begin packing. Because of Sunday's early arrival to the opera house for the matinee performance, there will be time to pack neither beforehand nor afterward, as I will have about an hour before my limo car service picks me up to take me to the airport. So on our day off between the final two performances, on Saturday, I will use the entire day to get packed. The only thing I will have to worry about, is returning the Comcast high-speed internet modem that I rented, and at this point I am not sure if they are going to be open on Saturday, so I had better check on this tomorrow (Friday) while there's still time to return it!

Woke late after a long sleep. Felt better for it, though took me a while to fully wake up, so I did it slowly, with a few games of backgammon, eggs and coffee.
Walked to the theater for the performance in the pouring rain, which again, I enjoyed, though when I arrived the main topic of conversation was the horrible weather. Some people had been home, or visiting family during the two days off, and there was a definite 'second night' feeling. That usually just means slightly lower energy than an opening, but we are all professionals, and once singers get on stage, the energy comes back and hopefully we are still able to do a good performance.
The prologue went well, with just a couple of tiny hiccups, which I suspect very few people noticed, and the audience again seemed to be having a good time.
The opera also went well, and even though I wasn't looking forward to it as much as opening night, once I started to sing I did enjoy myself. The leaks had gone from the roof so we were all dry and safe from splashes. We had some new 'patrons' on the stage, at the party which is where the opera section is performed. It's always fun to see how interested new faces are to see this so close. I noticed several watching me yawn profusely before the curtain went up. I should explain that I do this regularly before a performance. I don't tend to get nervous, and one doctor once told me that my symptoms indictate that I produce the opposite of adrenalin before I sing. Instead of the butterflies and excitement adrenalin gives, I tend to feel tired and cold, and yawn a lot. Once I start to sing that goes away, but it's a strange thing and many times people comment on how much yawning I do!
After the performance there was a chance to meet some of the audience. After every Tuesday performance, Pittsburgh Opera have a forum set up where anyone from the audience can come and meet the cast and ask questions. Everyone talked a little about their roles and then opened the floor to questions. Some slightly controversial comments about Wagner and his anti-sematism and difficulty in listening to his music, prompted me to answer those critics. In my opinion Wagner was a genius, and his music should be heard because of that. Whether I would have wanted to know him as a person is a different issue, though his protrayal of intense human emotions and characters, indictate he had a side that people tend not to discuss. It's always going to be a hot topic, and one, as a performer, I think is not my place to have an opinion on. My job is try and interpret his music as well as I can so that other people can appreciate that genius.
My husband and I walked back, stopping for a quick dinner on the way. A little TV but too tired to watch for too long.

Sunday was a lazy day and felt well earned. I called my mother in the UK, which is a usual Sunday occurance and caught up with things there. She is looking forward to seeing us next month when we go to England and Scotland for some concerts. I haven't seen my family there for over a year now, so we have pretty big phone bills.
Brian and I went out for dinner quite late, and I had some excellent tuna. Went to bed quite late but had enjoyed a day of not really doing anything.
Monday I got up reasonably early for me and did some work on my music for my next engagement in Barcelona. I am doing two concerts at the Liceu Opera House. They are concerts to show the classical influence on Wagner and quite and unusual program. They are all things I have done before though some not very recently. I had my eggs and then got ready to go into the opera offices to have a coaching session with Susanna Lemberskaya, who has been working on 'Ariadne' and was kind enough to fit me in for an hour's work. We went through most of the arias I will be doing in Barcelona and I felt better for having a chance to go through them.
After a nice chat about favorite TV programs with some of the young artists, I walked back in the rain, which I enjoyed, though even for me it was a bit cold!
Spent the evening watching TV and reading and my husband cooked a delicious dinner. Early night tonight with another show tomorrow.
Tomorrow there is discussion after the performance where any audience members can come and ask questions of the cast. I haven't been reading the comments I hear some people have posted on this blog, but it was mentioned that someone had asked if I would sign CDs. I am always happy to sign and meet the audience, so if you are reading this and coming tomorrow, or later in the week, please feel free to come and say hello.

Opening night was a very enjoyable night. Everyone was completely ready for the event. The entire performance ran very smoothly, from my perspective. In live performance there is always something unexpected that comes up, and I guess the dripping of the water from the roof was the only thing that happened. However I did not know about it until the performance was over, so if there had been any water on the stage I'm glad my feet never found it!

Often on opening night there is a tradition for some cast members to give out "opening night cards", which is generally a card but sometimes little gifts are added, such as chocolates, little liquors, that kind of thing. For this production, I decided to give out tiny, individual bottles of rum and whiskey. After all, I do portray the god of wine! I have always been one who likes to give a card to my fellow cast members and usually to everyone I can think of, who helped me in the process, but often I find myself giving the majority of my cards out after opening night. I found this to be the case on this project as well. Every singer is different, but for me, writing out cards to cast members is something that I find to be pretty thought-provoking, as I try to make the cards as personal as I can. Before an opening night, I prefer to stay focused on getting the opening night "history" before my mind turns to such activity, as important as I do consider it.

In the last few minutes before my entrance as Bacchus, as James Geier, our wonderful Make-up and Wigs Designer, was putting my wig back on for my entrance, he noticed that I was looking very intense and began asking me if everything was okay. At the time, I was just fine, but there are times when I do become so focused on my work that I shut out everything else that is going on around me, and to James, it appeared that I was angry about something and he wanted to make sure everything was okay. I reassured him that I was fine, that what he was seeing was my "intense look" which I have to admit can sometimes make me appear to be angry. But because it was literally a couple of minutes before my entrance, I did not want to take the time to explain everything to him. I finally said, "Don't worry, this is just my intense look". I suppose that intensity of feeling was a bit of nerves as I anticipated my entrance, especially on opening night, but as far as nerves go for me, that's about as nervous as I get, as nerves have never been something I have struggled with. The feeling I get is more of an inner excitement than nerves. I never worry about remembering my music or the text. In fact, I can't remember ever really forgetting the words when I am performing, even when performing roles in Russian or Czech. This is because I take a great deal of time to define every word's meaning, put it together to form emotional thoughts, and when the words affect me emotionally as I prepare, then the words become "ingrained", almost as if I have always known them. Whereupon I perform the role, remembering the words is natural, and I attempt to portray the emotion of the character and moment, without feeling those emotions with the same intensity as I did during preparation for rehearsals. Wow, have I digressed!

After the opening, we all attended the Horseshoe Ball which was a wonderfully planned occasion of fun for everyone. I had the opportunity to meet many new friends and acquaintances and even try my luck at winning a diamond ring in a raffle, by donating to the Pittsburgh Opera, which of course, was a very worthy cause indeed! (And fully tax deductible for me!)

Woke up fairly late and had my boiled eggs for breakfast. I have a pretty standard way of preparing for a performance, and like to sleep as late as possible as I don't usually take a nap, as some singers do. I spent the day pottering around and reading. My husband made pasta for around 4pm. I tend to eat pasta or something with protein and carbs a couple of hours before I sing. The performance starts early at 6pm tonight, as the opera ball will follow the show.
I walked to the theater and found it was raining, which made me very happy. I love the rain and love walking in it, so I took my time strolling to the theater, going over some words while I walked.
It was nice to have some beautiful flowers in my room and I went through the first night cards people had been kind enough to send. The general feeling in the theater was very upbeat and people seemed to be excited about finally getting to do the show for the public. I don't tend to get very nervous, though sometimes it happens for no apparent reason. When I was a kid I would sing and perform at church and school and get very nervous, physically ill usually, but it never occured to me not to do the performance. I suppose as I got older I got more used to it and learnt how to deal with it. Sometimes though nerves will come back and can be difficult to cope with, but it's something all performers find a way of working through.
I got ready for the performance and ready to go when places were called for the top of the show. The prologue went very well and it was very nice to hear laughter from the audience. You can always feel an audience even if you can't see them and this was a great audience, obviously enjoying themselves.
At the interval, I was told that there was a leak on stage from the rain and I should just be aware that there might be a few drips! Sure enough, when I got to my rock where I spend the first minutes of the show, there was a pool of water. Stage management cleared it up, and there didn't seem to be anymore, so I thought it had stopped. However, the moment the curtain rose, there was a huge drip which landed inches away from my dress. A little later as I sang, I felt a few drops on my head, but luckily nothing that hit me in the mouth! My husband said he saw a few drops from the audience, but most people didn't spot it. Just one of the many things that can happen in live theater, and keeps you on your toes.
The opera part of the evening went well and everyone was very happy. The people sitting on the stage who had not seen the show before all looked completely mesmerized as they watched and several of the cast commented how nice it was that the guests on stage had such a good time.
We then had to get ready for the ball as quickly as possible. James Geier, the hair and make-up genius, was kind enough to re-d0 my hair after the wig had been on, so it was pretty much like it had been in the prologue. I did my own make-up and was ready to get the bus laid on my the company to take us to the ball.
The room at the Convention Center was beautifully laid out, with lovely flowers on all the tables. We found our table and joined some pople we knew and some we didn't, and had a very nice time chatting and eating good food. I tried to be careful talking as there band was loud, and as all singers will tell you, talking is much worse for the voice than singing.
After dinner we talked to cast members and other people we knew around the room and walked back with some of the to the apartment.
It had been a very good opening night and very enjoyable evening after, so both my husband and I were happy but tired.

I recently was asked a question that elicited an excited (if sophomoric) response. I was asked "Would you like to go backstage for Ariadne auf Naxos and blog the setup for the indoor fireworks". My answer was "Well, duh! Of course I would would!" One big reason I was so interested is that there is a saying in the industry: "It's all fun and games 'til someone burns the theatre down." I was going to see first hand how the fun happens while the Benedum Theatre would still stay standing.

Final dress rehearsal was last night, and the opera officially opens tomorrow. And while a select group of opera patrons gets to watch the rehearsal from the relative hush of the balcony, Christopher Hahn (Pittsburgh Opera's Artistic Director) gave me unprecedented access that permitted me to freely wander the floor level amidst the technicians and crew. And best of all, the usual theatre rule of no photographs did not apply. This was good, because the last time I tried taking pictures in a theatre (Fiddler on the Roof, when I was in 10th grade), I was ejected from the house. This time, however, Technical Director Clint Bennett took me backstage before the performance, and showed me where I could safely shoot.

Once backstage, I met Stephen Brenner and his assistant Debbie Sue Croyle, the technicians responsible for fireworks. They work for Pyrotecnico, a New Castle PA fireworks company that traces its roots back to 1889. They showed me the gerbs, mines, and airburst effects. These are a bit different from the mortars and rockets that you're used to seeing at an outdoor fireworks display. Mortars launch a fairly large explosive device into the air, while the fireworks used in an indoor theatre are a bit more restrained and tethered. If you're really interested, you can get a copy of NFPA 1126, which is the National Fire Prevention Association Standard for the Use of Pyrotechnics before a Proximate Audience. I just trusted Stephen to know what he was doing.

Stephen showed me the three banks of pyrotechnics that are used. Each bank consisted of a set of seven gerbs and half a dozen mines, all controlled by a sequencing computer and a fire control box that ignites the squibs that fire the pyrotechnics. During the first act, these are safely stored backstage-right, but during the intermission scene change, Stephen and Debbie place the three banks behind the newly placed main set. Notice the key-locks in both pieces of electronics, and notice that they are in the "safe" position. They are moved to the "arm" position towards the end of the second act, and at the right moment, Stephen presses the red "fire" button.

A scene change is a well-choreographed frenzy of activity, and you must constantly be on the alert, lest you get run over! I recommend you see Sing Faster, The Stagehands' Ring Cycle to get a better idea of what goes on backstage at an opera. Huge set pieces are muscled about, cables are set for the clamshell stage, banks of lights are rolled off-stage and on-stage, and Stephen and Debbie set their devices and cables (setup pictures one, two, and three). They then test the equipment by running a low current through each of the squibs to verify connectivity (and thus be reasonably assured that they will fire properly during the performance). There are also aerial pyrotechnic devices, but these are set up before the performance, so that Pyrotecnico doesn't need to go aloft during the intermission scene change.

Now all I have talked about is the technical aspects of the fireworks, but I need to say something about the opera itself. First of all, it is genuinely fun, which is a word I never thought I would use in the same sentence as the name Richard Strauss. But, fun it is! It is art imitating life imitating art, it is a play about a play, it plays on words and mocks itself, and is fuelled by the stellar voices of Jane Eaglen, Michael Hendrick, Lyubov Petrova, Susanne Mentzer and a dazzling supporting cast. And unlike many other operas, I found myself ignoring the supertitles and staying riveted on the acting instead - for Ariadne is extremely well acted, in addition to being well sung. There are so many facets to this opera that it defies a single classification. (See pictures 1, 2, 3, 4, and finally 5). Which finally brings us to the fireworks!

At the "moment of truth", Ariadne and Bacchus turn away from the audience, the orchestra swells, and somewhere backstage Stephen has turned his keys and pushes the big red button - and... Kaboom! A huge Flash! Then Kapow! and Crackle! and Sizzle! And finally Boom! And as the last notes of the orchestra ring out, it is all over but for the smoke and the curtain call.

I had a blast! Go see Ariadne auf Naxos - even if you can't pronounce it, you will enjoy it too!

Last night's final dress rehearsal went extremely well. Everything and everyone is prepared for tomorrow night's opening. It is personally gratifying to be able to have the opportunity to share my accounts of the rehearsal process through this forum. I have to admit however, that my descriptions of the rehearsals can in no way give you a full picture, of the immensely talented and dedicated individuals who are involved in this project. Not that there isn't tension that mounts from time to time, as there is! Whenever you put so many people together in an artistic function, well, good art sometimes comes with its share of frustrations. If this weren't true, I would begin to think that something is wrong! But if someone on the outside only had the chance to be backstage during a performance of this opera, it would be a shocking experience, to see so many people doing their jobs with such care and attention. I have to admit that I have been so focused on my own aspect of my job, that is, the role of Bacchus, that I know that I have been able to meet only a fraction of the people involved. In my efforts to prevent colds during the production of an opera, I tend to avoid close or extended contact with the others around me, and I am afraid many people come away thinking I am a bit standoffish. Sometimes when offered a hand to shake, I will take their upper arm instead. I regret this aspect of my work, and I know that all singers are not this obsessive, but coming down with a cold is the worst risk of what we do as singers. It is the singing that ultimately sets us apart. Really and truly, under non-performance conditions I really do enjoy spending time getting to know people. When I am free for an extended period of time and I am with my family, I actually welcome the possibility of coming down with a cold or two, to build up my immune system in preparation for the next project.

With the role of Bacchus, there is one redeeming factor to the role. Once the "Prologue" ends, and intermission begins, I have about an hour before I make my next appearance, as Bacchus, in the "Opera" portion. Therefore, in order to stay relaxed, I have learned to completely remove my wig and costume and put my street clothes back on for the next 45 minutes. To some people this might seem like a crazy thing to do, due to concerns about being ready for my next entrance, but it actually works well for me. In our dressing rooms, we have an intercom system which pipes the audio of the performance into each room. We are able to turn the volume up or down depending on our needs. Therefore there is no risk in not having adequate time to prepare in advance for the entrance. The role of Bacchus, however short in actual length, about twenty minutes, is known to many, as the most difficult tenor role in the entire operatic repertoire, so anything that can be done to stay comfortable is a tremendous advantage!

Another lazy day getting ready for the final dress rehearsal. Many people think of final dress rehearsals as a performance, and often there is an audience, sometimes quite a large one. My opinion is that the dress rehearsal is exacly that, a rehearsal. It is the last time the artists get the chance to try things out and make themselves completely comfortable with the set and staging.
The prologue went well with all the entrances and exits seeming to be timed well, and my hair seemed to have grown since last night, so was particularly big!
We were called to the stage for the second half only to find that the orchestra were doing notes for 15 mins before we could start. This is not uncommon in dress rehearsals, but no one knew this was happening so we were all set in our place to start the opera for all this time. I was quite unhappy about this, as the lights that are on me at the opening of the opera are very bright and hot and I also started to lose feeling in one foot from sitting in one position thinking we would start! Anyway, eventually we did and all went well. You hope a dress rehearsal has few problems but still enough not to feel you can be complacent. The rehearsal stopped towards the end for the crew to rehearse a scene change, but that was all.
After getting out of wigs and make-up my husband and I went for something to eat, and found many of the cast and crew already in the restaurant. It was the assistant conductor Joe's birthday so we toasted him and then walked back to the apartment with Susanne Menzter.
I would have loved to have chatted more but was feeling very tired so went to bed pretty soon. My husband had been to Barnes and Noble and so I had a new UK magazine to read...such things make me happy!

Last night was the first orchestra dress rehearsal, the first night where the opera was run exactly as it will be run on opening night. That is, we sang full voice in costumes, makeup and wigs, on the stage with the sets, with the orchestra in the pit. There were a few stops and starts due to some technical difficulties, but overall it was the closest we've been, to what the performance will actually be like. Of course, this was extremely valuable for all involved, because everyone needs a chance to use such rehearsals to become comfortable with how it will be when we actually run the performances. At the same time, it is valuable for a singer to have such a rehearsal, because we singers constantly make choices on a stage, both vocal and dramatic, and it is important during the rehearsal process, to step back, try to gauge what we did and decide whether or not any changes need to be made for the next time.

In the dramatic area, this is easier for us, because the stage director and assistant director are there to watch what we do in rehearsals, and give us feedback afterward. Our stage director in this production is Christopher Alexander, and he is extremely helpful in his feedback. Our assistant stage director in this production, Joachim Schamberger, is also extremely helpful and supportive.

However, in the vocal side of what we do, we singers, who usually are singing in cities far from the advisors who know our voices best (i.e., wives, husbands, partners, teachers and/or vocal coaches) do not have them present during the rehearsals or performances, to hear what we are doing and to give their feedback to us. Therefore, we must learn to rely on our own sensations and judgement, to decide whether we pushed our voices too hard in a rehearsal or performance, or could have given more vocally in a particular place, etc. So last night's orchestra rehearsal was very valuable for me, as I came away deciding that I worked too hard vocally, as I was getting accustomed to the size of the stage, which seems larger than the room where we rehearsed, as well as the space of the auditorium, etc.

I did receive some other helpful feedback from other staff members. The musical staff (Joseph Lawson, our Assistant Conductor as well as Susanna Lemberskaya, our Principal Coach/Accompanist) have brought to my attention that I have been singing the wrong note at the end of one of my vocal lines in the "Prologue", pushing my voice a bit too much so that a high G tends to "flare" upward to the high-A-flat. Because high notes come very easily for me, this can sometimes happen when I try to show a little too much heroicism! Musically, it is a tricky place where nothing is happening in the orchestra except a solo timpani beat! So their feedback is helpful to a singer when the singer cannot hear from the perspective of someone sitting in the theatre. In addition, Cynthia Savage, who is the Costume Designer of these gorgeous costumes from Seattle Opera, came to me to tell me that my leggings were falling down off my legs, and the material was getting bundled up around my ankles! This was easily fixed by the wonderful costume crew, who took the elastic bands that hold up the leggings, and shortened them so that they were tighter on my legs, in order to keep the leggings (or tights), "tight" above my knees! They joked with me, that if the elastic bands become any tighter, it might cut off the circulation to my legs, and Bacchus, the god of Wine will come tumbling down! Stand by to see if that happens!

Tonight is the final dress rehearsal, with an invited audience. This will be our final opportunity to learn what we can, before we take this to the public for the Opening Night performance on Saturday night!

A lazy morning was welcome then I tried to do some work on my music for the rest of this trip, but couldn't find much enthusiasm. The cleaner came to service our apartment and my husband went to the gym while she was here, though I figured I would get enough of a work out at the rehearsal, so I stayed and worked.
The evening rehearsal was the orchestral technical rehearsal. We ran the prologue, which had it's usual problems, of just getting used to the different distances and entrances on the stage. My first entrance is just a walk across the stage, timed with a line of singing...we'll get it right for opening I promise! We've been early and late, so by the law of averages we have to get it right next. We then ran some of the prologue again before there had to be a break, but without props and costumes, which was odd.
After the break we worked on the opera section. The conductor stopped a few times to get balance things right, as this is really the only chance. One the whole things went well, though we did go into overtime, which is something no management likes, but knows that on occasions it will happen. There are different rules in each opera house, often a section of overtime is 20mins, which the orchestra get paid for whether they work an extra 1 minute or the full 20. The singers, of course, get nothing. Singers only get paid for performances, which is why we try to stay fit. I once received hate mail, unsigned, for cancelling a performance when I was sick! Believe me, I don't know any singer who wants to cancel, but if you are sick you often cannot sing and there is nothing else you can do.
The rehearsal was over a little before 11pm, and I tried to wash my face and make my hair look a little less scary as quickly as possible for the walk back.
A little TV, but I was too tired watch for long. Few minutes of mindless magazine reading and I was asleep.

All is well in Pittsburgh. The piano tech rehearsal last night was exactly as it should have been, that is, hectic for everyone, as all the massive work from all the different areas of this production of "Ariadne" came crashing together on the stage for the first time. I really admire everyone involved here. Piano tech rehearsals can become crazy, and that is because suddenly all the cast, crew, staff and assistants are thrown together, with very hurried introductions. Like, "Hi! I'm Gary, and I'm your wardrobe dresser", or "I'm Pat, I'm one of the off-stage assistants", etc. Last night really was such an experience, and the names I just mentioned are actual people I met. Everyone is so dedicated to their jobs and it's always a pleasure to be working with such motivated, positive professionals. I never get tired of such collaborations.

For the role of Bacchus, one interesting aspect of preparation for the role, is the inevitable "sound check"... You see, the first lines that Bacchus sings in "Ariadne" are actually off-stage. It is supposed to sound like the voice of Bacchus on a ship, as he is arriving to the coast of Naxos. Yet it is supposed to sound "heroic" as he is successfully escaping from the clutches of Circe, a sorceress. At this point, Bacchus, the god of Wine, does not yet even know that he is a god. It is only through his experience with Ariadne that he realizes he is a god. But I digress... Because of these first off-stage vocal entrances, there is usually much discussion from all the artistic parties, about using a microphone to create a "god-like" or ethereal effect, or to position the tenor just offstage, near an entrance, and to sing without the aid of a microphone, in hopes that the entire audience will be able to hear him! Now, in this case, I've heard the Benedum Center for the Performing Arts is 2,800 seats- not the largest opera theater in the USA but certainly not tiny. Last night, the stage management had set up a single microphone, pretty far offstage, with a tiny "x" taped to where I was to stand. So we tried it out once, me singing the opening lines while watching one of the offstage monitors... (Definition: Off-stage monitors are actually TV's on rolling stands that are hooked up through closed-circuit, showing the conductor on the conductor's podium. There is a camera trained on the conductor, and the feed gets sent into the televisions. Sorry if my technical description is a big archaic, as this is an area I know little about!) Using a microphone to sing is not always a good idea when singing in the full-voice manner that opera singers sing. After the first take, I walked on-stage and asked the conductor, John Mauceri, if he would consider having me simply stand (hidden) on the other side of the sets, just inside one of the entrances, but close enough to be able to be heard throughout the house. Last night it worked and they have decided to have me sing without the aid of a microphone. (The last time I sang this role, in Montreal with the L'Opera de Montreal, we did it this way and it worked fine.)

It took another day of work, but I was finally able to import my computer's browser bookmarks from an online server, back into my browser, so all my bookmarks and RSS feeds are back to normal. This was a huge relief to have them all properly backed up. It would have taken hundreds of hours to duplicate the bookmarks again... I'm a bit of a news junkie, and I love keeping the websites to hundreds of local newspapers in my bookmarks, so that I can go to a particular website if something news-worthy is happening in some far-off city.

Tonight is the first orchestra dress rehearsal. A similar night as last night's, with the major difference being, that we'll be singing with the orchestra instead of that lonely piano in the orchestra pit. Therefore, the general focus of the rehearsal changes drastically, such that there will be much fewer stops-and-starts and instead, a chance to run the opera for the first time, on the stage, with the sets, in makeup and costume, and with orchestra. We will have two such nights like this, with tomorrow night being the same, which will be what is called the "Final Dress", and I've heard there will be an invited audience for the Final Dress tomorrow.

Now I'm off to take an afternoon nap before tonight's rehearsal, to catch up on some sleep that has been lost due to the late nights!

Slept well and spent the morning doing the usual computer business. Played a few games of backgammon and got my score up a little better. Also played a typing game, which is meant to improve your typing speed, though after a while I definitely got worse not better.
My husband and I had chilli before going into the piano technical rehearsal....always a long and tiring rehearsal, so knew I would need sustanance.
As this was the first time for wigs, costume and make-up, things were a little hectic backstage. I use my own hair for the prologue, where my character is the Prima Donna. James, who is in charge of wigs and make-up, did a great job back-combing my hair and getting it as big as possible, then doing a great 'diva' make-up. My costume is very Liz Taylor in the 80's...leopard print blouse and pointy, high-heel boots..not easy to walk in but look great. It was very funny to see people's reaction to me, as I looked so different from how I normally look in rehearsal. The prologue went well, though it's very complicated with so many entraces and exits, and the distances on stage are all different from the rehearsal room, so it was a little stressful. I have to do a big quick change, from my 'day wear' to the opera costume. As it's a laced up full 18th century dress, this is not easy to do in the 9 minutes we have. My dresser, Pat, was great though and we manged with almsot a full minute to spare. There is a quick change booth set up at the side of the stage, but its by the door leading to the front of house. One gentleman working backstage got quite a shock when he walked through the door to find a lady changing! You have to lose most inhibitions in this business, though I did ask for a sign to be put on the door in future.
After the break when the set was changed we just did various technical parts of the opera. In this kind of rehearsal, the stage crew need to rehearse when they have to change the set or put something on or off. We also rehearsed the fireworks for the first time, which was interesting to see. I spent most of the time standing around or sitting on a rock, as I am not involved in most of the set changes in the opera. But all went well, and after 5 hrs, we were released.
I decided that it would be best not to leave in full 'diva' make-up, so it took a while to wash my face and make my hair look respectable after being under a wig.
Stopped for soup and a salad then back to the apartment around 12-30am for a little TV and then very ready for bed.

Last night's final rehearsal in the rehearsal room went smoothly. Because the production is very much ready to move to the stage, we are all anxious to move to what is the "next level" of the rehearsal process. Therefore, because we're moving to the stage tonight, most of the singers (including yours truly) decided to mark our voices last night. Marking is a way singers can rehearse at a low-level vocally, singing at an entire lower octave and softly, while at the same time, taking the opportunity to focus on the acting, or dramatic part of the presentation without worrying about the vocal part.

After the rehearsal I met up with some of the others. Suzanne Mentzer, our Composer, and I were joined by Jan Eberwein, the Major Domo, who came with Chris Alexander, our stage director and his wife Hille Darjes, to Sonoma restaurant. It turned out to be a good, relaxing time for us all. We were soon joined by Joseph Lawson, the assistant conductor. Sonoma is open until 1:00 a.m. most evenings and serves delicious food and wine, so it is the absolute perfect place to go. We also ran into Jane Eaglen and her husband Brian Lyson. And near the end of the evening we ran into Robert Dahlstrom, our Set Designer from Seattle, as well as Robert Wierzel, our Lighting Designer.

Tonight's rehearsal is the big rehearsal for our designers, as the rehearsal is called a "Piano Tech", which means we will rehearse on the stage in costume and makeup, with a single piano accompanying us from the orchestra pit. The focus of the rehearsal tonight revolves around all the technical aspects of the production, and there is much to coordinate, between setting the lights, running the cues, etc. In many ways it is an opportunity for all the backstage stagehands to become familiar with the sets. It is generally a long night, as it is a "stop & go" rehearsal. Everything stops for a myriad of reasons. Just the scene changes take practice, and the only way to do it is to, as they say, "try, try again".

Last night, just before leaving for the rehearsal, I updated the security settings on my laptop computer. When I returned home late in the evening, I discovered that my browser on my computer had been reset (I use an Apple computer, and my browser is called Safari.) Normally this would be fine, but I have hundreds of bookmarks and RSS feeds that I use to make life easier on the internet. Fortunately, I have my Safari browser settings backed up so it will be a simple of matter of loading them back in. But I stayed up very late trying to get it accomplished, and at this point I still have not been successful in importing those bookmarks back into my laptop. Today, once I was up and awake, my Pittsburgh Opera volunteer picked me up, along with Lyubov Petrova, our Zerbinetta, and took us to Whole Foods where we stocked up for the final twelve days that we are here in Pittsburgh. I have a couple of hours before my makeup and costume call for tonight, so I'd better get going. We will be there until 11:00 p.m. tonight, so it will be another late night, for sure!

Woke up after a good night's sleep but still feeling I needed more. Dealt with email and played a few games of backgammon to wake up. Being on the road as much as my husband and I are, the computer has become a very important part of our lives. We keep in touch with friends and family, and deal with a lot of business this way. It's also a great form of relaxation. I like to play games and keep up with the news. I also check out various history sites, which is an interest of mine, and do some shopping online. I don't read anything at all to do with opera or music....that is my work and I prefer to do other things in my free time. I think the more rounded your interests, the better artist you become. I also find that if I do other things, when it is time to work I can concentrate better and give everything I need to.
My husband and I went to the gym in the afternoon and had a good work out. I miss our gym at home but most hotels and apartment complexes have gyms that will do while we are away.
After a shower and a little rest it was off to rehearsal for another run through of the show in the rehearsal room. Everyone's energy seemed a little down, and most people marked, which means they sang not using the full power of their voices and usually not at the right pitch but down octave. This saves the voice in rehearsals when the singing is not the most important part. This is a big week for everyone with long rehearsals the next 2 days then the dress rehearsal and only one day off before the opening night. Singers have to be careful with their voices, as it's the only one they will ever have and any strain or damage could be the end of their careers. Most singers keep working with teachers throughout their careers to make sure their technique stays as strong as possible. I have had one teacher since I was 18, Joseph Ward, and know that without him I would not be doing what I am today.
The rehearsal went fine even with the low energy, and now everyone is very ready to get on stage tomorrow.
Met my husband for dinner, and several members of the cast and production team came in too. At this stage the designer and lighting designer arrive to get everything ready in the theater for rehearsal tomorrow night. Lighting takes hours to focus and time the lighting cues, and I'm sure the production and stage management staff will be in very early tomorrow.
Came back to the apartment and watched some TV...a very interesting show about a group of people who lived as Iron Age people for around three months. A fascinating idea, but not something I could do....I need my home comforts too much. Speaking of which, it's off to bed with some mindless magazine, knowing I'll be asleep VERY soon.

Here is my first official entry since my opening welcome letter yesterday. Yesterday was Sunday and it was a day off for the entire cast. Since we had the entire day off, it gave me the time and inspiration to set up this blog which I have named "Michael Hendrick TenorBlog", and it took a good deal of concentration for me to connect it to my website, www.michaelhendrick.com. I'm not exactly a computer expert when it comes to this type of thing. So yesterday, I never even came out of my apartment, nor did I even open the blinds of my windows! It was nice to just stay in and do nothing, but watch TV and use the computer. Beginning a week before the opening of any opera, I generally avoid shopping or being exposed to large numbers of people, since this reduces the chance of catching a cold or virus- the worst thing that can happen for any singer. I have found the best way to prevent this, is to stay in my apartment, sequestered from the world.

On Friday we had the final Sitzprobe for "Ariadne auf Naxos". A Sitzprobe is a sitting ("Sitz" in German) music rehearsal with orchestra. One is expected to sing full-voice for a Sitzprobe rehearsal. If possible, singers prefer that Sitzprobe rehearsals be held on the stage in the theatre where the performances will take place, because this way a singer can sing in the actual space of the theatre, which gives us an "introduction" to how it feels to sing in the actual space. However, this is not always possible due to practical issues. Often, theatres have strict rules about usage of the theater, as often it requires the technical crew to be on duty for such use of the theatre- and that crew has to be paid for their time, of course. Therefore it is often better financially for an opera company to put on the Sitzprobe rehearsal in a large rehearsal room instead.

After the "Sitz", there was a party for the cast, which was titled the "Sitz Recovery Party". It was held at the home of Christopher Hahn, Artistic Director of Pittsburgh Opera. He and his partner Ron hosted a wonderful and relaxing evening at their beautifully-appointed home. After filling up with wine, salad & pasta, with grilled salmon and grilled chicken, then came the chocolate cake, pumpkin cake, tiramisu, and cheesecake and coffee.

Rehearsals have been going for "Ariadne" for two solid weeks now. The first week was comprised of staging the "Opera" part of "Ariadne"- which is the story of Ariadne. So the singers who are only involved with the first part of "Ariadne"- the "Prologue" section, arrived a week after rehearsals began. This past week focused on putting together the "Prologue" section and then running the entire opera from beginning to end.

Tonight we have a final studio run-through of the opera, which means it will be our final rehearsal in the large rehearsal rooms. Beginning tomorrow, we will move to the stage for the rest of our rehearsals. The cast is of the highest level and we are all extremely prepared and ready to go forward, to our opening night on Saturday night.

Saturday was a hectic day, not made any easier by feeling a little under the weather...nothing major, just things we women have to put up with! The afternoon was a run through of the whole show with the orchestra. This is called a sitzprobe, which is German for a sitting rehearsal. It's a chance to sing through without having to worry about the movements, and just concentrate on the music. It went well, though again it was in a difficult room to hear and balance with the orchestra, but still a valuable rehearsal. The artistic director, Christopher Hahn, was kind enough to get me coffee, which in the circumstances helped the second half of the rehearsal enormously!
I then came back to the apartment before a party at his house for the cast and some of his friends. It was lovely to get out of the downtown area for once, and see a little of surrounding Pittsburgh. We were in the Shadyside area, which was lovely and had some amazing houses. The food, wine and company at the party were great, though not feeling my best, my husband and I didn't stay too long.
Sunday has been a company day off, which after a hectic week is always welcome. I took the opportunity to call my family in the UK and catch up a little on things there, then spent the say, playing computer games, watching "Little Britain" on BBC America and doing some work. I don't miss living in the UK but I enjoy still feeling part of the culture by keeping up with some of the TV. BBC America is a great channel, and "Little Britain" is a favorite....a sketch comedy show, which can get quite irreverent.
We ordered in Chinese food for dinner, and I did a little work on the Russian arias I will be singing in the UK soon. I have not sung in Russian before, but my husband is fluent and a great teacher. I also went over my "Ariadne" score, which I like to do as often as I can. No matter how well I know any role I sing, I constantly go back to the score to check words, rhythms, composers markings etc, and keep looking for new things and new ways to approach the role. As with all great music, there is no end to the interpretations you can find, and I always enjoy developing roles I know.
Nice to have a restful day, and an early night.

Hello to you! I want to take an opportunity to welcome you to my newest creation! This will be the perfect opportunity for me to communicate with many of you, especially for those of you who, over the years, have personally asked me to keep you informed about my career, but also to those of you who some way or another have found your way to what I have named, the "TenorBlog by Michael Hendrick". The official address for TenorBlog by Michael Hendrick is http://www.michaelhendrick.com/tenorblog.html. Or, you can go to my website, http://www.michaelhendrick.com, and select "TenorBlog" from the Home Page. I hope you will add both of these sites to the front of your bookmarks on your browser, and visit me often, as I hope to add new entries on a regular basis.

As I begin this new journey, I am currently in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, singing with Pittsburgh Opera in the role of Bacchus in "Ariadne auf Naxos" by Richard Strauss. First, I want to give proper credit to Christopher Hahn, Artistic Director of Pittsburgh Opera, as the one who inspired me to make the decision to begin TenorBlog by Michael Hendrick.

Christopher Hahn recently created Pittsburgh Opera's "OperaBlog", which can be viewed at Pittsburgh Opera's website, www.pittsburghopera.org. A few days ago, Christopher first approached soprano Jane Eaglen, who is here singing the title role of Ariadne, to ask her if she might contribute regular entries to Pittsburgh Opera's OperaBlog. This is certainly not the first time Jane Eaglen has been asked to create such a journal. Jane is well-known for creating previous journal entries during runs of a other productions with Seattle Opera and The Metropolitan Opera. So it was only natural that Christopher Hahn would "take advantage" of Jane's expertise and willingness! I thought about how nice it would be to have a chance to do the same, so I created my own personal web blog, where others could read about my day to day experiences, and maybe learn a little about the life of an operatic tenor, from the "inside".

So welcome to you all! I eagerly anticipate this new project.

All best wishes,
Michael

Woke up after a good night's sleep and made boiled eggs for breakfast. There's a long day ahead and protein keeps me going better. Rehearsal started at 2pm with the orchestra. It was really an orchestral alone rehearsal, but as often happens at final orchestra rehearsals, the conductor, John Mauceri, had asked the singers to come along. This helps both singers and orchestra to get to know the music and how it all fits together. When the orchestra has to accompany the singers, it helps for them to know what is going on in the bars where they are not playing.
The rehearsal went well and the orchestra sounded great. It's not easy singing in rehearsal rooms as the orchestra sounds much louder than when they are in the pit in the theater. But it's always fun to be among them and really hear them up close.
The tenor and I were given 45 mins break while they rehearsed other sections, so we went to Starbucks and got some much needed caffeine. We returned to sing part of our big duet, then had an hour's break before the evening rehearsal.
With such a short time, the tenor, Michael, the stage manager, Rachel, and I went for something to eat across the street from the theater. I have worked with both Michael and Rachel before and it's always nice to renew friendships. I had a delicious salad, as I knew my husband would have something ready for when I got home. We had a very pleasant hour gossiping about this and that...TV shows and catching up on news of people we knew. Rachel is a great stage manager, who I last worked with in San Francisco a few years ago. The stage manager, as the name implies, is in charge of everything that goes on during the show. She is actually in charge of the entire theater when a show is in progress, even over theater or opera management. The stage is a very dangerous place and it's important that there is someone everyone knows is in ultimate control of any situation. The opera "Aridane" has, at the end, real fireworks on stage. This is the first production I have even heard of, let alone been in, that has fireworks, and they are very exciting. She was explaining how they work and how they will be rehearsed. I'm very much looking forward to seeing them, as I am on stage when they go off and get a bird's eye view.
The evening rehearsal was another run of the whole show. It went well, though everyone was a little tired after the afternoon's work. But it's sometimes good to run the opera when you are not feeling your best, so you can figure out how to pace yourself if you don't feel really in the mood. It's also a chance to find new things with the characters and I took the opportunity to try a few news things, which the director Chris Alexander was pleased with. Sometime things work and sometimes they don't and that's really what rehearsal is all about.
After a long day, I walked back to the apartment with Michael and Lyubov and walked in to the delicious smell of my husband's cooking. He really is an amazing cook! I played a few games of online backgammon, losing most, but that helped me relax and pretty soon, it was time for bed.

When Jane Eaglen, the renowned English soprano accepted our invitation to star in the role of Ariadne in Pittsburgh Opera's production of the same name, I had already known that she had kept some fascinating journals of other productions, particularly one of her first encounter with that mega masterpiece, TRISTAN UND ISOLDE, by Richard Wagner (see www.Janeeaglen.com). At that time, blogging was just getting under way, and it was somewhat unusual for a singer from the classical music world to engage in such edgy activity! So, a couple of days ago, as we were chatting during a break in rehearsal, it suddenly occurred to me that I should ask her to do the same here. Jane is a great lady who, though she mostly sings goddesses or grand dames, is actually an incredibly down-to-earth kind of person, with her feet firmly planted on the ground.

So here's our attempt to de-mystify the mysterious. Opera singers are people. Newsflash! If this catches on, we're going to play with this so that our audience can get a whiff of what it's like to put together an opera, one of the most fascinating (if often misunderstood and stereotyped) art forms out there. Welcome and enjoy.

Woke up after a good night's sleep but feeling a little scratchy in the throat. Singers can immediately tell if anything isn't quite right with their bodies, as the voice is the whole body and many times Doctors will be surprised at how quickly singers know something is wrong with them. However, luckily, it turned out to be nothing more than a little allergy or something, but I thought it best to cancel the afternoon's rehearsal just to be on the safe side. I drank lots of water and took a nap and felt better. As singers do not get paid for rehearsals, which can sometimes last 4-6 week, they are very nervous of getting sick for performances and ending up with no money. I don't believe in wrapping yourself in cotton wool...sometimes you will get sick, but certainly do the sensible things to stay healthy like eating well and taking vitamins and getting plenty of sleep. I did manage to do a little work in the afternoon which I was pleased about. My time here in Pittsburgh is the start of a 2 and half month trip for my husband and I and from here we go to Barcelona, the UK and then the Czech Republic, and I have to work on the music I will be singing in some of those concerts, as well as the next opera I sing, 'Die Fledermaus' which starts rehearsing 2 days after we get home. Working on new music on the road is never easy but has to be done. I am learning some arias in Russian for the first time too, and luckily my husband is a Russian speaker so he is teaching me, which is great. The rehearsal this evening was the first run through of both parts of the opera, the prologue and the opera. For a first run through it went very well with very few mistakes. All the complicated parts seemd to fit together well, though with a few more rehearsals it will get tighter as everyone get more aware of where other people are around them on stage. It was almost a week since we had done the second half of the show, the opera part, and we all felt like it had been even longer, but most of it came back to us and all in all everyone was happy. The second half, which is the opera given at the wealthy patron's party, is attended by his guests and so we had supers sitting at the tables on stage, some of whom had not seen the show before, so it was fun to see them enjoying themselve while still being part of the opera. I understand that people can sponser seats on the stage for performances, so if you'd like to be part of this exciting show, contact Pittsburgh Opera. After the rehearsal my husband and I walked back to the apartments with Michael Hendrink, the tenor, and Lyubov Petrova, the soprano singing Zerbinetta. They are both great singers and collegues and fun to talk to on the walk home. As my husband and I hadn't eaten dinner, we stopped for a bite to eat before coming back and watching a little TV and bed.

Welcome to my journal, where I hope to let you in on behind the scenes activities in rehearsal and life in general at Pittsburgh Opera as we prepare for 'Ariadne auf Naxos' by Richard Strauss. We have been rehearsing for almost 2 weeks now, and are getting the the stage where we are able to run large sections of the opera without stopping. Everyone arrives knowing their parts from memory and then we start to work with the director, Chris Alexander, and conductor, John Mauceri. This production of 'Ariadne' was first done in Seattle, then in Montreal. I sang the role of Ariadne in Seattle, taking over with only a week to go, and learnt the role in 3 days, as I had never done it in German before. It's such fun to come back to the role and have a chance to rehearse fully, and add some things too. 'Ariadne' is a comedy and most of my repertoire is not particularly funny(!) so I love doing this role and having a chance to have some fun and play for laughs. The cast is really exceptional and everyone seems to be having as much fun as I am. It's always nice when a large cast, like this one, gets on well and enjoys working with each other. As many people do not permanantly live in Pittsburgh, the cast are staying at various apartment complexes, and one of the main topics of conversation seems to be where everyone is managing to shop for groceries. There are no supermarkets down town, but we are very lucky in having members of the Opera Guild who will take us shopping when we need. A lovely lady called Amy took my husband and I to Giant Eagle yesterday so we could stock up for the rest of the stay. I am very lucky in that I am able to travel with my husband, Brian, and he takes care of the cooking, and things that need dealing with while we travel. It makes such a difference to not have to travel and be alone, especially having done so for many years. So the first couple of weeks have gone well, and the opera is really taking shape. Tonight we had the first rehearsal with the supers, or actors that do the non-singing roles. The first half of the opera is very complicated with a lot of people on stage at the same time, all rushing around preparing for the party that follows in the second half of the evening. I have to throw some flowers at a lady playing my dresser, and wanted to make sure I didn't hurt her, so we practiced that a few times. It's been a long day today, starting at 10am and finishing at 9pm, but I was able to come back to our apartment and watch "Lost" which my husband had taped. It's my new favorite show, and I love the relaxation of being able to unwind watching something exciting on TV at the end of the day. So now it's time for bed before another day rehearsing tomorrow.

Welcome to the OperaBlog!

Pittsburgh Opera is excited to announce our very own blog, dedicated to all things opera! Here we will share everything from our day-to-day events, to our thoughts and perspectives on Pittsburgh Opera artists, performances and our audience! You'll also have an opportunity to comment!

We are looking forward to hearing what you have to say!

-The Pittsburgh Opera Blog Team