THE WINSTON CHURCHILL MEMORIAL TRUST OF AUSTRALIA Report by - JILLIANNE BARTSCH - 1992 Fellow The Peter Mitchell Churchill Fellowship to study skills needed to improve my work as a Repetiteur , Vocal Coach and Harpsichord Player, resulting in a greater contribution to the production of Opera in Australia. INDEX Page Introduction 1 Executive Summary 2 Programme 3 Main Body 4 Conclusion 12 INTRODUCTION The following report details my experiences over the three-month period of my Fellowship. I spent four weeks studying the harpsichord, accompanying singing lessons and observing opera rehearsals and performances in the United Kingdom, followed by two months of intensive language study and accompanying singing lessons in Italy. I acknowledge the assistance and wonderful hospitality extended to me by the Music Staff at all of the companies I visited, the inspiring harpsichord teaching of Miss Ruth Dyson and the expert language tuition received from Cristina Moratti. This trip would not have been possible without the generous support of The Winston Churchill Memorial Trust, nor without the sponsorship of the family of the late Peter Mitchell. I was most fortunate to have been awarded a Churchill Fellowship and I offer the Trust my sincere thanks for affording me the opportunity to gain additional knowledge so that I am able to perform better in my chosen career as a Repetiteur. 1 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Jillianne Gaye Bartsch Senior Repetiteur 5/10 Figtree Avenue The Australian Opera RANDWICK NORTH NSW 2031 Tel: ( 02) 398.5334 Project Description: To study skills needed to improve my work as a Repetiteur, Vocal Coach and Harpsichord Player, resulting in a greater contribution to the production of Opera in Australia. Places visited and people who provided valuable information: UNITED KINGDOM: Attending Rehearsals and Performances: English National Opera Anthony Legge - Head of Music Alex Ingram - Staff Conductor Royal Opera House Covent Garden Alistair Dawes - Head of Music Opera North Roy Laughlin - Head of Music Glyndebourne Bernard Davies - Company Manager Welsh National Opera Julian Smith - Head of Music David Seaman - Senior Repetiteur Harpsichord Study: Ruth Dyson - Teacher Accompanying Singing Lessons: Audrey Langford - Teacher ITALY: Studying Language: Centro Linguistico Italiano Cristina Moratti - Teacher Dante Alighieri - Siena/Florence Fiorenza Conte - Teacher Accompanying Singing Lessons: Antonio Moretti-Pananti - Teacher Highlights - performances by Dame Kiri te Kanawa in SIMON BOCCANEGRA conducted by Georg Solti, Cheryl Studer accompanied by the Vienna Philharmonic in LA TRAVIATA and Felicity Lott in ARABELLA at La Scala. - studying harpsichord technique and style with particular reference to the Recitatives of Monteverdi, Mozart and Rossini. - gaining additional knowledge about vocal technique and learned a considerable amount of new repertoire. - observing excellent diction in operas sung in English and was inspired by Glyndebourne's performance of JENUFA sung in Czech. - hearing an excellent orchestral standard and a high vocal standard, especially from the young singers. - studying re-scoring of main-stream operas for small ensembles to aid touring to isolated areas. - learning Italian with emphasis on phonetics and the poetic form used in opera. As part of the Music Staff of The Australian Opera, I am now better qualified to elicit higher standards of performance. I am now able to offer greater professional knowledge to the singers I coach and a higher standard of harpsichord accompaniment. 2 PROGRAMME THE UNITED KINGDOM: 1 Month (November 1991) Harpsichord Study with Ruth Dyson - Surrey Attending rehearsals & performances at: The English National Opera - London Royal Opera House Covent Garden - London Opera North - Leeds Glyndebourne Touring Opera - Plymouth Welsh National Opera - Cardiff and Bristol Accompanying singing lessons for Audrey Langford - Cantica Voice Studio - Bromley South ITALY: 2 Months (January - February 1992) Intensive language study at Centro Linguistico Italiano Dante Alighieri - Siena Intensive language study at Centro Linguistico Italiano Dante Alighieri - Florence Accompanying singing lessons for Antonio Moretti-Pananti - Florence 3 MAIN BODY Harpsichord Lessons with Ruth Dyson (Former Professor at London's Royal College of Music for 23 years). These lessons were most enjoyable and informative. Miss Dyson is very experienced in all aspects of keyboard playing and teaching. In four weeks, it was not possible to achieve a perfect harpsichord technique (which is an entirely different technique than the one used for playing the piano, as one is a plucked and one is a percussion instrument). Therefore we decided to work mainly on the correct attack and release of the keys, not using arm weight and keeping good finger contact with the keys. My major interest was in studying the recitatives of Monteverdi, Mozart and Rossini. We looked at three Operas: L'INCORONAZIONE DI POPPEA (Monteverdi), COSI FAN TUTTE (Mozart) and L'ITALIANA IN ALGERI (Rossini). In all of these works, we concentrated on chordal realisation, voicing and arpeggiating chords (how many notes to play and at what speed and rhythm to play them) , secco (dry) and legato (smooth) touch, ornamentation and registration. POPPEA was the most interesting of the operas studied. We had four different versions of the vocal score and numerous recordings to compare. Some recitatives were entirely accompanied by harpsichord, others were inter-dispersed with accompaniments by the archlute and chittarone (members of the lute family) and the organ. We looked at "ancient" time signatures, realising a figured bass line and ways of supporting and enhancing the moods of the characters by the way we accompanied them. I gleaned a great deal of "General Knowledge" from Miss Dyson about the historical background of the Harpsichord. I was able to play two harpsichords, two clavichords, a spinet and a virginal at her house. In addition to the practical lessons, Miss Dyson arranged a visit to the Museum of Instruments at the Royal College of Music, where we were able to play original keyboard instruments. Some had foot pedals (to engage and disengage registrations) and some had a 'Venetian Swell' (for dynamic changes) - rotating slats fitted over the soundboard which opened and closed. Haydn's Clavichord and the oldest existing harpsichord in the world were also at the Museum. We also spent an afternoon at a special early instrument exhibition, where we were able to discuss the construction of an instrument with their makers, and were able to play them as well. Some were copies o f ancient i nstruments and others were of modern design. Miss Dyson arranged practice facilities within walking distance of my apartment, which was wonderful. She extended herself beyond the role of teacher and helped me in every possible way. 4 Attending Rehearsals and Performances at the Major Opera Houses. English National Opera: I attended final stage rehearsals of UN BALLO IN MASCHERA (Verdi). The production was unusual and modern, employing a non-traditional and symbolic set design. There was some exciting singing from the Principals, especially Linda Finnie (Madame Arvidson). The orchestral standard was very high and it was a pleasure to hear such a well prepared chorus. I saw two performances of LE NOZZE DI FIGARO (Mozart). Both the sets and costumes were bright, the production was true to text and very amusing and the singing full of energy. The first performance was conducted by Paul Daniel (Music Director of Opera North) and was distinguished by orchestral playing of great style and dynamic range. I have never heard soft playing of such beauty. I listened intently to Alexander Ingram's harpsichord playing. It was really something special. For the most part it was sparse with a most amazing sense of "theatrical" timing of the placement of his chords. The second performance I attended was conducted by Mr Ingram. The singing was even better and the energy with which the orchestra played was generated by a very snappy and exciting interpretation of the score by the conductor. I attended the General rehearsal of DIE FLEDERMAUS (J Strauss). It was a great disappointment. The casting was unbalanced, the singing was sloppy, the dialogue was badly timed and the production was "kitsch" and without humour. Royal Opera House Covent Garden: I attended stage rehearsals of MITRIDATE, RE IL PONTO (Mozart). This is potentially a long and tedious opera consisting mainly of aria followed by aria, however the Royal Opera produced a very interesting production both visually and aurally. The casting was well balanced with an exemplary team of soloists. In particular, Yvonne Kenny (Aspasia) in a six foot wide dress (with panniers!) and Ann Murray (Sifare) sung and acted beautifully. Counter Tenor Jochen Kowalski (Farnace) sung with flawless clarity and precise coloratura. The set was simple and clever. A movable section of floor, a backdrop with a doorway that doubled as a ramp, real flames and a collection of white doves and an eagle certainly kept one's attention. Their production of LES HUGENOTS (Meyerbeer) was not very enjoyable. The modern production went too far for my liking and actually distracted one's attention from the story with it's silly detail. Topless bathers in a swimming pool is quite unnecessary in a garden scene. Besides some high-standard singing from Bonaventura Bottone (Raoul de Nangis), Judith Howath (Marguerite de Valois) and Amanda Thane (Valentine), the general standard of the singing and orchestral playing was not particularly good. 5 On the other hand, the Royal Opera's production of SIMON BOCCANEGRA (Verdi) was one of the highlights of my trip. Conducted by Georg Solti, musically it was the most exciting performance I have ever heard. Kiri te Kanawa (Maria Boccanegra) was superb. I have never heard better singing anywhere than from Roberto Scandiuzzi (Jacopo Fiesco). The power and warmth with which he sang were spine-tingling. I was seated in the staff box, directly above the orchestra pit, from where I could see Solti very well. It was a privilege indeed to see the work of a master at such close proximity.