VEGANGELICA

This is the thread for discussing all things related to the exciting and prestigious...

Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions!

This opera competition is a main conduit through which exceptionally talented young opera singers in the U.S. are discovered. All participants also gain valuable feedback from opera professionals. National Council Auditions

I first became aware of the Met's National Council Auditions competition when my dad invited me to see the documentary, "The Audition," which offers an intimate view into the lives of opera singers hoping to break into the big time. This movie increased my interest in opera music substantially by making opera music personal:

"The Audition" - Documentary about The Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions


Documentary "The Audition" at the Music Academy of the West - YouTube

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Right now in the U.S., district auditions for the 2012 competition are occurring. These are the first level of the competition. I was lucky enough to be present at one of the district auditions. It lasted 5 hours and included almost 30 young opera singers, each performing two arias.

All of the competitors sang excellently, yet after hearing so many sing I could definitely pick out *my* favorites due to their sweet vocal quality, large size of voice, and the emotion they invested in their theatrical interpretations of the pieces.

The young opera singer whom I admired the most was...(drum roll)...Leah McIntire-Barnett:



I hope Leah will get all the way in the competition to New York City!! You can hear her singing in the YouTube videos below:

Leah McIntire-Barnett, Soprano
singing "Ah, fors' e lui...Sempre libera" from La Traviata, by Verdi
Leah wore this very same sapphire blue dress when I saw her sing this piece! I jotted down next to her picture on the program, "Glamorous with a sweet, strong, lovely voice; clear high notes; emotional."


Sempre libera - YouTube

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Leah McIntire-Barnett, Soprano
performing "Nacht und Traume" by Franz Schubert


Nacht und Traume - Leah McIntire-Barnett - YouTube

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So, who among you (if anyone) is following or has followed The Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions?
Who are your favorite current competitors or winners from the past?

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VEGANGELICA

MY LIST OF FAVORITE YOUNG OPERA SINGERS, 2012 AUDITIONS:

National Council Audition results from all districts still aren't in yet, but I'll list the singers I think may be among the district level winners who go on to regionals. I'm curious how *my* judging will compare with that of the Metropolitan Opera judges. I gave a star to the two singers (of the thirty I've heard) whom I would pick to advance to Regionals:

* Leah McIntire-Barnett, Soprano (see above post to hear her sing)
* Jesse Donner, Baritone (His voice was strong, full and sweet, plus he has a whimsical sense of humor)
Aani Bourassa, Soprano (I felt she had an even, melodious voice, strong both in the low and high registers)
Katherine R. Weber, Soprano (she tried out in 2008, too, but didn't make it past the district level. Once she turns 31, she won't be able to compete anymore. )
Sarah Toth, Soprano (her singing was even, clear, and loud; a very capable singer)

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I have learned that one benefit of listening to opera singer competitions is that they introduce you to arias from operas you may have never heard of before.

For example, Katherine Weber sang a song, "But you do not know this man," from an opera, "A View from the Bridge," by William Bolcom, based on the play by Arthur Miller, who wrote the libretto for the opera. I read the play around five years ago, but I never realized it had been made into an opera. A View from the Bridge - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Below is a scene from the play, "A View from the Bridge," that includes some of the words that are used in the song, "But you do not know this man."
The actress in this Broadway production was Scarlett Johansson, which may interest her fans on MusicBanter:



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I could find only one YouTube recording of the song and it has horrible sound quality, but it's the only one available, so here it is:

"But you do not know this man" from the opera "A View from a Bridge."
Hearing this modern song among all the arias by older composers like Mozart, Strauss, and Verdi, was a refreshing change:


But you do not know this man - YouTube

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VEGANGELICA

During the district level of the National Council Auditions, I heard for the first time "Steal Me, Sweet Thief," an aria from the opera, "The Old Maid and the Thief."

As is described on YouTube (video below)...

I like the aria because of its modern sound and clever, somewhat amusing and sad lyrics about a woman's disappointment in a timid suitor. Below is the song followed by a one-hour video of the whole opera, which I was pleased to find on YouTube!

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"Steal Me, Sweet Thief" -- an aria by Gian Carlo Menotti
from his opera, "The Old Maid and the Thief"
Maureen Batt, soprano
Tara Scotti, piano


Steal Me, Sweet Thief (The Old Maid and the Thief) - YouTube

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"The Old Maid and the Thief," an opera by Gian Carlo Menotti


The Old Maid and the Thief - YouTube

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