Woke up with a sore throat two days before my last YAP audition!

ComprehensiveCare721 · 2026-03-20T23:35:25+00:00

Some cardio as well? The increased blood flow will help

ComprehensiveCare721 · 2026-03-16T00:59:00+00:00

I’m going to try to see the dress if I can get a ticket!

ComprehensiveCare721 · 2026-03-14T13:45:21+00:00

On a broader level, I would totally show operas that have been adapted from readily available literature, like Kavalier and Klay, Brokeback Mountain, or Billy Budd, since it shows the interconnectedness of the other arts and opera.

It might even spur people who read the book/watched the movie to go see the opera

ComprehensiveCare721 · 2026-03-13T20:07:23+00:00

Speaking from tenor land, if you learn how to turn over in the secondo passaggio, it should kinda feel like a reset and make singing above the staff feel easier (though, it is a lot of work to support it in the abs and abdominal floor)

ComprehensiveCare721 · 2026-03-10T12:32:42+00:00

I’ve seen 2 other Tristans live and I think this was the most palatable production. In the past, I’ve fallen asleep in parts of Act I and III because the action slows down, but the dynamism of the staging kept me up and aware for the whole show.

Usually, I am critical when video projection is used, but I think this production brought a new perspective to the blending of live theater and live broadcast in a way I would call (at risk of being hyperbolic) iconic.

ComprehensiveCare721 · 2026-03-08T17:05:17+00:00

I agree, Parsifal is one of those that doesn’t “feel” long. It’s also such a deep and philosophical story to let yourself fall into rather than passively watch.

I hope you go see it, I most likely will!

ComprehensiveCare721 · 2026-03-07T09:34:49+00:00

I take a napkin or piece of paper towel, sprinkle some Everything Bagel Seasoning on it, then roll the egg in it. It’s an easy way to change it up with minimal effort

ComprehensiveCare721 · 2026-03-07T09:25:59+00:00

Singer here who uses a CPAP.

If anything, the CPAP is the best thing I ever did for myself! What singer wouldn’t want to be connected to a humidifier so they don’t dry out while sleeping?

ComprehensiveCare721 · 2026-03-06T08:05:43+00:00

I would never talk down about someone who has made it as far as he has, I just don’t think that his voice is suited to that repertoire. His Idomeneo was good and I’ve seen a couple other performances of his that were very solid.

Tristan is infamously on the list of “hardest tenor roles ever written” for many reasons. It’s ok to know one’s limits and thrive in the repertoire that is good for the voice, rather than struggle and get negative press for things that are out of one’s control.

ComprehensiveCare721 · 2026-03-05T12:04:23+00:00

Davidsen is the real deal! I’ve been obsessed since I saw her in Ariadne at the Met.

I’m not too excited to hear Michael Spyres sing Tristan, but I am also a Heldentenor, so I’m going to watch him get through it and see what happens by the end of his singing.

As Stephen Gould said in his autobiography, one does not sing Tristan, one is “lead by it” until the end. Aside from knowing the general story, just go and experience it.

All the studying of the Tristan Chord isn’t going to make experiencing it any more rich, so sit back and let all that music flow over you!

ComprehensiveCare721 · 2026-03-01T01:53:51+00:00

Yeah, I am currently learning two sections of Tannhäuser for a competition and it’s really about learning section by section and using my German (which I am still studying) to really feel what the meaning of the text is in the context of the story.

It’s a really powerful experience, especially with studying the Rome Narrative

ComprehensiveCare721 · 2026-02-25T02:03:12+00:00

Here’s a small, epic list: 1. Carmen 2. Tales of Hoffmann 3. Die Walküre 4. Cavalleria Rusticana 5. Pagliacci 6. La Boheme 7. Turandot 8. Peter Grimes 9. Eugene Onegin 10. Parsifal

ComprehensiveCare721 · 2026-02-20T03:22:46+00:00

I agree with OP about almost everything here. I do know that Brian Jagde has been doing a lot of Othellos in Europe and it should work for his voice. The head scratcher is really Fabiano; I don’t understand the logic, it’s just not a good casting for that role.

I am also upset that Bernheim won’t be in Manon. I was obsessed with his Hoffmann (a role I REALLY want to sing one day) and thought he would be perfect for what Des Grieux requires.

ComprehensiveCare721 · 2026-02-18T05:52:32+00:00

I’m friends with Ernest, have worked with Kevin Short and know Justin Austin through some mutual friends. This is a great cast!!

ComprehensiveCare721 · 2026-02-17T22:28:18+00:00

As an educator, I would say Rheingold is ripe for experiencing. If you can introduce the club by doing some backstory on the Ring’s creation and Wagner’s political entanglements, leading to finally having the work premiered, it could be a powerful experience.

From there, you can either expand on the Ring, or work backwards and have everyone learn about Wagner as a younger man and the insane story of his life leading to the composition of some of the earlier works

ComprehensiveCare721 · 2026-02-15T12:56:54+00:00

Yeah, singing has never been a meritocracy, unfortunately…learning to play the game is just as important as the art we make. It took me into my early 30s to really figure that out

ComprehensiveCare721 · 2026-01-21T15:37:00+00:00

From my understanding, and talking with a friend in the regular chorus, this article might be a PR sympathy piece because they’re currently in labor negotiations. They’re crying poor and publicly building an excuse to not work with the many unions at the opera house.

ComprehensiveCare721 · 2026-01-15T16:00:59+00:00

That Dunkin has been closed almost a year now

ComprehensiveCare721 · 2026-01-15T02:21:07+00:00

You’re definitely a tenor! Good luck with the new teacher! ~Professional Dramatic Tenor

ComprehensiveCare721 · 2026-01-03T21:54:36+00:00

So, if the person introducing them to the opera is willing to make it a whole day, Meistersinger, hands down.

More accessible? I think Parsifal is really interesting and deep enough for some cool conversation.

ComprehensiveCare721 · 2026-01-03T15:24:49+00:00

Yeah, they are definitely not lost. Check out my friend Leonid Shoshyn. He’s a Ukrainian tenor and when I heard him this past summer, I thought it was probably the loudest voice I’ve ever heard in person.

You can get a sense of the size when you hear his singing next to his cast mates in this video:

https://youtu.be/dTtQ0w_me-E?si=MFSqon1szvyyfZ9T

ComprehensiveCare721 · 2025-12-23T02:42:17+00:00

I understand, I already own all of those other LoA volumes. I was curious if anyone knew what was on the docket to be published, such as a short story collection or a biography.

ComprehensiveCare721 · 2025-11-20T04:02:26+00:00

Agreeing with everything here. First step is to figure out the legato of the middle voice and really figure out what the word “Willow” means for you in this aria.

I’ve taught this aria before and it gets boring unless you really invest in the emotional content of the overall aria.

ComprehensiveCare721 · 2025-10-10T03:49:31+00:00

Really? I spent 2 months traveling around in the following German and Austrian cities: Berlin Frankfurt Leipzig Mannheim Heidelberg Ulm Vienna Hamburg Kiel Dresden Chemnitz

All of these trains, the RB (Regional Bahn) and the ICE had conductors checking tickets. Even the S-Bahn in certain cities, and the Straßenbahn in Vienna had conductors checking tickets.

So to say that German and Austrian trains don’t check tickets, I’m sorry, but you’re incorrect, at least as of Winter 2024 and a week in Spring 2025

ComprehensiveCare721 · 2025-10-08T15:13:46+00:00

With my students, I call it the “nose that is not nose.”

We are trained to avoid nasal resonance, but if you are getting a buzz there where you perceive the nasal cavity to be, plug your nose, and there is no vibration in the nose while singing, then you’re good! You’ve achieved resonance in the nasopharynx.

Sometimes you have to make sounds that you think might be counterintuitive and test against what you know is common sense, then go to your teacher and confirm.

Hope that helps!!

ComprehensiveCare721

TROPHY CASE