From what I hear, at least from ZAV, things are pretty well sewn up for next season-EXCEPT for real Lyric Tenors-Tamino, Ferrando, operetta and ‘classic’ musical. They won’t say where, but if you have a pretty voice and want to perform a wide range of repertoire you should send them your materials. Otherwise they say …
Summertime – und das Leben ist herrlich aber einen Job zu finden ist schwieriger! Read More »
I was mystified when I read that the Deutsche Oper Berlin was presenting Alfred Lortzing’s comic opera Zar und Zimmerman. Operetta at the Deutsche Oper Berlin? That stuff is for the Komische Oper or the Dresdener Landestheater! It’s a charming piece which I know from my time at the Eutiner Sommerfestspiel, an open air summer …
I’ve recently met several young singers in Berlin who are simultaneously earning money singing in the opera chorus on a professional stage, and working on developing a solo career. There used to be a pretty rigid divide between the two but things are different now and there are advantages for both sides. Singers gain valuable …
Daylight Savings Time begins in the US on March 8, but not until March 28 in Germany and Europe. They call it ‘Sommerzeit’ – Summertime) and for those 20 days there will be a FIVE HOUR time difference between Germany and the US East Coast – the sun rises first here -, d.h.(German for ‘that …
Kay Metzger is currently Intendant at the theater in Ulm, Germany. In his long career he has been an active stage director and Intendant at three different theaters. I sang my first Tannhäuser with him in the small theater in Halberstadt and later a Siegfried in Detmold, as well as a Radames which he directed …
Singers in Germany are dusting off their Fracks (tails) and concert dresses because Silvester is coming. Not the cat who wants to eat Tweety Bird in the old cartoons, but New Year’s Eve in Germany and that means lots of fireworks, both vocal and incendiary. The country is a madhouse of fireworks which makes the …
It’s gotten cold and wet in Berlin, so if you’re coming to Germany anytime soon, bring winter gear, especially something waterproof, since it still rains a lot here. By the way many Americans here celebrate Thanksgiving on the weekend since Thursday is just another workday. Whole turkeys, when you can get them, are smaller here, …
Prepare For Winter Weather During Audition Season Read More »
It’s audition season in Germany and singers are madly contacting agents and writing theaters to find a job. It’s a good idea, but having an informed method in the madness is vital. Knowing which theater to write is the first step. The wrong choice may even hurt your career since big theaters won’t consider inexperienced …
German Theater Ratings: Why you need to know them before you schedule auditions! Read More »
Tag der deutschen Einheit is tomorrow, October. 3. What’s that, you say? First, its a big holiday and a relatively new one. It celebrates the fall of the Berlin Wall-Der Mauer as it’s usually known here and the reunification that followed. We were there and watched in amazement: I was in Bern, singing Trovatore and …
The sun is now setting before 7 PM (19.00Uhr) and we’re losing several minutes od daylight per day. It’s getting downright chilly at night-into the 40’s (10 Celsius). Summer’s definitely over, so if you’re coming over bring those sweaters and a medium weight coat., preferably water resistant. Umbrellas are not too expensive here and even …