I once had an Operndirektor who said “Theaters make the coffee, and the singers are the coffee beans”. Grind ‘em up and throw ‘em out. He later became an Intendant. Tough reality to understand that is how many in leadership think, but this is why we have UNIONS. If you are a working singer in …
The Importance of Unions in the German Theatre System Read More »
One of our OperGermany devotees is managing a budding career in Germany, running back and forth from a Stückvertrag – a role in a production, to a jump in which ended up as a long run in the role. This singer has an agent who is getting work and auditions as well! Great, but in …
This will directly affect any singer who gets a guest contract in a German opera house! It happened yesterday, March 7. The Theater Worker’s Union (GDBA) and the group representing all German opera houses (Deutsche Bühnen Verein) reached an agreement which governs all Guest Contracts. It goes into effect June 1, so if you get …
Today, January 6, is a normal business day in Berlin and Saarbrücken, so I called my health insurer with a question. They gave me a direct number to call in München. Seems straightforward enough, right? BUT NO! You’re in Germany and holidays pop up like mushrooms after the rain. In Bayern (Bavaria), where München is, …
Today is the shortest day of the year: in Berlin the sun rose at 8.14 am and set at 3.54pm. Dusk starts about 2.30pm! It can be pretty brutal, especially considering the often overcast and rainy weather. In contrast in New York City the sun rose at 7.16am and set at 4.32pm. My daughter used …
That’s the second Sunday before Christmas. It’s old fashioned but real in Germany. People are generally nicer, so enjoy it! It won’t last forever and the Christmas markets make up for the ridiculously early sunsets. Plus there’s always Humperdinck’s Hänsel und Gretel and lots of festival performances and concerts, so singers can sock away some …
So here I am, a retired old opera singer living near my grandchildren in Berlin and I have to get a notarized form saying I’m still alive so I can keep getting monthly retirement benefits. After a little back and forth with the nice person at the Pension Fund for former theater employees (imagine that!) …
Studio – Training or Cheap Labor? From my conversations with agents I gather that studio programs can be tremendously variable, from cheap labor or inexpensive cover and rehearsal drudge work to a legitimate part of an ensemble, singing small parts with big people, gaining high level knowledge at a good address and maybe growing into …
I just had a lovely chat with a top notch agent in Berlin and he told me a lot about how they hear auditions. Understanding this can clarify and enrich the choice of audition repertoire. It’s in the nature of singing to think narrowly and short term – the next high note or the effect …
Young singers have a super wide horizon but no depth. They know lots about what’s going on today, but nothing about who did what 50 years ago. For lots of things it doesn’t matter, but for opera it does, and agents complain about it. Not knowing who Hans Hotter or Renate Tebaldi were means there’s …