My wife is a regular at a European opera program and recently observed that singers trained here combine stagecraft and drama with their singing, while American trained singers concentrate on singing alone. They generally do it very well but it isn’t enough. The goal is goosebumps but the tools are stagecraft, understanding and embodying what …
EINSPRINGEN (Jump-ins) are a whirlwind an you’ll need good nerves to deal with it. There are basically two types: one where you arrive and perform the same day, and the other, more planned version, where you rehearse a few days before the show. The 2nd kind of Einspringen used to be much more common than it …
Known as Der Erste Mai (& sometimes Tag der Arbeit), May Day is an ancient festival that began to welcome the spring weather and to “drive away evil spirits”. Today, it is primarily an occasion to campaign for and celebrate workers rights, particularly in Berlin. May 1 is a public holiday in all German states. …
It’s Künstlerisches Betriebsbüro, and if THAT rolls off your tongue, your German is pretty darn good! It’s always called the KBB-kah-bay-bay (no dphthong, please) and you’ll probably have more contact with them than anyone else in the administration. Even at auditions, it’s the first place you’ll be directed to. They handle the daily rehearsals and …
OK, Easter’s done and it’s time to get back to work. Anyone who has recently had a good audition at ZAV or with a private agent should remind them with a short email with the date of your audition and which roles that you’ve performed onstage. You might take a look at operabase.com or theaters’ …
I just got an email from the Bayerische Staatsoper – that’s Munich / München – announcing their upcoming season. They’re by no means alone and theaters big and small will be making their plans public. It’s called the Spielplan and it’s worth keeping an eye on who’s planning what. While the big theaters have mostly …
We’ll soon post an interview with a tenor who made a life and career in Germany NOT singing Manrico, Nemorino, Siegfried and the like. No, he sang roles where you don’t have to be concerned with looking pretty, or heroic. He was someone who is in almost every opera and who theaters always need, yet …
It’s important to know a theater’s rating, if only to have realistic expectations about where an agent is sending you in order to asses salary expectations. Aspiring singers should not confuse ranking with desirability. Many singers will want to sing good major roles in a B, C, or even D theater…rather than minor roles for …
It’s really great that the Theater Union-GDBA-has adapted to the reality of theater today and the prevalence of Freelancers. They have dedicated it’s most recent Toi Toi Toi magazine issue to the rights of Freelancers and even included English translations of some of the articles, so check it out! Here is a link . The …
Know Thyself. Know Thy Agent. Know German Theaters! When it comes to finding an agent and doing your research about them, you’ll learn not just about the agents, but about the German theater system. It comes down to this: when surveying and “googling” agents’ website we suggest you follow these simple steps. Visit the agent’s …