Dying... for a living.

I recently heard a cool song in a recital at Peabody (I'm back visiting) by William Bolcom entitled "The Actor" which describes one who dies... for a living.

I'm currently doing the former, not so much the latter: I'm in preparation of the role of Jonathan (Saul's son from the Old Testament) who dies in the last act of the opera "David et Jonathas" by Charpentier. Too bad I can't do it for a living.

If I could count on that role as a kind of life time commitment, just like a coloratura soprano can count on 20 years or more of potential performance of Lucia (ya know, from Lammermoor), I would be a very happy singer. This music is GLORIOUS -- hit tune after hit tune. But, considering the performance in Washington, DC next week will be the first professional mounting in our modern era, I doubt I will perform it much in my lifetime.

Why can't I just be like everyone else and be a Susanna, Zerlina or a Lucia and count on reprisals? Why do I have to like... LOVE the outlying genres and therefore have little to no chance of repeat?

I'm not really complaining. In fact, being into early music and contemporary music means always discovering something new. You can know Handel and Bach as a singer, but go a little deeper and you'll find Telemann and Buxtehude. You can know Monteverdi and Cavalli, but what about Strozzi? Know some Rameau? Then have a look at Jacquet de la Guerre.

And then there's contemporary music -- same kind of deal. Dig into 20th century, but keep your ear to the ground because there's a whole new century that's expressing itself.

This isn't really much of a blog. I'm forehead deep in rehearsals for David et Jonathas, but I thought I'd still try and keep up with this blog thing. If you happen to live in Washington DC or in the NYC area and are interested in seeing a once-in-a-life-time opera by Charpentier, please refer to the below:

MARC-ANTOINE CHARPENTIER
DAVID ET JONATHAS
May 2nd - 3rd 8pm, May 4th 5pm
Gonda Theater – Georgetown Universty
Corner of O Street and 37th Street
Washington, DC
General Admission: $30
Senior Admission: $25
Student Admission: $15
For tickets of more information please call (202) 687 ARTS or at http://performingarts.georgetown.edu.

May 9th and 10th 7:30pm
Brooklyn Academy of Music
New York, New Yok
General Admission: $45
Senior Admission: $35
Student Admission: $25
For tickets of more information call (718) 636 4100 or at www.bam.org