2nd Edition

Opera Coaching Professional Techniques for the Répétiteur

By Alan Montgomery Copyright 2020
    174 Pages
    by Routledge

    174 Pages
    by Routledge

    Opera Coaching: Professional Techniques for the Répétiteur, Second Edition, is an update to the first practical guide for opera coaches when working with opera singers to help them meet the physical and vocal demands of a score in order to shape a performance. Opera coaching remains a mystery to many musicians. While an opera coach (or répétiteur) is principally tasked with ensuring singers sing the right notes and words, the coach’s purview extends well beyond pitches and pronunciation. The opera coach must have a full understanding of human physiognomy and the human voice, as well as a knowledge of the many languages used in Western vocal music and over four centuries of opera repertoire – all to recognize what must happen for success when a singer steps on stage.

    NEW to this second edition:

    • New and updated chapters throughout, featuring new discussions on large ensembles, twenty-first-century demands, and more.
    • Deeper investigation of the styles of and problems posed by particular operas.
    • Revised chapter structure that allows for an expanded and progressive emphasis on technical work.

    Modern singers have bemoaned the scarcity of good vocal coaches and conductors – those who understand voices and repertoire alike. Opera Coaching: Professional Techniques for the Répétiteur, Second Edition, demystifies the role of the opera coach, outlining the obstacles facing both the opera singer and the coach who seeks to realize the performer’s full potential.

    Part I: Techniques / Chapter 1: Auditions / Chapter 2: Knowing the Score / Chapter 3: Recitatives / Chapter 4: Planning Coaching Sessions and Playing for Staging Rehearsals / Chapter 5: Following a Conductor / Chapter 6: The Stage Director’s Perspective by Victoria Vaughan / Part II: Considerations / Chapter 7: Baroque Operas / Chapter 8: Mozart and Classical Song / Chapter 9: Bel Canto / Chapter 10: Verdi / Chapter 11: French Opera / Chapter 12: Mussorgsky, Tchaikovsky, and the Five / Chapter 13: Richard Wagner, Richard Strauss, and the German School / Chapter 14: Puccini and the Verismo School / Chapter 15: Operettas / Chapter 16: Benjamin Britten and Other Modern Composers / Chapter 17: Looking to the New Demands in the Twenty- First Century / Chapter 18: Ensembles Large and Small / Chapter 19: Conclusions / Appendix A: A List of Vocal Fachs and Their Roles / Appendix B: Notable and Recommended Editions / Appendix C: Favorite Catch Phrases and Buzzwords

    Biography

    Alan Montgomery was the Assistant Music Director of the Oberlin Opera Theater for thirty-three years. He has coached a plethora of major singers, such as Denyce Graves, Derrick Lee Ragin, Daniel Okulitch, Todd Thomas, Limmie Pulliam, Edward Parks, and Elizabeth de Shong.