# I Seek Help on the Singer Contest Please



## Seattleoperafan (Mar 24, 2013)

I have some exciting singers lined up for Round 2 and 3 of the Depuis le Jour contest. I have some contest arias I'm considering but I can't remember if Bonetan did them already and it is hard to search the old contests. Have these arias been done yet: Allein weh ganz Allein by Strauss, Abscheulicher by Beethoven.Der Manner Sippe by Wagner, and any of the mezzo arias by Arsace from Semiramide. Also I was thinking of doing Voices of Spring by Strauss as it is so pretty and many have done it. but it might not be opera and is that okay???? I appreciate your feedback.


----------



## nina foresti (Mar 11, 2014)

Lordy! I know none of those except Semiramide. (I doubt that they were previously done)
When it comes to German opera, I am pretty much a dunce, except for Parsifal. I'll simply have to go by my ear.


----------



## Seattleoperafan (Mar 24, 2013)

nina foresti said:


> Lordy! I know none of those except Semiramide. (I doubt that they were previously done)
> When it comes to German opera, I am pretty much a dunce, except for Parsifal. I'll simply have to go by my ear.


Thanks. They are really wonderful arias. You should enjoy. Very dramatic.


----------



## MAS (Apr 15, 2015)

Seattleoperafan said:


> I have some exciting singers lined up for Round 2 and 3 of the Depuis le Jour contest. I have some contest arias I'm considering but I can't remember if Bonetan did them already and it is hard to search the old contests. Have these arias been done yet: Allein weh ganz Allein by Strauss, Abscheulicher by Beethoven.Der Manner Sippe by Wagner, and any of the mezzo arias by Arsace from Semiramide. Also I was thinking of doing Voices of Spring by Strauss as it is so pretty and many have done it. but it might not be opera and is that okay???? I appreciate your feedback.


I don't think we did any of them. Also I don't think Frühlingsstimmen is verboten!


----------



## Seattleoperafan (Mar 24, 2013)

Would it be too much to do 2 sets of 4 of an aria and the winner of each would duke it out... in evening gloves.


----------



## MAS (Apr 15, 2015)

Seattleoperafan said:


> Would it be too much to do 2 sets of 4 of an aria and the winner of each would duke it out... in evening gloves.


I much prefer opera-length ones!


----------



## nina foresti (Mar 11, 2014)

Seattleoperafan said:


> Would it be too much to do 2 sets of 4 of an aria and the winner of each would duke it out... in evening gloves.


Sounds good to me.


----------



## Seattleoperafan (Mar 24, 2013)

I love the big cabelleta from the Mad Scene of Il Pirata. The scene is too long for a contest. Could I put the start time where it begins in each video or would that be too clumsy? The cabelleta itself is the ideal length for a contest.


----------



## MAS (Apr 15, 2015)

Seattleoperafan said:


> I love the big cabelleta from the Mad Scene of I Puritani. The scene is too long for a contest. Could I put the start time where it begins in each video or would that be too clumsy? The cabelleta itself is the ideal length for a contest.


Aren't there just cabalettas?


----------



## Seattleoperafan (Mar 24, 2013)

MAS said:


> Aren't there just cabalettas?






 /With Maria the bit starting at 13 min. Before that lots of slow stuff. I like the gong.


----------



## nina foresti (Mar 11, 2014)

Seattleoperafan said:


> /With Maria the bit starting at 13 min. Before that lots of slow stuff. I like the gong.


Personally, I don't have to listen to an entire blurb in order to hear what I needed to in order to make my decision. I can tell after just several lines, really.


----------



## MAS (Apr 15, 2015)

nina foresti said:


> Personally, I don't have to listen to an entire blurb in order to hear what I needed to in order to make my decision. I can tell after just several lines, really.


This is *Il Pirata*, not the *I Puritani* as in #8


----------



## Seattleoperafan (Mar 24, 2013)

MAS said:


> This is *Il Pirata*, not the *I Puritani* as in #8


I love being old, I just hate what it does to my brain LOL. Il Pirata. I knew it had a P. I think at some point I may try it. I don't like having pieces over 10 minutes long for a contest. Of course I forget most of you like Wagner, which goes on and on and on.


----------



## Woodduck (Mar 17, 2014)

Seattleoperafan said:


> I love being old, I just hate what it does to my brain LOL. Il Pirata. I knew it had a P. I think at some point I may try it. I don't like having pieces over 10 minutes long for a contest. Of course I forget most of you like Wagner, which goes on and on and on.


..and on. Less is not more.


----------



## Seattleoperafan (Mar 24, 2013)

I need some help preparing future contests and I am unsure whether we ever had a contest around a favorite aria of mine "Weiche, Wotan!" I seem to remember an incredible early contralto mentioned in regard to this but perhaps not in a contest. I remember being blown away but can't remember her name. I can't seem to find a contest by Bonetan on the aria but remember some discussion. I have forgotten the searching trick using Google on our forum.


----------



## MAS (Apr 15, 2015)

Seattleoperafan said:


> I need some help preparing future contests and I am unsure whether we ever had a contest around a favorite aria of mine "Weiche, Wotan!" I seem to remember an incredible early contralto mentioned in regard to this but perhaps not in a contest. I remember being blown away but can't remember her name. I can't seem to find a contest by Bonetan on the aria but remember some discussion. I have forgotten the searching trick using Google on our forum.


Possibly Schumann-Heink? Or Kersten Thorborg


----------



## Seattleoperafan (Mar 24, 2013)

MAS said:


> Possibly Schuman-Heink? Or Kersten Thorborg


Thorborg. Yes! If we have a contest she will be in it along with the amazing Schumann Heink.


----------



## adriesba (Dec 30, 2019)

You should definitely do "Weiche, Wotan, Weiche"! 

Also, will there be a fourth round for "Allein, weh ganz allein"? I don't recall seeing a final round, though I haven't been here in a while.


----------



## Seattleoperafan (Mar 24, 2013)

adriesba said:


> You should definitely do "Weiche, Wotan, Weiche"!
> 
> Also, will there be a fourth round for "Allein, weh ganz allein"? I don't recall seeing a final round, though I haven't been here in a while.


I will.
I got the impression our group was unfortunately tired of the high drama of Allein, weh... . I will not always do a 4th round depending on what is out there. I wanted to do Gwyneth Jones who is so spectacular in Was blute musst. OMG. If you haven't seen it it is outrageous. But she had no Allein. Nilsson won. I had asked for the best Elektra in a former post. Many many responded and Nilsson overwhelmingly won it. I love her live performance video at 64 because the acting was crazy fabulous, but was talked out of it as her voice was past it's glory by then, even though I thought she still sang really well.


----------



## Seattleoperafan (Mar 24, 2013)

I have maybe 40 contests lined up but someone suggested a duet contest. If I did that how could we proceed?


----------



## Woodduck (Mar 17, 2014)

Seattleoperafan said:


> I have maybe 40 contests lined up but someone suggested a duet contest. If I did that how could we proceed?


Goodness! You've been a busy beaver! "Proceed" to do what, exactly?


----------



## Seattleoperafan (Mar 24, 2013)

Woodduck said:


> Goodness! You've been a busy beaver! "Proceed" to do what, exactly?


I can get obsessed LOL. I guess I'll just have to wait to see how people vote and deal with twice the amount to criticize.


----------



## nina foresti (Mar 11, 2014)

Oh John, I pray that you include "Lontano, lontano" from _Mefistofele_. It's very short and you have good meat to pick from: Olivero-Campora/Tebaldi-del Monaco/Farrar-Clement/Freni-Pavarotti/Caballe-Domingo/Tassinari-Tagliavini


----------



## Seattleoperafan (Mar 24, 2013)

nina foresti said:


> Oh John, I pray that you include "Lontano, lontano" from _Mefistofele_. It's very short and you have good meat to pick from: Olivero-Campora/Tebaldi-del Monaco/Farrar-Clement/Freni-Pavarotti/Caballe-Domingo/Tassinari-Tagliavini


I have saved this in my research pile. I may be a bit off before I do duets, but I don't know this and it could be fun.


----------



## Woodduck (Mar 17, 2014)

Seattleoperafan said:


> I can get obsessed LOL. I guess I'll just have to wait to see how people vote and deal with twice the amount to criticize.


It occurs to me that many of operas finest duets are rather long, but that may not be a problem. There are also different kinds of duets: love duets, friendship duets, vengeance duets, prayer duets (think Hansel and Gretel)...


----------



## Rogerx (Apr 27, 2018)

Egli s'avanza"- "Sulla tomba che rinserra" - "Verranno a te sull'aure" from Lucia perhaps?


----------



## Seattleoperafan (Mar 24, 2013)

Woodduck said:


> It occurs to me that many of operas finest duets are rather long, but that may not be a problem. There are also different kinds of duets: love duets, friendship duets, vengeance duets, prayer duets (think Hansel and Gretel)...


I think I'll wait a while and may try some when I run out of other solo arias. You are right about the length factor. Something like the Nile Scene from Aida could be a fun change of pace with stellar casts. Thanks.


----------

