# I'd like to be....



## schigolch (Jun 26, 2011)

Many fans dream of being an opera professional.

Imagine that we have the talent, the knowledge, and the opportunity. What we would prefer to be?


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## Ukko (Jun 4, 2010)

Younger and skinnier - oops, not a choice. Well, anyway...


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## Il_Penseroso (Nov 20, 2010)

schigolch said:


> *I'd like to be....*


an opera conductor


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## MAuer (Feb 6, 2011)

A singer . . . though I'd need a vastly improved voice than the one I have now if I don't want to get pelted with rotten fruit!


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## amfortas (Jun 15, 2011)

Il_Penseroso said:


> an opera conductor


I, too, have often dreamed of being an opera conductor.

Usually in the dreams, I'm naked.

Not sure if that's an option.


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## sospiro (Apr 3, 2010)

Opera House Manager (if that's the same as Director)

I could then stage any & every opera I wanted & ditto singers.


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## schigolch (Jun 26, 2011)

yes, it's about the same thing.


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## rgz (Mar 6, 2010)

Probably a tie between singer and stage director.


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## Tapkaara (Apr 18, 2006)

I'd love to be a composer/conductor.


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## Couchie (Dec 9, 2010)

A singing conductor-director of course.


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## Aksel (Dec 3, 2010)

Couchie said:


> A singing conductor-director of course.


Surely at the same time, I hope?

I'd like to be an opera historian, but I'd be thoroughly happy with being principal countertenor.


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## CountessAdele (Aug 25, 2011)

;D a singer. Ah I'm day-dreaming about it now! XD


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## Polednice (Sep 13, 2009)

I would definitely love to be a composer. I already try my best to compose, but, though I can write fairly pleasant things, I worry that it's just uninteresting. I've never had any formal training, so I think it would be a very treacherous career road to go down. 

Luckily, I can just be a famous writer instead!


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## Almaviva (Aug 13, 2010)

Conductor, no doubt about it.
No, seriously, I often look back and think that if I had the choice when I was young, I'd have applied for a conservatory and would have studied conducting. I mean, I guess I did have the choice but it never occurred to me at that age. I like what I do now, but my life would probably have been more fun. Oh well, too late.


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## kv466 (May 18, 2011)

Almaviva said:


> Conductor, no doubt about it.
> No, seriously, I often look back and think that if I had the choice when I was young, I'd have applied for a conservatory and would have studied conducting. I mean, I guess I did have the choice but it never occurred to me at that age. I like what I do now, but my life would probably have been more fun. Oh well, too late.


This was my biggest desire when I was fifteen, sixteen...then I became involved with a beautiful Colombian girl who consumed me but even then, classical was my passion and greatest musical love...nonetheless, after moving on and being surrounded by hundreds of pretty girls in high school who just happen to be into guys who sing and play music...well, that was pretty much that...

In retrospect, I would love to have pursued it but only for the knowledge I could have attained; not for being up there with my back turned to every one...I was more meant to be facing them directly or at least have my right side to them.

It is still a great desire, however, to produce an orchestral version of Bach's Toccata & Fugue in d minor...the idea of it has always been fascinating but I've never heard a transcription I like; as much as I like Stokowski, his version just doesn't do anything for me except create a longing to hear it done 'the right way'. With technology, I suppose there is nothing really holding me back any more...just gotta do it.


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## Vesteralen (Jul 14, 2011)

Critic...those who can't do, teach.


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## Polednice (Sep 13, 2009)

When I was ever so slightly younger, I thought about trying my hand at conducting in tandem with composing. At university, I actually conducted a number of concerts with one of the orchestras. But, as much as I love being in control of the music and shaping its sound, I absolutely _hated_ it. The problem is with having to talk to people! My social skills are borderline autistic, but I have all the social knowledge necessary for this to make me super-depressed, so I'm surprised I ever thought I could manage.


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## Vesteralen (Jul 14, 2011)

Polednice said:


> When I was ever so slightly younger, I thought about trying my hand at conducting in tandem with composing. At university, I actually conducted a number of concerts with one of the orchestras. But, as much as I love being in control of the music and shaping its sound, I absolutely _hated_ it. The problem is with having to talk to people! My social skills are borderline autistic, but I have all the social knowledge necessary for this to make me super-depressed, so I'm surprised I ever thought I could manage.


But, see how TC has taught you to be the great communicator!


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## rgz (Mar 6, 2010)

Almaviva said:


> Conductor, no doubt about it.
> No, seriously, I often look back and think that if I had the choice when I was young, I'd have applied for a conservatory and would have studied conducting. I mean, I guess I did have the choice but it never occurred to me at that age. I like what I do now, but my life would probably have been more fun. Oh well, too late.


That's why you have kids -- to push them into all the things you wish you would've done. Whether they like it or not


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## Polednice (Sep 13, 2009)

Vesteralen said:


> But, see how TC has taught you to be the great communicator!


 Funnily enough, I've actually always been very good at delivering speeches. I suppose it must be telling people what to do that cripples me!


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## Almaviva (Aug 13, 2010)

rgz said:


> That's why you have kids -- to push them into all the things you wish you would've done. Whether they like it or not


 Oh. I've been totally unsuccessful with my two kids regarding classical music. Not even my biggest passion, opera, touches them. I've tried, believe me. One of these days my son (now in college) told me - "Dad, sometimes I had to study or wanted to concentrate on something else, and your sound system as you know was directly under my room, and I kept hearing those constipated people shrieking to the top of their lungs, so you made of opera such an aversive experience for me that I think you've ruined it for me for life." I was genuinely sad when I heard this. How did I manage to go about it so wrongly? I envy and admire Natalie for how she was able to introduce her kids to opera in such a way that made them like it...

Oh well, this thread is making me sad... wasted opportunities, unfulfilled dreams...


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## waldvogel (Jul 10, 2011)

A composer, to be sure...

A dozen or so operas, at least half of them comedies.
A six-pack of symphonies. No need to test the curse by writing nine of them.
String quartets, piano sonatas, a couple piano concerti and the obligatory one violin concerto. Maybe a clarinet concerto to add to the repertoire.
Some orchestral song cycles, a couple of tone poems, and some wind serenades.

No ballets, oratorios, or pieces featuring bagpipes.

In my old age I'd surprise everyone by writing a deeply felt Requiem.


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## AnaMendoza (Jul 29, 2011)

Talent, knowledge and opportunity. Okay, I'm an opera house manager, possessed of enough charisma to charm donations out of people's pockets in the toughest of economic times, and what it takes to get the greatest opera singers, directors, and conductors to sign up for me, since they know that they'll be showcased in the finest of productions. 

Since I'm living in a smallish city, let's plan on a modest season of eight operas--for a typical year, we'll plan on three out of the top forty on the TC list, so that newcomers to opera can always have a chance to experience the great ones, three from 'the rest of the list', one exotic one that most people will never had had a chance to see, and a commissioned new opera, to round out the season. Then, of course, a beautifully staged Ring cycle for the summer season.


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## Almaviva (Aug 13, 2010)

AnaMendoza said:


> Then, of course, a beautifully staged *Ring cycle* for the summer season.




Is this what you call a smallish company?

:lol:


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## AnaMendoza (Jul 29, 2011)

Almaviva said:


> Is this what you call a smallish company?
> 
> :lol:


Hey, it's 12 operas a year--less than half the size of the Met.  I thought I was being _very_ reasonable in my fantasizing--my more extravagant moments feature discovering long-lost masterpieces--putting on Verdi's _Il Re Lear_--with a Boito libretto, of course. Although, having read recently that he toyed with the idea of _Tempest_--that features in my fantasies, too. I can visualize it being staged with Prospero as Verdi--the perfect farewell opera--"_I'll drown my books"_

Okay--I DO have a strong grasp on reality--I swear it!

P.S. Wait a minute--I didn't say smallish company; I said smallish city. Obviously, my talents, and the talents of the people I draw in, will attract audience members from all over the world.


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## Almaviva (Aug 13, 2010)

I was just joking around, Ana. It's just that staging the Ring is quite ambitious, LOL.


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## samurai (Apr 22, 2011)

A composer, the one who actually creates and sets everything--and everybody--in motion to begin with.


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## AnaMendoza (Jul 29, 2011)

Almaviva said:


> I was just joking around, Ana. It's just that staging the Ring is quite ambitious, LOL.


Incredibly ambitious. I actually haven't _seen_ a full Ring cycle yet, live or recorded. I'm going to make every effort to get to the Met HD screenings of Siegfried and Gotterdamerung this year, which will finish the first cycle I've seen, in any media.


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## schigolch (Jun 26, 2011)

AnaMendoza said:


> Since I'm living in a smallish city, let's plan on a modest season of eight operas--for a typical year, we'll plan on three out of the top forty on the TC list, so that newcomers to opera can always have a chance to experience the great ones, three from 'the rest of the list', one exotic one that most people will never had had a chance to see, and a commissioned new opera, to round out the season. Then, of course, a beautifully staged Ring cycle for the summer season.


Take a look at this thread and let us know the details of your season: 

http://www.talkclassical.com/14198-if-i-were-opera.html


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## ooopera (Jul 27, 2011)

I would like to be everything on the list!!! Except librettist. But top three are conductor, stage director and opera house manager.


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## ooopera (Jul 27, 2011)

What about an orchestral musician? In that case my number 1 choice would be an oboe player in opera orchestra


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## mamascarlatti (Sep 23, 2009)

ooopera said:


> What about an orchestral musician? In that case my number 1 choice would be an oboe player in opera orchestra


But then you never get to see the opera!


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## BalloinMaschera (Apr 4, 2011)

A conductor- for sure- 
I have always liked the idea of being able to mold the music/musicians the way I hear it in my head.
I wouldn't mind being a symphonic conductor, either.


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## MAnna (Sep 19, 2011)

Didn't Strauss have something to say about this?

Anyway, I guess it's the composer that gets the last laugh - so I'll pick that.


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## Sieglinde (Oct 25, 2009)

Singer or director. Then I could make a badass steampunk Ring.


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## Clementine (Nov 18, 2011)

Almaviva said:


> Oh well, this thread is making me sad... wasted opportunities, unfulfilled dreams...


That's what grandkids are for!

For me, I'd go with the glaring omission- orchestral player! Something not stressful, like viola, so I could just sit back and listen.


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## notreally (Oct 25, 2011)

Nobody wants to be a librettist.:lol:


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## ComposerOfAvantGarde (Dec 2, 2011)

I would be all but the impresario. Composer/librettist and conductor especially. But I can't vote as the poll is closed for some reason. Does anyone know why?


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## eorrific (May 14, 2011)

ComposerOfAvantGarde said:


> I would be all but the impresario. Composer/librettist and conductor especially. But I can't vote as the poll is closed for some reason. Does anyone know why?


Schigolch probably set a time limit for the poll. I can't vote either.
I'd like to be the conductor, no doubt. If the position is not vacant, then I'm willing to accept a job as the librettist. I'll finally make a libretto that's most appealing (for me at least).


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