Leipzig, Concert, Opera…
Hi there! I hope you are well and having a nice weekend. This week I had the opportunity again to perform Dichterliebe with Sakichan, that came from Japan for a week, in which, she made space to make music together and her husband Tadayoshi, who played some Saxophone pieces. We had a very intimate concert in Leipzig and I really enjoyed it. Every chance I get to perform Dichterliebe with her is really nice and every time I get involved more with different songs. Some times one song calls me more and the next time I think “ah! How beautiful is this one, I did not really noticed it”. I really love it never gets boring, there is always some colors to find in the words and musical phrases. There are many intentions to just one phrase and one can choose which way to go in any given time. This time I really enjoyed the blending of the piano and voice, Sakichan and I are getting more in tune with each other, I feel more how she plays and where we can help each other without speaking about it, just while doing music. Let us call perhaps that the right intuition with each other. Tadayoshi played also really well and the interpretations were really nice with his wife as well, Bravi! to both of them, for their music. Plus I got to listen for the first time Saxophone and piano together.
This week was a week with friends and sharing points of view about music and life, so a very bohemian week.
Aki, had performances this week of Hoffmann and Carmen, singing Antonia and Michalea respectively and she is doing really well. Her voice is finding a very balanced sound, and she is very much in charge of her musical decisions so I applaud her work, I am proud she is doing really well and learning each time, more and more. Brava!
I do learn as well from seeing colleagues on stage and I enjoy seeing the stagings of the different stage directors but I have to say the majority really lack imagination and one can see, they truly either could not convey their idea, or the truly do not completely understand the opera in its entirety. In almost the frantic pursue of originality, they get lost either by confusion or ignorance, ending up not able to tell the story well. I from my own experience find out many times directors try to ignore traditions and to really understand the core of the opera. They, a lot of times only care about their own vision as if they want to put themselves on top of the composer and musicians. I wish they were in general more humble and honest to themselves, and care more about the opera, and not their reputation. And the same goes for some conductors who only care about how they look or wave their hands, and pretending, or rather acting that they follow the singers or understand the music, when in reality is only ego the one they are conducting. I am specially surprised of conductors that for many years have worked on this profession and they really ignore their musicians or singers, that proves that practice does not make master. Intentional practise and search for the truth that makes the real masters of music.
I keep reading my daily Holiday and Tolstoi plus my 4 times a week exercise routine. I must admit every week is a challenge to do exercise in the morning but I keep doing it because I know is the right thing to do for me and my health. Since I started doing exercise 5 years ago, I feel better physically than I felt in all my 20s.
I hope you are well and take care, see you next week.
