Today's New York Times has an article on Jesus Garcia, one of the tenors who performed Rodolfo in the Baz Luhrmann La Boheme. Apropos my comments yesterday, I thought that these paragraphs would be of note:
With all due respect to its superb theatrical values, the Luhrmann "Bohème" raised definite musical issues. It used a severely reduced orchestra, supplemented with synthesizers. The singers, despite their operatic training and the modest capacity of the Broadway house, used microphones.One rising tenor in the audience, already familiar in principal lyric roles at the Metropolitan Opera, squirmed through a performance in sympathetic agony. The sheer emotionalism of the music and the heavy performing schedule, he thought, were a recipe for disaster.
At intermission, he was blue-lipped with indignation. Young singers, he insisted, should sound fresh, not so old and frayed. They were being shredded, he said, and once their voices were used up, there would be no way back.
The performance schedule was a bit insane for each of the singers in the lead roles. There were three couples on rotation, so, according to the schedule, a couple could be set to sing with only a day's rest between peformances (for example, Friday night followed by a Sunday matinee). I have no doubt that this performance schedule could make for ragged singing in the short term, and possible damage in the long run. (Compare the Met, where there are typically three days between performances.) I'd be curious to see how others in the Luhrmann cast are continuing their careers.
Posted by gminter at March 28, 2004 07:58 AM