The Big Step

-
It is a big week for mezzo-soprano Crystal Jarrell. A former Ensemble member, she just packed up her costume after months of touring and is now making her debut as a San Diego Opera mainstage artist as Countess Ceprano in Rigoletto. Faced with a hectic week of 'goodbyes' as well as "hellos' she somehow found the time to sit down and write a few thoughts about this period of transition in the life of a professional opera singer.

Here's what she had to say:

This is an exciting week for me as it represents something big. This week I am making the transition. Our San Diego Opera Ensemble touring productions have just come to a close, and rehearsals for my first main stage production as a principal artist with SDO have begun. This is a critical point in my career and one that I am savoring every moment of.

Last week I was Febreezing my Cosi costume wishing it weren't such a beautiful antique that it could have been dry cleaned at some point during the 6 month tour. I was answering the eager questions of 5th graders as to how we became awesome (seriously!), and enjoying every second of the thrilling Mozart ensembles with my fantastic colleagues and friends. I was a part of an incredible outreach program- one of the best in the country- impacting many many young lives with an experience they will not soon forget.

Well this week I am still enjoying thrilling ensembles, but from a slightly different vantage point. I am watching in amazement from the sidelines of Rigoletto rehearsals as some of the most incredible voices I have ever heard live are barely five feet from where I sit. Now I am the one asking eager questions of the other principal artists in the Rigoletto cast- yes, about how they became awesome! And for two brief scenes I am taking the stage with them. What an honor.

This week represents a great stepping stone. I have learned a great deal already through my experiences with San Diego Opera, but I am also aware that I have so much to learn still. It represents the end of my outreach career and the beginning of the next chapter. Thank you Dr. Nick for taking a chance on me and for investing in me. Thank you Cynthia for inspiring me and believing in me. And thank you Ian for trusting me with more. I can't wait to see what lies ahead!

***

Neither can we. One thing is for certain, we're going to have one awesome Countess Ceprano when Rigoletto opens next week.
-- Edward

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Five Things About La boheme You Don't Need To Know But Will Be Glad You Did

-
Getting ready with Dr. Nic last week for a TV interview he came up with five tidbits about La boheme to be used on air. Live TV being what live TV is, not all of them made it onto the show, but I thought they were interesting enough to be recycled here on the blog. Besides, I'm busy hammering away at the 2011 press release so pressed for time today. 2011 press release you say? You betcha. But, faithful readers, here's a tidbit: a certain married couple returns to us next season in another opera by Gounod. Without further ado, five things about La boheme you'll be glad to know 1) Giacomo Puccini’s opera La boheme is one of the three most popular operas ever written but it wasn ’t always that way. It was not an immediate success. An opera by a rival Italian composer, Ruggiero Leoncavallo, on the same subject (and also named Le bohème ) premiered about a year after Puccini’s and was quite successful. It’s possible that, in fact, Puccini actually stole the idea
Read more

10 Interesting Facts About Faust

-
A few weeks ago Dr. Nic shared with us 10 interesting things about Der Rosenkavalier , born out of an agonizing ride in the elevator where we stopped on every floor from the subterranean parking garage to the 18 th floor. Luckily we didn't have to recreate that experience to get 10 interesting facts about Faust ... 1. There is a well-known Christmas carol hidden in Méphistophélès ’ first aria, “Le veau d’or”, often called the “Golden Calf aria”. 2. The best known tune from Faust, Valentin’s aria “ Avant de quitter”, was added in 1864, a couple of years after the premiere of the opera (1859) for performances in London. It was sung in English at those performances and the French version followed later. 3. Although the story of Faust is based on Goethe’s original verse play (1806), it only covers Part I of the poet’s version, avoiding the more philosophical depths of Part II. 4. The source of the story of Faust was an actual person, a Doctor Johann
Read more

Pop Star to Opera Star

-
Image
We here at Aria Serious are torn by the news that ITV in the UK is filming a new reality series called "Pop Star to Opera Star" where pop stars will tackle the operatic repertoire while being mentored by Katherine Jenkins and Rolando Villazon. While we here at Aria Serious love to see our favorite art form on prime time TV, we're also concerned that this lowers the artistic standard. In a Company that prides itself in attracting the best talent possible, do shows like this undermine our work or is it a much needed breath of fresh air? One thing the show has going for it - Meatloaf (the singer, not the leftovers in your fridge) will be a judge. You can read about it here .
Read more