My Musical Review Of 2015 – Part 2

As you’ll be aware if you’ve been following my blog for the past three years,  my musical passion lies in the Opera world, in July I flew to Italy to participate in the Trentino Music Festival Summer School.  When preparing the songs for my audition for this summer school in January, my ambition about such an experience was initially to get more opera performance opportunities and to improve my Italian language skills over the five weeks duration.  Whilst in Italy I made friends in all the local shops, bakery and cafes and practised my Italian on my willing victims every day.  I attended and performed in master-classes, one by the amazing Deborah Voigt, and undertook the roles of ‘Gretel’ in Hansel and Gretel (under the skilful baton of David Gately), ‘2nd Knabe’ and chorus in Die Zauberflute by Mozart and as ‘The Novice’ and chorus in Suor Angelica by Puccini.

Me-And-Jess
Jess And Me On Our First Day In Italy
Charlotte-and-Nattalie
Going To See Aida with Natalie
David Gately Post
Just Before Going On Stage At A Concert In Italy
Final week
My Final Week With The Opera Performance Studio
Final Hansel and Gretel
The Final Performance Of Hansel And Gretel
I was guest soloist at a Fyfe Creative Arts Hub Recital the day after I returned from my summer holiday and in October I performed a selection of arias at a gala fundraising evening hosted by the Bowdon Festival Opera, they are raising funds to put the Opera ‘Don Giovanni’ this year and I’ve been offered the role of ‘Zerlina’ which is very exciting.

edinburgh-concert
Tim Edmundson, Beth Jerem, Robert Forrest, Me And Michael Gibson
Last November George Todica and I utilised our Grieg Haugtussa song cycle coaching from our Norwegian master-classes in a one hour long concert in Edinburgh.  I sang the full eight song cycle in the first half in the original Norwegian. I have been analysing if songs sound better in the language they were originally written in and one comparison I thought:  ‘Does Shakespeare have such a profound effect and impact when translated into other languages?’  Or indeed ‘Would Robert Burns give the depth and feeling if spoken or sung in standard English rather than Scottish dialect, his poem and song ‘Auld Lang Syne’ is often sung at Hogmanay (New Years Eve)?’

charlotte-h-and-george-todica

At the close of the year I enjoyed participating in the RCS choir at St Mary’s Episcopal Cathedral undertaking Handel’s Dixit Dominus, I also got to listen to friends performing Spem and Purcell.

dixit-dominus
Beth Taylor, Me and Susannah Bedford Ready For Handel’s Dixit Dominus
And finally singing in the Christmas Cracker with Jessica Hurst at The Glasgow Royal Concert Hall.

Christmas Cracker
Ready To Go On Stage At The Glasgow Royal Concert Hall

 

My Musical Review Of 2015 – Part 1

69 thoughts on “My Musical Review Of 2015 – Part 2”

    1. Thanks Annette but it’s quite a while before I could launch, I’ve been speaking to experts this week about the career in more detail and the length before you would be expected to train full time before get your first roles (typically 28).

      Best wishes
      Charlotte

      Reply

  7. Thanks, it’s nice to remember all this things with you ! Thank you for all these shares and what you tell us about the world of opera – You are a great singer, a great journalist and a good teacher too :-). All the best for you 🙂

    Reply

      1. Thanks, very interesting and nice post and monkeys:-), thanks ! Yes time is strange. When you wait for an audition 10 minuts seem to be an hour, but when you’re happy and performed, hours seem to be minutes 🙂 …. I had write about the perception of time some years ago, I will have to translate…. The best for you

  9. Doing what you love…how grateful you must feel 🙂 I do like the observation you have made regarding the profound effects that can occur in the translation of works into other languages. Such rich experiences can only increase the quality and depth of your singing.

    ….it is always the journey and not the destination 🙂 Look forward to your journey continuing in 2016 !

    Reply

    1. Thanks for dropping by to read my blog it is great to see you on here too 🙂 I couldn’t do this without my parents support and I’m very grateful. I intend to enjoy the journey and how could I not pursuing something I love each day.

      Best wishes
      Charlotte

      Reply

  10. What a great year you’ve had! I hope that the opportunities to learn and perform continue to come your way in 2016! May it be even better than 2015.

    Reply

  11. With a year like that, I see why look so gloriously happy in all of your photos! Congratulations on a wonderful year, Charlotte. It is SO much fun for me to keep reading of your experiences as you go forward toward what is sure to be a great career in opera.

    Reply

  12. Thanks for the good things you have doing. I follow your blog quite ardently and enjoy the things you do. They are quite delightful and beautiful. I hope to continue for a long long time. Don’t ever stop! Sincerely Michael >

    Reply

  16. You look like you are in your element, Charlotte. You look happy doing what you love to do. You are truly blessed not only with talent but with the drive needed to succeed. Blessings and best wishes! 😘

    Reply

  19. What a wonderful year in review. No grass grows under your feet Charlotte.It has been a pleasure to follow you. All good wishes for this new year, Darlene

    Reply

  20. That was quite an action packed year! If actions set up further actions, then your 2016 should be just as action packed as well. And you forgot hours of practicing and studying!

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  21. Also, one sentence jumped out at me about practicing on willing victims.

    I travel overseas and I meet people who are studying English and when given the chance to speak to a real life American; they freeze up and do not want to speak. Learning involves accepting that you are lacking the skills to be great and to obtain it; you may have to mess up and look foolish. If you try and mess up and laugh it off and try again; you will improve.

    Have a great week!

    Reply

    1. Oh there were many times I absolutely baffled people like the time when I asked for a chicken with no guts ( bravery ) when and I was trying to buy a chicken without the giblets 🙂 But I do enjoy trying. Thanks Steve and you have a fabulous week.

      Best wishes
      Charlotte

      Reply

  24. If you’re planning to top that performance this year, you will have your work cut out indeed!
    I agree that the original languages generally sound better. Although some translators do manage a remarkable job of retaining the poetry and ‘feel’.

    Reply

    1. Perhaps I could be cheeky and ask if you have any examples of superb translations that retain the poetry and feel of the piece, I wonder if some languages are easier to translate than others, I’m finishing off my research piece next week.
      Best wishes
      Charlotte

      Reply

      1. Unfortunately I’m not enough of a linguist to remember any offhand in the musical scene – however the English translation of Asterix comes to mind.
        Ideally, the languages should have similar numbers of syllables. Note the difficulty with “Il segreto per esser felici” from Lucrezia Borgia. Straight away one is faced with a problem on ‘the secret’ because ‘the-e secret’ sounds contrived. Then ‘of being happy’ can perhaps be overcome with ‘towards being’, but ‘ha-a-a-a-a-a-py’ is no substitute for ‘feli-i-i-i-i-i-ci’. There may be an effective translation, but this is just off the top of my head as I know the words – mainly because I love the concept of making today your friend.

    1. I’ll be finishing my research next week in our Bridge Week and that is one of the final pieces in the jigsaw to try to see if certain languages translate better than others. I hope I can find several good examples.
      Best wishes
      Charlotte

      Reply

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