If I cannot fly, let me sing
One of the many hats that I wear as a pianist who specializes in vocal repertoire is the “audition pianist.”
The audition is often a high-stress situation for many singers. The singer walks into a room (or on stage) with a pianist and has a small window of opportunity to sing for an opera company, competition, music school or festival. This small window usually lasts around 10 minutes — usually 1-2 arias — where one has to display vocal prowess, musicality and theatrical skills in front of a small panel of people.
The arias that singers present in auditions are often solo moments on the stage but there are many moments in which the soloist interacts with someone else — either another singer or even a chorus. Because it is an audition, there are no other people involved (and definitely no chorus) so pianists often play these other vocal lines on the piano…or not at all.
Even after a decade (or two) of accompanying auditions, I have not uttered a sound but I try to find ways to stay engaged by silently joining in on the fun. This post features some of those moments in which I sit at the piano and silently sing (or hum… or whisper… or air sing) my little singer’s heart out.
“Mein Sehnen, Mein Wähnen” from Die Tote Stadt by Erich Korngold
The Moment — 3:06At the end of this aria (one of my favorite ones to play), the female chorus has this gorgeous celestial moment that makes me wish that I can sing in that stratosphere. But alas, I have a fear of singing above the music staff so I am content with silently singing this special moment an octave lower, thank you.
2. Onegin’s Aria (Act I Scene III) from Eugene Onegin by Piotr Tchaikovsky
The Moment — 1:20
As you can see from the musical example below, Tatyana reacts to Onegin and her vocal lines happens to be doubled in the orchestra. I like to whisper Tatyana’s line here. The camera work in this video is a bit ambitious but I wanted a video with the late baritone Dmitri Hvorostovsky that did not have “my” line cut out. Random Fact: I own a jacket that I call my “Hvorostovsky Jacket” because as I was trying it on at the Lululemon (across the street from Lincoln Center) while he was standing next to me. Sadly, he passed away a few years later on my birthday.
3. “Lieben, Hassen, Hoffen, Zagen” from Ariadne auf Naxos by Richard Strauss
The Moments — 0:32 and 1:22
When a baritone comes to an audition with a German aria, there’s a really good chance it is this one as it fits the language requirement (check) and it’s short (check). There are two moments in this short aria in which a soprano, Echo interrupts Harlekin by singing an echo (!) of Harlekin’s music. I love these two moments as it features my favorite vowel, ‘ah.’ I don’t even have to worry about diction, just the music.
4. “Mir ist die Ehre widerfahren” (Presentation of the Rose) from Der Rosenkavalier by Richard Strauss
The Moments — 0:45 and 2:10
I love playing this aria because you actually get to play notes on the piano that is written for a keyboard instrument in the orchestra pit — the celesta. Those chords are a bit tricky but once they are in your brain and fingers, it just makes sense. The luminous Sophie in this video is Barbara Bonney who shares a moment in her aria with Octavian, Anne Sophie von Otter. The Octavian lines are perfect for me as it fits my 1 1/2 octave range. Fun Fact: at the beginning of the pandemic, I discovered Barbara’s Etsy page for her clothing boutique in Salzburg, Austria. I now own 3 of her lovely face masks.
5. Sì, mi chiamano Mimì from La bohème by Giacomo Puccini
The Moment — 2:09
In one of the most popular soprano arias, Mimì goes on and on about herself and then asks Rodolfo, Lei m’intende? (Do you understand me?) to which he responds, Sì (yes). Sometimes I like to silently sing (or whisper) no.
Lovely Memory: I chose this video with the legendary Renata Scotto because of the memories associated with this opera. This was the first opera I learned and I listened to her recording with Luciano Pavarotti all the time. A year later, I was a pianist in the Lindemann Young Artist Development Program at The Metropolitan Opera playing coachings with guest teacher — Renata Scotto! I will never forget this memory of her singing the moment in Act 4 when Mimì is dying (sorry to give away the ending). Ever since that coaching, I always think of her when I play those desolate c-minor chords.
5 1/2. “Quando m’en vo” from La bohème by Giacomo Puccini
The Moment — 5:20
Renata Scotto (featured in the video above as Mimì) is now Musetta in this video of the famous Zefferelli production from The Metropolitan Opera. As Musetta is singing her aria, Marcello and Alindoro both have something to say as the orchestra fades with the pizzicati of the strings. I honestly do not like to play these repeated notes so I remain in tempo and breathe loudly for the next measure — just as if this was being performed in a gala concert. One day, I will sing these lines in an audition… well, maybe.
6. Habañera from Carmen by Georges Bizet
The Moment — 1:09
Ah, one of the standard mezzo soprano arias. In this moment, the chorus echos a few of Carmen’s words and then shares a few moments of the aria with soloist. I chose a video with Romanian soprano, Angela Gheorghiu. She is not my Carmen du jour but she was quite entertaining on social media during the pandemic so I honor her with the #6 spot on this blog post.
7. O Isis und Osiris from Die Zauberflöte by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
The Moment — 1:44 and 3:03
When you’ve played over 50 performances of this opera, you find ways to stay engaged while sitting in the pit for ca: 3 hours each evening. One of the ways I stay engaged is that I sing along with the chorus. If it is the famous Barrie Kosky production, I also do some of the staging from the fortepiano. After playing 52 performances of that production, I pretty much have the production memorized — including the staging.
The men’s chorus sings a few lines in Sarastro’s aria which I find to be very beautiful and I happily (and silently) sing or hum along in many auditions.
8. “No Word from Tom” from The Rake’s Progress by Igor Stravinsky
The Moment — 4:35
I had to include something from this work as it is in my Top 10 favorite operas. This is not a singing moment but a moment of theater. I often turn my head away from the audition panelists and silently speak, “Ann, Ann!”
9. Bella siccome un’angelo from Don Pasquale by Gaetano Donizetti
The Moment — 2:35
Malatesta has a nice and short 4 page aria but as you can see, the main character Pasquale has a few things to say… In an one-on-one coaching with a singer, I like to scream out “oh giubilo!” and then the “ahhhhh!” but in an audition situation I will just enjoy the tremolos I get to play on the piano.
And Pasquale even interjects on Malatesta’s "high note!”
10. Il lacerato spirito from Simone Boccanegra by Giuseppe Verdi
The Moment — 2:29
It would be really awkward to have 3-4 measures of empty silence during the audition so the chorus part is often written into the piano/vocal score. Because I’m a proud choir alto, I often hum the fun inner notes while playing the chorus part on the piano.
BONUS ARIA: Nessun dorma from Turandot by Giacomo Puccini
The Moment — 1:53
From my experience, this aria is not often offered in auditions — I’ve only played it a few times but have played it many times for outdoor concerts and in rehearsals with conductors in preparation for a gala concert.
Jonas Kaufmann is not my favorite Calaf but I just love this video. One of the musicians in the background — the horn player at 0:59 — starts “singing along” and it always makes me laugh. The celesta also plays throughout the aria with the exception of these 4 measures so it is possible to sit in the orchestra pit and sing along. (Bonus Points)
A special thank you to IMSLP for the musical examples.
And to Stephen Sondheim for the title of this blogpost.