Haiku #19 Get out your opera glasses!

Most people are surprised to find out that I sang opera all through college.  I have many friends who gravitated towards musical theatre and I teach that to most of my students.  But, I was a student of the Italian technique of singing, so I have a special spot in my heart for opera.  It was after all the early version of musicals, with drama, murder, gore, suspense, unrequited love, and intrigue.

I still remember the day my voice teacher had me buy the Prima Donna's Album.  The thing is bursting with arias (note: an aria is an operatic solo or a monologue in song...like a really early version of Frozen's Let it Go. shudder. maybe that wasn't the best comparison).

Anyway, my teacher gave me an advanced aria and some tips on how to trill and then sent me off to learn it while I was doing a study abroad in New Zealand. I still remember finding a piano in the common room of the activity building and having to sing when no one was there.  On occasion someone passed by and gave me a quizzical look. Well, I took that aria ("The Jewel Song" about a woman falling in love with glam from the opera Faust) and won second place in a competitive competition!  All the work paid off.

Well, tonight after many years my husband and I are returning to see the opera.  It will be Don Giovanni by Mozart and I am very excited!  Most people think of Mozart as a musician of the orchestra but I learned fast that Mozart's best stuff (in my humble opinion) was what he wrote for singers.  His operas were the ultimate trip and singing his stuff was a pleasure.

Tonight should be awesome and I am so ready to get my culture on without 15 trips to the bathroom with my toddler!

Aria
by Kate Cowan

The music controlled,
muscular and breathing strong.
my voice soars above.