Today I had to have a meeting with my logistics manager (that’s
me) about the next few weeks, and then with my travel agent (also me) and my accommodation
liaison (that’s me too).
At one stage this week I had to put all these different hats
on, and more, with there being a very real possibility that I was going to
leave Stuttgart immediately and ‘jump in’ in a production somewhere else.
As I mentally prepared for the eventuality, I had to consider
all that was to be done. Notifying Bank, health insurance, finance office, o2
Deutschland, landlord, local government office and the Tuesday night pizza
delivery man of my change of address. Change flight home from 19th
July to as soon as possible. Pack room (pay for excess baggage). Donate various
items from room to whoever will want them. Book flight from London to destination of the ‘Jump
in’ for some point within 24 hours of arriving in London. Find accommodation in
new work place. Re-arrange auditions booked for next few weeks. Rapidly fill
out an A1 form.
And that is without ANY consideration for learning the
music, memorising the part and being prepared to slide effortlessly into the
third week of production rehearsals in a company who would be as surprised to
see me as I them.
Logistics
I have yet to hear either way whether I am jumping in so all
the above may still happen in some flurry of activity that I would no doubt
tell you all about. Not every change of location need be so hectic of course,
in fact this occasion is not aided by the fact that I am moving back to England
on July 19th anyway, but without the Jump in I would have 23 days to
get all that done – much less pressured.
We are very lucky to live in the era of the google travel
agent. Websites like rome2rio are a great source of travel help, transferwise is amazing for saving money sending money between countries and I have also
been very lucky with advice and help from various colleagues with what forms I
should have filled in, and should fill in for the future, regarding tax in
Germany, health insurance and the like.
Despite the help, it is a shame that I missed the ‘logistics
for a career in Opera’ course when I was studying. If there isn’t one, there
should be.
As I look to the next twelve months the logistical side of
things starts to get much more complicated. My December alone is starting to
look like the start of a Bourne film (London – Winchester – Stuttgart – Tel Aviv
– London – Granada….. sleep). Instead of being based solely in Stuttgart I will
instead be based at home in England, needing to find temporary accommodation for the
rehearsal periods here in Stuttgart and also for the show nights. As soon as
possible I have to work out when I will be staying and where I will be staying,
which flights I need to book and where to. As other work comes in these things
are complicated further. I won’t even start on potential cash flow issues….
And yet again, all this working out of coming and going is
done without any consideration for when I can learn the music, have singing
lessons, work on my voice (or pay for the lessons…. Unless one of you kind
readers would like to help out?!?) I must make sure there is time for these
vocal things or I won’t have any career to have to arrange anyway.
Lone ranger
This week rehearsals finished for Rigoletto, with the
opening night on Sunday 28th June. As the sole understudy for the
show, that’s not to say I am understudying ever role but that there are no
other understudies, I have been sitting diligently at the back of the auditorium
watching the rehearsals develop. I also finally got a chance to work on the role
myself, with a musical rehearsal with the conductor and then, on Wednesday morning,
a two hour staging rehearsal for all of Borsa’s scenes.
As with the Cosi, where I had to imagine five other singers,
the set and the orchestra, I was once again the only performer present. Fortunately we had the set in place, but Borsa
mostly spends time interacting with the chorus and imagining 25 people on stage
with you for two hours can make one think that they are going crazy.
Preparation
With production rehearsals now finished for the season, and
having three weeks left in Stuttgart, I can turn my attention to preparing for
some auditions and also doing some good fitness work.
The first audition is in Salzburg this Wednesday, my first
visit to Mozart’s birthplace and suitably I will be auditioning for a Mozart
opera. I have another audition for the same opera later in the summer, also in
Austria. It would be too convenient to succeed in both auditions, I will do my
best!!
In terms fitness, I am a lot fitter than I was earlier in
the season – I tend to be a bit precious about exercising too much before
singing and I am a sucker for comfort food. Having three clear weeks when I can
practise well in the morning, eat well and exercise well will be great.
Looking forward
I am also preparing mentally for what I need to do when I
get back to London. See friends and family I haven’t seen in an age, have some
singing lessons, celebrate my birthday but also get onto the next stage.
Firstly, I have decided to learn four core Mozart tenor
roles before my next contract starts in
November. So relearn Tamino from the
Magic Flute (with my now voice), keep Ferrando (Cosi Fan Tutte) going and learn
Don Ottavio (Don Giovanni) and Belmonte (Die Entfuhrung). I’m sure this work
won’t be wasted and if I succeed in the auditions coming up I will be singing
at least one of these four anyway.
Planning for three recital CD’s will continue, new publicity
photos will be taken, new tracks recorded for my website and a redesign of
website.
Finally I will get back to writing to, and meeting with,
current supporters, and writing funding letters to as many potential sponsors
as I can find. It is fair to say that being in an Opera studio is not hugely
beneficial to ones bank balance!! (if any of you are keen to sponsor a young
opera singer….. thomaselwin@hotmail.co.uk
)
Summer time
In the meantime, the weather gods have delivered a stonking
last few weeks here. 30 degrees Celsius for the next week. So I am going to go
and enjoy that!
Until next time.
Have a great week.
Tom
email me: thomaselwin@hotmail.co.uk
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