San Francisco Opera has invited Classical Singer Convention ‘07 participants to attend the first of two stage/orchestra rehearsals for the prestigious company’s new production of Don Giovanni. This rare opportunity will be on the last day of the convention, May 26, from 1-5:30 p.m. Convention attendees who choose to stay the weekend might also choose to take advantage of SFO’s free outdoor concert in Dolores Park on the following day (a highly popular event featuring artists from the company’s summer season).
David McVicar’s new production of Don Giovanni is a coproduction with the Théâtre Royal de la Monnaie (Brussels) and is headlined by a superb cast, including baritone Mariusz Kwiecien (Don Giovanni), soprano Twyla Robinson (Donna Elvira) and soprano Hope Briggs (Donna Anna).
Kwiecien, who made a remarkable debut with SFO in 2004’s La bohème, expressed excitement at returning to “a beautiful opera house run by great people in a city filled with genuine lovers of art and culture.” A stage/orchestra rehearsal is the time when all the elements are finally put together, he adds. “It’s hard work because you only get one or two rehearsals of this kind and they are demanding. You are working on your acting, your voice, what the conductor needs, and what the director needs, all at once, so concentration is key.”
Despite the endurance required for these rehearsals, Kwiecien keeps his focus by “always singing full voice and giving 100 percent energy.” He feels that helps him and his colleagues know best what to expect and what adjustments to make, “but we typically get two days of rest after those rehearsals, which are also very important to a great performance.”
Robinson, who has also performed at SFO and is both an alumna of its Merola Opera Program and a recipient of its Adler Fellowship, recalls fondly that SFO is run “with the efficiency of a machine,” a sentiment fellow cast member, Hope Briggs, shares. Robinson’s approach to staying cool-headed at the final rehearsals is to “go as an open slate, yet still be able to deliver the character a thousand different ways, if necessary.”
For Robinson, part of what makes a scheduled SFO performance so exciting is that the company doesn’t stick to a signature style, so cast and audience never know what to expect with any new production. She also feels that the difference between a stage rehearsal and a real performance is very slight, so convention participants should keep in mind that “the singers are not actually performing, they are still working and processing. . . . It can be interesting for an auditor to get a feel for the subtle differences.”
Briggs has great memories of her SFO debut as the Duchess of Parma in 2004’s Faust. She remembers that everyone—from costume, to administration, to hair and makeup—was extremely supportive. “There is just a great spirit of goodwill in that house, not to mention that the quality of their productions is very high.” Briggs feels that those two facts alone make it a lot easier on the artist to manage the pressures of those final rehearsals.
As is de rigueur in the opera profession, Briggs receives little information beforehand about the nature of the actual production, though “this Don Giovanni might be a little darker, in terms of the presentation,” she suspects. “I’m also really excited to work with Maestro Runnicles. . . . He is a conductor who really breathes with you and highlights your singing.”
Briggs agrees that observing rehearsal is an excellent way to understand the inner workings of an opera house. Her own rehearsal “trick” is to figure out her pacing in advance.
“For me, what’s helpful in a rehearsal is knowing when to sing full out and when to lean in to a note and let it grow. Every rehearsal is different. Some conductors and directors go straight through without stopping, others might stop and do repeats or look at a passage again with the orchestra. The singers also may or may not decide to mark their parts.”
Riggs takes a guess at what convention attendees who attend the rehearsal might expect. “Most likely we will be in costume, with or without hair and makeup. This is important because often you need to get used to an item of clothing, like a corset, or a certain prop—that can help tremendously with emotional preparation.
“Don Giovanni is more of an ensemble piece, so there’s less chances of there being a lot of stopping in the final rehearsals, unlike productions which require a lot of people on stage singing and moving. If anything unusual happens, it’s more likely to be of a technical nature, such as a piece of scenery not working properly. Normally, it kind of flows, but again, you never really know until you get there.”
Briggs’ recipe for success? “It’s essential to give your full attention to the director and conductor, not be disruptive, and be a good colleague. People really appreciate it when you come to rehearsal prepared and ready to work. It not only makes you a better performer, but you also learn a lot more. And when one person is truly committed, it breeds more commitment and more hard work from others.”
