Florencia en el Amazonas BLOG
Members of the cast and production team share their experiences behind the scenes.
Daniel Catán's Magic |
| Posted on 3/28/2007 by Nathaniel Peake (Arcadio) |
It is so great to work, again, on a project written by Daniel Catán. In 2004, I was involved in Houston Grand Opera's New Music Week, where I was in the chorus on the recording project of Las Bodas de Salsipuedes (Caribbean Wedding), which is Catán's third opera. I remember the buzz in the halls of HGO over the magic that Catán creates in his operas. I finally have the opportunity to feel that magic in MSU's production of Florencia, Catán's second opera. This magic is not just in the libretto, but in the melodic lines and the passion of the orchestra. Maestro Raphael Jimenez is a fantastic conductor who stirs the cauldron of colors in the orchestra. I have no concerns with entrances or tempi as I run between the two levels of this amazing set. Perhaps the most magical part of this production on stage is our incredible set. There is something new every time that I walk on for Scene 1. Professor Melanie Helton has completely gone out to achieve something that provides visual stimulation that is on equal footing with the colors soaring from the orchestra. Everything has gone exceptionally well during this technical week of rehearsals. I hope that those viewing Florencia live or via webcast, experience the visual and aural magic that is being conjured for this great opera. |
Florencia's Transformation |
| Posted on 3/28/2007 from dress rehearsal on 3/27/2007 |
MSU Opera Theatre presents Daniel Catán’s Florencia en el Amazonas March 30-April 1, 2007. Pictured is Marla Fogderud, a graduate voice student in the College of Music who plays the role of Florencia Grimaldi, a great diva who returns to her native Amazon in search of her long-lost lover. |
Love at First Hearing |
| Posted on 3/27/2007 by Raphael Jimenez, Conductor |
The first job of any artistic leader is to sell the project to the ensemble, to convince them of the artistic value of the piece of art on which they will work. This initial motivation is a crucial factor in an educational environment. But in the case of Florencia en el Amazonas this has been the easiest job. Every student involved in this project has been immediately captured by the beauty of this lush-sounding score; even people walking by during the rehearsals ask about the piece being rehearsed. What happens is that Florencia appeals to the senses; it is sensual music, with a great collection of musical textures; it can be blurry, dreamy, nightmarish, mythical, romantic, or fantastic. And from the first note to the last, the music flows like the Amazon. For many, it will be love at first hearing. |
Still Tweaking . . . But Blown Away by the Beauty of the Show |
| Posted on 3/26/2007 by Melanie Helton, Director of Opera Theatre and Producer |
Tonight was the first time for an orchestra dress rehearsal. We are still tweaking sound and microphones. (I hate to have to enhance the singers, but because of the acoustics of our performing venue, it's necessary.) We work extremely hard to make it not sound "miked."
We had more lights and scenery tonight. Brian and Brent have created an amazing palette for the singers to play on. The alternate cast, while watching the other cast perform, was literally blown away by the beauty of the show. And, I must admit, I burst into tears at the amazing transformation of Florencia into the Butterfly tonight. It is the most beautiful effect I have ever seen in the theatre (and I have been singing with the major opera companies of the world for almost 30 years!). It all comes back to the singers. They are giving professional performances on every level. They look gorgeous, act gorgeous, and sound gorgeous.
Please remember to contact me with any feedback about the performances, either live or on the webcast. You can contact me at: heltonm@msu.edu. |
Custom Period Costuming Process |
| Posted on 3/26/2007 by Iris Fogderud (Costumer Fargo-Moorhead Opera, ND/MN) |
As the costumer for the Florencia, I will give you a bird's eye view from my standpoint. First, I will give you a little background as to how I came to be involved in this production. I am from Fargo, North Dakota, where I am, in the real world, the alterations supervisor for Macy's. I am involved in the Fargo-Moorhead Opera Company as the costume coordinator/costumer. For the most part, Fargo-Moorehead Opera rents many of the costumes for each production and I fit, alter, and sometimes supplement the costumes. For Florencia, however, I designed all of the costumes and sewed the principal women's costumes. The chorus and most of the men's costumes I put together from various sources. The final product is a long and sometimes difficult process.
Florencia is considered a period opera because it is set in approximately 1912. The movie Titanic was a great source of information, as was Howard's End, and also books describing and illustrating garments for this era. Other factors that must be considered, other than the period, are the climate in which the opera plays out, the variation in size and skin/hair color of each singer, and what each character is portraying. Sometimes I would be in the fabric store, just wandering up and down the aisles, until a certain fabric would jump out as the perfect color or pattern for a particular piece. I didn't have access to patterns for exactly what I wanted so most of the dresses are combinations of several patterns plus details that I added. I also didn't have access to the cast members as I was in Fargo. Fortunately, Marla Fogderud, who sings the role of Florencia, is my daughter. She measured all the cast members and sent the measurements to me. I built the costumes from those measurements and did fittings and the final adjustments after I got to Lansing last Friday. In many cases, what looks great in close proximity, doesn't "read" well from out in the house, so colors need to be over done and accessories usually larger than normal. After the first dress rehearsal when I see everything under the lights on stage, then I can make changes to suit the situation. There is usually a little "tinkering" that goes on right up until the moment the singers go out on stage for the opening performance.
This entire costuming process is a creative outlet that I enjoy. As an added benefit, it is a great opportunity for me to spend time with my daughter as she pursues her career and to interact with a great group of talented young performers. |
How Far We've Come. . . |
| Posted on 3/25/2007 by Melanie Helton, Director of Opera Theatre and Producer |
I am continually astonished by how our Opera Theatre program continues to grow. I sat in the house this evening with my graduate assistant, Laura Nanes, who started working with me as a first-semester freshman. She turned to me and said, with all sincerity, how far we've come since Secret Marriage, which is the first opera I directed at MSU during Fall 2001. All of the components that make wonderful opera are in place for Florencia ... scenery, costumes, lighting ... but most important, acting and all important SINGING... it is just knocking me out. I am the luckiest person in the world; I am so happy in my work. My students are amazing, and the fun is not in making them good -– it is in making them better.
If you are among those who watch the webcast, we would love to have feedback. We anticipate nothing but fabulous feedback. In case you lost the webcast information, the details are at: http://www.music.msu.edu/news/showrelease.php?id=192. Yours in Florencia! |
Debut Impressions |
| Posted on 3/25/2007 by Elizabeth Toy (Rosalba, Fri/Sun) |
Here we are with only five days before opening night. The process of learning a fully staged, costumed, and orchestrated Florencia has involved a lot of time and work but it is all worth it when you're on the stage living in the moment of the opera. This is my debut performance in an opera; I feel so blessed to work with the most extraordinarily talented professors and students at MSU. The cast, musicians, and crew are all phenomenal; I couldn't ask for a better introduction to this world of performing.
Last Thursday night was the second time I had ever seen the set; the first was last month while it was still in the shop being constructed at Meadowbrook Theatre in Rochester, MI. Everyone was so thrilled to see the "El Dorado" (the name of the riverboat on which we are traveling down the Amazon). You could see the excitement in each cast member's face. That night we had a technical rehearsal, which allowed the cast to become accustomed to moving around on the set without it being a distraction to singing. No matter how inspiring or intricate the set, an opera is all about the music; we must perform flawlessly and seemingly effortlessly. There was a chorus of "Oohs and Ahhs!" the first time the cast was on the set and the riverboat turned (the boat is the main setpiece; it is a revolving, two-level turntable). The set makes the action of the opera stimulating and vibrant; without it, there would be no visual interest. The set perfectly compliments the talent and energy of these very gifted students I am honored to be learning from and working with. |
Like Puzzle Pieces Coming Together |
| Posted on 3/23/2007 by Melanie Helton, Director of Opera Theatre and Producer |
Last night, for the first time, we got to see the fully constructed and operational set. It is amazing how metal and wood can be transformed into an Amazonian riverboat. The cast climbed around on the set and got comfortable with the decks, a ladder and stairs, all of which comprise the boat. Then, we practiced how the turntable is going to function. There is a crew member who's just in charge of running the motor on the turntable. He can make it turn either direction, slow or fast. The giant butterfly wings surrounding the main set are visually stunning. This afternoon, I'll get to see lighting effects on them for the first time. We also will hear, for the first time, the orchestra in the performance space. Everything is coming together for the opening night, which is in one week. |
A View from the Audience |
| Posted on 3/21/2007 by Daniel Ewart (Off-stage Chorus) |
Florencia en el Amazonas has a 40-member chorus, only eight of whom are on stage. As one of the off-stage chorus members, I can enjoy the opera almost as part of the audience, because I do not need to learn the on-stage artistic performance part of the production. (I do need to remain focused and sharp for the choral pieces.) This opera is a delight to watch and hear. I am excited to be involved in this historic premiere at MSU, although I have a small part to play. From my perspective, all of the singers are very well prepared and they sound fantastic. There is a buzzing energy during rehearsals that is contagious to everyone, including the chorus. I see a marked heightening of excitement in the principal singers now that we are having rehearsals with the orchestra.
The very dedicated and gifted MSU faculty, chamber orchestra, and technical staff deserve a grateful thank you. As much as we vocalists like to think that these shows are made possible by us, if it was not for the demonstrated skillful work of the conductors, directors, and crew, we would be boring, naked singers on a pitch black stage without an audience. That is especially true for Florencia.
I can not conclude without commenting on the music and the story. The first time I heard this music, at the time of auditions, I could not understand it. I knew it was beautiful, but it was completely different from anything I had heard before. The music of Florencia is beautiful because the lines and phrases are so exotic and lush that they take you right into the heart of the Amazon. The entire opera has this kind of mystical and mysterious overtone to it. A steamboat on a river journey is plausible. But Riolobo, the River Gods, and the exotic animals all having a seemingly enhanced sense of intelligence, and the Amazonian deep jungle having a general consciousness of its own both juxtaposed with the ideal of love above all else . . . is much more than just a story about three pairs of lovers. With that said I hope everyone who reads this blog has the opportunity to see the opera. You will not be disappointed. |
Excitement Grows |
| Posted on 3/21/2007 by by Melanie Helton, Director of Opera Theatre and Producer |
Tomorrow we load in the set for Florencia en el Amazonas. It is a 24-foot-in-diameter rotating turntable, with an upper deck connected by a spiral staircase. The idea is that the set depicts a river boat in an abstract fashion. Florencia details the nostalgic and mysterious journey of a legendary opera diva and her fellow passengers on a steamboat ride down the Amazon in the early 1900s. The passengers will seem very isolated and intimate by the surrounding of butterfly wings. Pictures of the set will be posted on this site after they are taken at dress rehearsal.
I just received an e-mail from the composer, Daniel Catán, who wants to get acquainted with the cast by taking them out for dinner on Wednesday night after the final dress rehearsal. What an exciting time for us - to get to sit down with a composer whom I have no doubt will become legendary.
The webcast is getting a lot of national and international publicity; it is listed on several opera chat lines, blogs, and webzines. Viewers can visit http://wmsu.org at 2 p.m. EDT, Sunday, April 1, for a live video webcast, featuring interviews with the composer, director, conductor, and cast; the 3 p.m. performance of Florencia will be shown in its entirety.
Last night was the final rehearsal before we move to the MSU Concert Auditorium. The students have continued to grow with their characters, both vocally and dramatically. . . and the music continues to thrill. More later! |
Transformational Coalescence |
| Posted 3/21/2007 by Sean Grier (Alvaro, Fri/Sun) |
Working on Florencia en el Amazonas has been a growing experience, in so many ways, for me and the entire cast. The music has challenged us to be not just performers, but embodiments of the characters and music we are presenting. It has been truly fascinating to explore the deep musical and emotional intricacies of Daniel Catán's score. Every aspect of the music, down to the last eighth note or dynamic marking, has a distinct purpose in communicating the saga of the libretto. With so many operas, old and new, it often seems that the characters are somewhat shallow, in the sense that they lack veridical development throughout the plot. Catán has created an opera in which the characters are representative of so many of our own personal passions, demons, and dreams. The characters never plant themselves in the center of the stage and repeat the same line of text for a six minute-long aria. The music and text instead present coherent and natural conversations and reflections, which empowers sincere and authentic drama.
As we enter this last week before opening night, I look forward to seeing the show coalesce. We are one step closer to the Amazon and the musical voyage that is representative of a journey we all make at some point in our lives, maybe even more than once. Florencia will be an experience that everyone will be able to connect with on some level. The music, the story, or a hybrid of the two, is something that not many opera audiences have experienced. So, I encourage everyone to attend this university premiere and allow yourself to be enchanted. |
Making Florencia Come Alive |
| Posted on 3/20/2007 by Colleen Papa (Florencia, Sat) |
Preparing for the performance of Florencia has been a long haul, but the end is in sight. The cast members have spent many hours plunking notes and rhythms, learning text, and doing the countless other things that go into preparation for an opera before full rehearsals actually start. Now each cast member is at a point where we are comfortable with the technical side of our vocal and dramatic performances. We have staging, blocking, gestures, emotions, music, text, and a picture of the set in our minds. Now we can make beautiful music! Now we can let our characters and character relationships genuinely blossom! This is the exciting part of opera preparation because we are truly making the show come alive! This next two weeks of rehearsals are very long, but it is actually my favorite part. All of the most difficult work is behind us (and believe me we are all tired); now we just keep adding layers of detail - it’s like the icing on the cake, YUM! |
Giving Your Heart and Soul |
| Posted on 3/19/2007 by Melody Sze (Paula) |
I am truly impressed by the beauty and flow of the music composed by Daniel Catán in Florencia en el Amazonas. I immensely enjoy working with all the other singers in both casts. They are projecting all of their emotions and energy into each scene. I am sure the entire cast will have wonderful performances. |
A Demanding Job |
| Posted on 3/18/2007 by Melanie Helton, Director of Opera Theatre and Producer |
Here we are, less than two weeks from opening night of the university (and west of Mississippi) premiere of Florencia. As the director and producer, I'm in charge of every aspect of the production. I'm so happy with what the students are accomplishing. Everybody from the doctoral students (Marla, Melody, and Joe) to the freshmen (Elizabeth and Matt S.) are doing fabulously. We had our first complete runthroughs today. The usual problems happened - memory slips ... weird staging due to our cramped rehearsal facilities ... pianist issues ... however, I was very happy with the results. The characterizations are growing day by day, and I am absolutely happy with the camaraderie of the cast.
Here at MSU we are truly a group effort. I love to see how the students support one another. They giggle (but with empathy) at each other's mistakes, and yet they all become rapturous when one is doing particularly well. In particular, we love Nathan Peake, who "goes to church" when someone else is singing particularly well.
So, after a full day of rehearsal on Sunday (2-5 and 7-10, with a lovely Bennigan's dinner break with my students in between), I'm home still doing work. I've been searching online for wooden folding chairs and a bistro table, and also for captain's hats. Because we don't have any sort of permanent technical staff, I end up finding a lot of props/furniture. I've become an expert at E-bay! In fact, we have two rubber iguanas thanks to E-bay.
If you're reading this and thinking about attending MSU as a vocal major, please don't hesitate to contact me at heltonm@msu.edu. Also, make plans to see Florencia, either in person or, if you are unable to attend in person, by live video Webcast. The details are at: http://www.music.msu.edu/news/showrelease.php?id=192. Have a great week!
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First Orchestration |
| Posted on 3/16/07 by Marla Fogderud (Florencia, Fri/Sun) |
Immediately before the end of the Fall 2006 semester, the cast received their music for Florencia en el Amazonas. Each cast member began memorizing their parts. For the last eight weeks the vocal performers have practiced exclusively with a piano accompanist or on their own with a musical recording. Today, for the first time, I went to rehearsal and sang the second and third arias with the orchestra. Hearing the orchestration in person for the first time was such a thrill. It's truly a wash of gorgeous sound; it made me feel like my voice was just soaring. This is so different from the feel of Mozart, I can't even explain. A lot of people may think about 21st century music as screechy and unpleasant, but nothing could be further from the truth with Florencia! Wow, what an experience to be one of just a handful of women to have sung this role thus far!! |
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