Master Class

Until today, the only experiences I'd had with master classes involved the class I'd had the chance to observe when I was interning at Lyric (given by tenor Frank Lopardo) and the Terrence McNally play.

Renee's class today was sold out (too late for those who spotted the above blurb in today's Chicago Tribune) and Pick Staiger hall was packed with music students, people who should have been in the office but took the day off to see The Diva (hmmmm), fans, friends and a lot of seniors.

There were four singers - a soprano, mezzo, tenor and bass. Each sang an aria once all the way through and then worked through sections of it with coaching from the Diva. It was interesting to me, because each of the young singers would sing their aria and I'd think "WOW. That was so good!" I couldn't think of a lot of things to correct - but then Renee would start talking and pointing out things that the casual listener wouldn't have even thought of. It made me really understand just how much is going on when you watch an opera singer perform! The breathing, the technique, the interpretation, the actual sound coming from your mouth! Renee is a good teacher. She emphasized that the most important thing for the students was to keep working with their teachers. She was not trying to undo what had been taught, but to give pointers that would help all of them develop as artists. She was funny, too, chatting with the audience and explaining to us about singing and all the preparation singers do. She also did a Q&A session and answered questions.