Tuesday, September 13, 2011

GB blog - Pictures, Part 2

Alrighty, so I promised more pictures, and here they are! These were all taken Sunday and Monday, at various points around the area. For those who may not know, if you want to see a larger version of the picture, you can simply click on it to open it in a new window/tab. Sometimes this helps to give more detail.



A view of "Paradise" [The neighboring town of Paradiso :-)]



So many swans!



This guy was NOT my friend...



A less urban, more peaceful view of the lake



Paradiso and Monte San Salvatore [pictures from the top of that are below]



Apparently, the "No Swimming" sign doesn't apply to dogs...?



View of Lugano from the southeast



Funicular stats [auf deutsch...sorry!]



You can't see the 31 degree incline from here, but it was scary!



One must switch cars halfway up



Wow. Just...wow. These next few will, of course, speak for themselves. [At this point, by the way, we're nearly a kilometer up, with a 360 degree view!]



We still weren't the highest thing up here?






The whole of Lugano



My hotel from VEEEEEEERY far away!






I think that Jurassic Park is just beyond that bend in the lake...



The BIG casino in town



The church on top of the mountain












Right in the center, you can see the slope I was complaining about the other day! Haha! Not so impressive now, eh?



Lugano airport



Light the beacons! [Lord of the Rings reference]



I want to sit there!



Found it!



See? I'm here!



Totally worth it!!



Finally! I got a good picture of one of these guys!



This is where one can begin the 4-hour hike down the mountain. Thank you, but I'll pass!



See that tiny [33mm] cable? That's what brought us up here! EEEK!



Sign posted on the station before leaving the mountain



And just to cover all the bases!


Most likely, this will be my last Lugano blog. It has been a blessing and a blast! Thanks so much for reading! Grazie e arrivaderci!

~AJR

Monday, September 12, 2011

GB blog - Monday 12.09.2011

The past 48 hours have been quite the roller coaster of emotons! I've been trapped squarely in the middle of disappointment and elation. Of course, there is absolutely nothing over which to be disappointed, but that's human nature, right? We all want to win, haha. Today, however, has been a potentially life-altering time for me - all for the good, and all from not placing first.

This morning, I decided to take the funicular up to the summit of Monte San Salvatore (the highest easily accessible point in the area). I promise that I'll post pictures soon! While there, and while enjoying the breathtaking 360 degree view, I had the wonderful fortune of sitting on a bench all alone. This wasn't just any bench, and I wasn't only somewhat alone. This bench was on a rocky promontory about a quarter of a mile from the nearest person. While enjoying the stunning view, I began reflecting on the week, specifically the competition. I'll admit that I'm not as frequent in prayer as my proclaimed religious affiliations would imply, but in moments of relative (or total) solitude, I tend to turn in that direction.

Over the course of the next ten minutes, I was granted a decidedly large epiphany about the outcome of the week - I was shown that placing, but not placing first, was absolutely the best thing that could have happened to me at this particular juncture. During the last few months, I had become over-confident and outright complacent about my abilities. I came here fully confident that I would be completely successful, and that I was ready to, with no further adaptations, head full force into a professional career. Fortunately, though this was incredibly difficult to see at first, I was not the winner, and was able to be humbled in not too crippling a fashion. I still made a good showing, walked away with a decent chunk of cash, and (most importantly) was given the ability to confront the technical issues that an excess of self-assurance has caused.

The panel was ever so generous in both their compliments and their advice. They appreciated that I used my whole instrument, and that my voice has a large volume with a "sparkling, dramatic color." (They clarified that they did, in fact mean dramatic pretty much in the Fachsystem manner, which made me chuckle, since I've never known that to be a plus for a countertenor. They, however, believed it to be crucial in this day and age. Yay!) Three primary technical/performative issues were addressed, and they are absolutely correct - I tuck my chin when attempting to carry the head voice too low, I open up too much in the upper register (more on this in a minute), and I tend to default to gesture, rather than vocal/facial expression. It was clear that they believed me capable of addressing these issues in virtually no time, and they whole-heartedly encouraged me to continue on the competition circuit in Europe (indicating that to be the best way to "audition" for folks here).

About the upper register...apparently, I'm listening to too many Baroque mezzo-sopranos who do just that - open up over the secondo passaggio. They could even tell me the exact singers to whom I listen, haha. They felt confident that these upper notes (mainly above F) are super easy for me, but that I don't do myself any favors in singing them the way I do. Most crucially, I am pushing sharp up there. It was said that one must never be sharp in Europe! (Quite the difference from the "it's better to be sharp than out of tune attitude in the US, eh?) They encouraged me to find a more domed shape up there, and gave me some suggestions about some aural models to examine.

One of by biggest concerns with this competition was my choice of repertoire. My program was heavy and mostly romantic, and European countertenors tend to be the exact opposite of that, when it comes to vocal quality. However, every single panelist was clear that they believed this music to be perfect for me, and that I would give any mezzo-soprano a run for her money, if I can adjust these small technical things. I can't wait to get home and get to work!

I think tomorrow will be my Day of Churches, as well as a day to do any shopping that I might do. I won't likely do a lot, but something one-of-a-kind might catch my eye. One never knows! If I'm properly motivated, I'll post pictures later tonight. If not, it'll be tomorrow. They're worth the wait, I promise! Thanks for reading!

~AJR

Saturday, September 10, 2011

GB blog - Saturday 10.09.2011

Sooooooo...today is the big day, huh? (My stomach just flipped over while typing that...) At this point in the day, I'm down at my favorite bench by the lake, writing this in an attempt to take my mind off the inevitable. I am one of six finalists, and I sing first (a fact for which I am infinitely grateful) at 3pm local time. The singers should be finished no later that 6pm, and the award ceremony is at 6:30. That means that in 7.5 hours, all the preparation, stress, etc. will finally be over.

I am simply amazed at some of the talent here. For me personally, two of the singers truly stand out - not to mention worry me, haha. The first is Christopher Ainsle, originally from South Africa, who has a golden voice and sings everything from Bach to Howells with 110% emotional commitment. His "King David" literally gave me chills. Truly stunning. The other is an (I believe) Uruguayan singer named Leandro (I can't for the life of me remember his surname). His performance was not only technically flawless, but highly dramatic - he showed every word/phrase/idea with his face and gestures. Naturally, everyone offered something specific to their own performance that was worthy of championship, but to delineate all of it would take quite some time indeed. Perhaps I will make that effort in the next day or so...?

On a totally different note, I have noticed some striking cultural quirks that I never expected. For example:
* Unlike Berlin or Milan or Paris, the women here do not, on the whole, wear heels. Mostly, I'm seeing flats, with a handful of sandals scattered throughout. My inclination is to believe that this is related to the overall steep incline of the city, but who knows?
* I saw someone receive a citation today for not having a valid bus ticket. To my complete surprise, the officer NEVER checked the guy's ID! He had him fill out his own address and such, but never verified it...odd.
* It appears that the cultural norm is to, when walking toward somene on the sidewalk, pass someone to their right (weird wording, but to be clear, we pass to a person's left in the States). I have had numerous near-collisions while trying to "be polite" by passing on the left. Nope...doesn't work.
* Motorcyclists are, apparently, immune to standard traffic laws. They dart in and out of traffic - driving up the dotted lines, jumping into any available gaps between cars. Of course, this may or may not be sanctioned by law enforcement, but it seems to be standard procedure on every road in the city.
* Dogs are children, and as such are welcome virtually anywhere - restaurants, shops, buses, etc. They are, however, infinitely more well-behaved than most dogs one finds in the US.
* In a counterintuitive contrast to this, the human children here seem to be a bit wild. I don't know if it's the lake air, or what, but they pretty much run around screaming at all times, without the obvious supervision of an adult. Were this only taking place at major tourist attractions, I wouldn't think on it twice, but this is happening in residential neighborhoods as well!
* As a result of the last fact, I have learned that, when playing tag and/or hide-and-seek in Italian countries, one counts to 18, rather than 10, 20, 50, etc. I can't determine the reason for this, but it has proven to be consistent through numerous games. (Apparently, I'm a closet anthropologist/ethnographer, haha.)

I've come to the determination that the people one sees in larger US cities walking around, talking to themselves and gesturing wildly, may not, in fact, be psychologically disturbed. Perhaps they are, in reality, practicing their Italian, and having mock-up conversations with various people (hotel/restaurant employees, bus drivers, etc.)? At least, that's MY current excuse, here in Lugano... ;-)

Yesterday, while waiting for the semifinals results, a few of the singers and I spent a lovely time chatting with Singora Bergamo (the wife of the competition benefactor). She is an utterly charming Chilean woman, who was ever so considerate of my linguistic handicaps. Most of the folks in the conversation were Spanish speakers, and so that was the preferred language. Signora Bergamo, however, was constantly reading my expression to double-check my comprehension. In general, I could keep up, but sometimes I was lost, at which point she would graciously turn to me and translate. Bless her...I've got to get better at this!!

[Oh dear, someone down the street is singing a cover of John Lennon...]

I'm still trying to determine if I want to take a day trip to Geneva, primarily for the purpose of visiting CERN. It would make for a VERY long day, but it might be worth it. First and foremost, I need to make sure they offer tours in English... Their Twitter account always posts in English, so I'm assuming that it is the standard language for the site, despite being in a VERY French region of the world.

Alrighty, well, I'm about typed out, and I need to go purchase several liters of water at the local Migros (Italian equivalent of Kroger, sort of). I'm having a very difficult time staying hydrated here, so I'm constantly in danger of a coughing fit. Can't let that happen today!! Thanks for reading! Hopefully, I'll have some super-wonderful news the next time I write!!

~AJR

Friday, September 9, 2011

GB - semifinals results

I'm in the finals!!!! A total of 12 singers were in the semifinals with half of us progressing to the finals. Sooooooooo excited! I'm truly too tired to say a lot tonight, so I'll write more tomorrow!
Goodnight all!
~AR

Wednesday, September 7, 2011

GB blog - Pictures, Part 1

Hey guys! I thought it would be worth my while to just post a blog of pictures and captions, since I have little to report between yesterday and now. I will say though, that it is a challenge to prove that you have a reserved practice room when your command of the native language is not so good...haha.



I didn't expect so many lizards! These are just 4 of the hundreds outside my hotel the first morning!



My first true look at Lake Lugano...wow...I was literally breathless!



The swanky part of town :-)


Fun building and garden with a really cool tree



Sooooooo beautiful...sheesh!



I'm not sure what this guy conquered, but I'm certain it was worth it!



Very weird bull...



Beautiful fountain by the lake



I tend to take this particular picture in every city, haha



Chess...but bigger. Not quite like Hogwarts, but getting there!


I may go out on one of these next week!



Louis Vitton on the corner. No big deal. P.S. This parking lot was a SCARY place!



The sign says that the funicular is no longer running, which means...yep, I climbed it...



The halfway point...*panting*



I made it!! *wheezes* *falls over dead*



I guess it could always have been worse - at least I didn't have to climb THAT! :-P



The climb was TOTALLY worth it!



Right in the center (through the branches) is where I started these lake pictures



Just a little something for my mom :-)


That's what I have for now! I hope you enjoy them! I'll post more soon, I hope!
~AJR