Singing with dinosaurs: Confessions of a young US artist in Germany

A frustrated young opera singer has been spilling the beans to our friends Shawn E Milnes and Elizabeth Frayer. Sample:

If there is a silver lining to all the rampant Regie directing going on in Germany, it’s that you could show up the day of the show with your part learned, and simply walk on stage without a clue to what’s going on.  And you will be hailed for your bold artistic choice of bashful innocence and ignorance as long as the show goes on and they don’t have to refund tickets.

I’m often trading stories back and forth with my colleagues about disasters happening on stage due to fatigue, stress, or just dumb luck.  But it would take a serious calamity to jar an audience out of their seats.

The issue of Kammersängers is also something that I’m trying to wrap my head around.  These are dinosaurs that have been with the company for such a long time that they have accrued a sort of tenure..

More here.