SubCategory Archive (tags): ‘Opera’

Gaze into the Dark Opera Pit

PUBLISHED: September 15, 2010, Bruce Hembd

Many times when I am in the orchestra pit audience members will stop by and look inside. Sometimes – from the musician perspective – it can feel a little bit like being a monkey in a zoo. Musicians accustomed to staged performance can practice in peace, without being stared or waved at. In a pit, [...]

Categories:

Performance & Playing

Sub-categories:
Opera

The Musician’s Highway to Hell: The Hidden Costs of Freelancing

PUBLISHED: September 10, 2010, Bruce Hembd

As a young professional I eagerly accepted playing jobs anywhere they could be found – no matter how far they were or how little they paid. I was still wet behind the ears and needed the experience. I showed up bright-eyed and bushy-tailed, ready to play anywhere or anytime for anything. When living and working [...]

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Sub-categories:
Opera

Rehearsing for an Opera

PUBLISHED: September 8, 2010, Bruce Hembd

For a player new to the world of opera, opera rehearsals can feel a little foreign. The music can go on for long periods – not unlike in Mahler or Bruckner symphonies. Tempos can suddenly shift and change every 2 or 3 measures. You really have to stay on your toes. The progression of rehearsals [...]

Categories:

Performance & Playing

Sub-categories:
Opera

An Interpretive Approach to Siegfried’s Horn Call

PUBLISHED: July 9, 2010, Bruce Hembd

A good place to start when studying the horn calls from Siegfried or the Rhine Journey is within the character of Siegfried himself. The Ring and its roots in Nordic mythology are a huge interpretive resource. Building this story in your mind — whether it be for an audition, an orchestral performance or in …

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Sub-categories:
Excerpts, Opera, Siegfried, Wagner

Forging the Sword; The End of ‘Siegfried’ Act I

PUBLISHED: July 7, 2010, Bruce Hembd

Even with the Long Call aside, playing principal horn in Wagner’s horn-tastic opera Siegfried is nothing short of a Herculean task. To help reinforce and illustrate that notion, today’s article features a few samples from Siegfried, Act I/Scene III. Scene III begins with the hero Siegfried becoming persuaded then determined to reconstruct Nothung, a mythical [...]

Categories:

Auditions

Sub-categories:
Excerpts, Opera, PDF, Siegfried, Wagner

Slaying the Dragon; Before & After the Siegfried Horn Call

PUBLISHED: July 2, 2010, Bruce Hembd

For the French horn player, there is lots of fun playing to do in the opera Siegfried from Wagner’s Ring Cycle. This composition, in my opinion, should always rank high in any hypothetical list of top classical compositions for French horn. Of course for starters, there is the famous Long Call in Act II of [...]

Categories:

Auditions

Sub-categories:
Excerpts, Opera, PDF, Siegfried, Wagner

Mini-Poll: Siegfried Horn Calls

PUBLISHED: May 5, 2010, Bruce Hembd

When searching on YouTube or Google for the famous Siegfried Horn Call, three performers consistently show up: Hans Pizka Annamia Larsson Helene Tomböck Which is your favorite? Vote on your favorite below in this completely unscientific and anonymous poll. In other words, this is just for giggles. For RSS readers, this post will only work [...]

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Sub-categories:
Annamia Larsson, Opera, poll, Siegfried