A Day in the Life of Vivica

Saturday, July 21, 2007

It's OOOOOOOOOOVER!!!!!!!

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Just enough time before leaving for Frankfurt airport this morning to blog one last time “on tour”… last night’s concert turned out to be in a monastery about half an hour outside of Wiesbaden; a beautiful venue, but with unfortunate acoustics, at least for coloratura!!!!! It took a while to get used to the sounds bouncing off walls and ceilings and coming at you from every direction. Even though I was standing directly in front of the orchestra I had a difficult time separating the real sound from the echoes. Anyway, by the second half I had gotten more accustomed to the sound patterns and had an easier time of it, but I have to say it was quite a contrast from the Concertgebouw. Mo. Labadie was joking that for those people who missed the concert yesterday, they could go today and probably still catch the second half bouncing around in there!

For all you movie buffs, the monastery turned out to be where they filmed “The Name of the Rose” with Sean Connery! All the orchestra members were getting their pictures taken in front of this little wooden door which was apparently the “secret door” in the movie. I am somewhat embarrassed to admit, being a fair Sean Connery fan, that I’ve never seen the movie. Have to put that on the list for my trip home to Alaska next month!

So, I’m most pleased with this past week’s experience, and happy to have been able to share some of it with you!

"Italia! Italia! Italia!"

posted by Frogge at 11:39 PM

27 Comments:

  • Arrivederci, uccello canoro più caro!

    Bella terra della canzone, la mia Italia, ciao!

    Acclamazioni.


    (compliments of Babelfish)

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at 6:53 AM  

  • Hola Vivica!
    I wanna congratulations to you because youre voice is amaizing and you are really nice :D
    I know about you just about a month, but i really like the opera and that kind of music...
    Mi name is alana, and im from argentina... :) if you want to, mi mail is pi_a_47@hotmail.com
    Congratulations again!
    Very good luck and god bless u :)


    ·Adiozz·

    By Blogger ·Dodger·, at 10:06 PM  

  • Hi Vivica! I'm so excited for your success. I knew when I heard you sing freshman year at Univ of Rochester chamber singers that you were going places. Congrats!

    Robin
    scraptweet@aol.com

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at 9:05 AM  

  • Hi Vivica.

    My name is Carlos de Fuenmayor. I´m from Spain. I live in Barcelona.
    My mail is carlosdefuenmayor@yahoo.es

    First af all, sorry for my bad english.

    Congratulations for your deserved world-wide success.
    Thanks to transmit us with your art and your voice, the happiness of life.
    Even my daughter ( 5 years old, named Ana ) it feels that when it listens to you to sing.

    Force with the study of español.It´s a beautiful language and a cultural baggage that accompany to you all your life.

    We ( the spanish people ) are ever longed to enjoy your voice.
    I hope will see you in the Teatro Real de Madrid in 2008.

    Luck, health and thanks to exist.

    Brava Vivica for ever.God bless you.

    By Blogger Carlos de Fuenmayor, at 2:50 AM  

  • I Vivica! I saw you last week in San Sebastián (Victora-eugenia theatre) in "l'Ottavia restituita al trono", and I wanted to congratulated you and all the other members ^^, it was great, and you really did a great role. Good luck in the following concerts!

    By Blogger Njamh, at 1:38 PM  

  • Ciao cara, spero che puoi tinterelleggiare a Venezia, qui a Parigi piove da due mesi.
    Ci vediamo al Malibran!

    Jérémie

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at 1:39 AM  

  • Hey Vivica,

    it's been a couple of years since I saw you perform live in Milwaukee and Pittsburgh (my old home!) but I am looking forward to the release of Atenaide in September and will probably get it from France early rather than wait for Amazon.com in the US to get their act together and get it listed. This looks like one heck of a production with not only you in all of your glory, but also my favorite contralto Nathalie Stutzmann (who says there's no such thing as a colatura contralto?) and Guilaumette Laurens, who was so fabulous in La Verita in Cimento, and Romina Basso, who I don't know at all, but judging from the brief clip up on dailymotion.com is a wonderful mezzo. I am eternally grateful that Vivaldi loved low women's voices because it allows me to indulge my passion for mezzos and altos.

    I saw on an earlier blog post your comments on Vivaldi and can only add that, for me, the thrill with Vivaldi is that he really doesn't write for voices. Everything he does is idionatically for strings, which is why it's so tough and so fabulous. He asks you to jump fifths and sixths (a mere string crossing for a violin). This is so unlike Handel, who writes for voices and is wonderful. But listening to vivaldi is always like watching a high write act with no net! It might not be fun for the singers, but it is always spectacular for the listener.

    I may also drive over and catch you in Minneapolis in November. That sort of depends on my teaching and travel schedule. I am hoping to spend maybe a month in London this summer and plan a bunch of trips across to the continent to catch performances. I'll have to check your schedule and see if I can catch you too.

    Keep up all of the fabulous work and don't write off Vivaldi yet! Just be a violin, or better still a viola or cello.

    A fan in Milwaukee

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at 8:05 PM  

  • Dear Vivica, I feel so queer and overawed to post my message among your many fan's ones. Probabily I'm the only one who regretfully hadn't had the joy to listen your fantastic voice alive in any theater of the World, yet. But you know, despite all, am one of your most fervent fan indeed, having the rare privilege to hear your voice in a familiar context, when you lovely talk and laugh far from the stages. I'm sure I will be the most envyied one, because of this.

    Ti adoriamoo, usignolo, e siamo tanto orgogliosi di te. Cugini Marco, Andrea, Monica e Ludmilla (bau!!), e zia Giorgina :-) Ti aspettiamo presto, tra un volo e l'altro... quando vorrai posarti ancora qui con noi un po'.

    By Blogger Fisico60, at 6:00 AM  

  • Hi Vivica:

    Seriously, please indicate whether you have ever had any thought of recording any Bach arias, from his Cantatas, which for me encapsulate ‘canto’ at its most sublime.

    I am so very curious to know.

    Cheers,

    Mario.

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at 7:30 AM  

  • Hi Vivica!
    I started listening to you because of my sister, Lala ( http://www.lalaragimov.com ), who is a great opera fan and who saw you in Los Angeles a couple of years ago. Your voice is gorgeous, as are you. I listen to Arias for Farinelli often when I drive and it takes me to another place. Thank you! I hope to see you live at some point in the future. Any plans for the San Francisco Opera? I live in Oakland. Please blog more often, if you get a chance. I love reading your entries. Thanks again for everything!

    Best,
    Rena

    By Blogger Rena, at 2:36 PM  

  • Hello !

    Just a message to say that I love your voice. My son love you too. He is 2 years old, it's you younger fan. He refuse to go to bed before hearing your aria for Farinelli.
    You should try to make video for babies, you would have immediatly a customer.
    chaleureuses salutations.
    O.G
    ogechter[at]gmail[dot]com

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at 12:08 PM  

  • Hello Vivica,

    In October, I made the travel to Venice to hear you in Bajazet. A Vivaldi opera (exactly two, I also saw Ercole sul Termodonte which was another great moment) was a dream come true for me. Your Irene was amazing, even better than in Montpellier. I am looking forward to hearing and seeing you on stage very soon in France, maybe in Paris in December.

    Raphaël

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at 1:54 AM  

  • HAPPY NEW YEAR, VIVICA!

    WE ALL LOVE YOU.

    (ME TOO)

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at 8:26 AM  

  • Hi Vivica,

    how should I start ... oh my God! ("One God, one Farinelli" haha).

    It was such a delight meeting you on Monday, after your last performance of Cenerentola in Geneva! Normally, I really don't care what opera singers do when they don't sing, what they look like, BUT ...
    you were so sweet and friendly to me, tu m'a donné la bise, only some minutes after your INCREDIBLE Cenerentola finale "Non più mesta". How exhausted must you have been!

    The other day, I must have been very enthusiastic, when I told my colleagues in the office WHO was actually singing in Geneva, that it was THE one and only Vivica, who is responsible for the most exciting fireworks on baroque opera stage since ... probably since names of singers ended on -elli, -ello, -ino? By pure accident, the dear friend of your costumer in Cenerentola heard my "ooohs" an "ahhhs", so she took me backstage with her to meet you.

    I cannot explain with words how exciting it was last October in Venice in Bajazet, when you entered the stage as Irene, looking around for Tamerlano, singing "Così la sposa" and ...
    Let me insert that it has happened to (poor) me a couple of times that "interesting" (haha) opera arias were skipped, like "Qual torrente che cada dal monte" in Giulio Cesare, that I adore, but never got to hear in 3 different productions, so I would have somehow understood that it was simply not possible to sing Farinelli's un-singable "Qual guerriero in campo armato" on stage. I would have watched the DVD from the Bajazet CD over and over, this is already marvellous (1000 thanks to the person who had this idea!). However in Venice, I was still hoping and praying that you would jump into this icecold water. A few instances later, Fabio Biondi started the 3 accords that mean pure ecstasy for each baroque opera junkie: you sang the un-singable!

    It must be so tough, somebody from your surroundings said on Monday what "horror" this aria is for you. And it's so fabulous for us!

    This morning, the ticket sales for Bajazet in Madrid started, it was sold out almost immediately. How happy am I that I managed to get one, Farinella in Madrid, wow! My friends don't understand me at all, they regard me as crazy. Yes I am. And I'm eternally grateful to the generation of you and the couple of other wonderful mezzo sopranos around you, the contraltos and the few good baroque conductors that it's so fascinating to be a baroque opera fan today.

    Now I haven't mentioned my fav composer Handel yet and your Rinaldo, your Polinesso and the old days in Munich, where you were Rosina, Penelope ... but I stop here as I would repeat myself. Will go to sleep and thank God that I don't need to be some depressive king of Spain to be sung to sleep by Farinelli/a!

    Take care Vivica,
    your Geneva/German fan
    Gudrun

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at 9:04 PM  

  • Hi Vivica,
    I would like to thank Gudrun who simply wrote exactly what one can feel while hearing you singing (on stage or on cd).
    I am looking forward to seeing you and your Irene once again in Paris on Tuesday.
    Take care,
    Raphaël

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at 4:14 AM  

  • Hi Vivica,

    I just wanted to thank you so much for your perfomance las night at Teatro Real. I really enjoyed the whole Bajazet concert, but it was your voice in the first act what made me cry.

    Thank you so much.

    ¡Salud!

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at 2:59 AM  

  • I totally agree with the previous comment:

    Vivica,
    your interpretation of Irene last night in Madrid was a revelation! Eternal thanks for moving me to tears, making me shiver, creating the most intensive reactions that I've ever experienced with music!
    What an unforgettable evening.

    Thank you so much,
    Gudrun (again, sorry)

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at 11:48 AM  

  • Congratulations,Vivica, on winning the Maecenas award.

    The only additional observation I can offer is that you look much more to me like Juliet than 'Romeo' any day!

    Arrivederci, uccello canoro più caro!

    Best of luck, always.

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at 2:47 PM  

  • ciao vivica!
    so this july you will record ercole by vivaldi?
    hope everything will go well as always!!

    kisses from italy,
    giovanni

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at 9:43 AM  

  • Hello Vivica! I'm an artist, and I listen to your recordings all the time in my studio during the work-day. What a wonderful treat to discover your blog! To be able to read the thoughts and feelings of someone I've only ("only!") known through her music! What a wonderful age we live in.

    I wanted to thank you for the fantastic master class you gave in Pittsburgh recently. I'd never been to one before, and it was fascinating watching you work. I've done painting demonstrations before, and had no idea what a lay audience would get out of it. Now I do! You opened up a whole new way for me to think about and enjoy singing. What a lot of work. What a huge amount of talent!

    I look forward to hearing more about your life, career and amazing art form.

    Bravo!

    -Chris

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at 6:45 AM  

  • Dearest Vivica,
    Hearing your Dopo Notte in Basel with A. Marcon was such a joy!! For me the long searched after, ultimate interpretation of this great, splendid Handel aria.
    Eternal thanks.
    A fan

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at 2:43 AM  

  • When first listenned "Bajacet" I could not believe your incredible performance! I was amazed with "Cual guerrieri in campo armato". I bought later "Arias for Farinelli" and both are always with me: in the car, at home and in the iPod. What incredible voice! Thank you and I hope to see you directly sometime.
    Francisco

    By Blogger Unknown, at 8:24 AM  

  • Hey Vivica!

    Emails aren't working.... Email me... Have a lot to tell you, including a broken leg! Totally blew out my knee.

    xx
    Mark C.

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at 8:27 PM  

  • i suggest to look for a new opera buffa "La cuoca di Rossini".

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at 7:21 AM  

  • dear Vivica! I 've been waiting for a long times to write to you, to tell you how I admire you: every time I hear your voice I feel a particular resonnance in me: I am a countertenor amateur in france ( Dunkerque) where I take singing lessons, and you're my model! Just what I wanted to say to you! Good continuation. Christian. christianbidoia@yahoo.fr

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at 3:52 AM  

  • Looking forward to seeing you live in Fairbanks Alaska. I just picked up my tickets. Thank you for returning to your home to support the state of Alaska 50th and more importantly the arts in Fairbanks!!!

    By Anonymous onesource, at 10:39 AM  

  • I thank the times. For the marvel of enjoying not only your art but your views and successes. I am taken by all the vistas you make us enjoy, aural and otherwise. And your beauty...

    Thank the times for you.

    Mr L. Ackerman
    Washington, DC

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at 12:51 AM  

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