Opera Auditions and Excerpts
Albert Herring by Benjamin Britten; Guest stage director: Nicola Bowie; Conductor: Octavio Mas-Arocas; Vocal coach: Bonnie Koestner
Auditions for Albert Herring are scheduled for Monday (and possibly Tuesday) evenings September 24 and 25, 2012. This is a comic masterpiece (with some serious undertones) that offers a large cast of unique roles, each of which presents exciting challenges in character development, musicianship, and vocalism. It is particularly appropriate that we produce a Britten opera in 2013, as that is the centennial of his birth, and there will be many performances of Britten's works throughout the world. Opera America has identified Britten as the most performed composer of opera born in the 20th century. He is also the next great British opera composer after Purcell - only about 250 years apart!
Here are some FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS, followed by specific information regarding audition excerpts and roles. Please, carefully read ALL of the information.
When are the performances?
February 14-17, 2013, with production week rehearsals in the preceding week.
When are the regular rehearsals?
During first term, there are rehearsals at the following times:
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5:50-6:50 Mondays
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5:30-6:30 Wednesdays
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3:10-4:20 Fridays
You should keep these times free, though you may not be needed for all of them. There will also be individual coachings to suit your class schedule. These will happen on a regular basis for all cast members.
During Term II, we rehearse Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Sunday evenings 7:00-10:00. Again, you will probably not be needed for all of these, but you should plan to be available. During production week, there are rehearsals every evening.
Will there be a Reading Period rehearsal?
Yes, there is typically an extended Thursday afternoon opera rehearsal during Reading Period. This is particualrly critical when the performances are in 7th week.
Might I be cast in a role for which I did not specifically audition?
Yes. Casting will take into consideration both your abilities and the needs of the production as a whole. It is the policy of the voice department that auditioning for the opera constitutes an agreement to participate in whatever role you are assigned. If there are serious concerns about vocal appropriateness, these will be carefully discussed with your studio teacher.
Should my audition be memorized?
You are trying to make the best impression possible, aren't you? You will be far more competitive if you memorize. That is why the audition excerpts are being provided for summer break.
Can I be in both the musical and the opera?
Yes, students often do both. They are busy, but both the theatre and opera faculty extend every effort to make it possible for talented and well-organized students to participate in both productions.
I've heard that Albert Herring is a hard opera. Is it too difficult for me?
A quick Google search turns up a large number of recent university productions: Northern Arizona U., Indiana U., Montclair State U., Princeton, Northwestern, DePauw, etc. I helped prepare a production at the San Francisco Conservatory some years ago. I am convinced that Lawrentians are every bit as smart and musically capable as students at these other schools. Having said that, yes, it is a challenging score, and you will have to work at it. It is also regularly performed by professional companies and festivals, most recently LA Opera. So, this is an important 20th century work that will have much to teach you and will be an excellent credit on your resume.
What roles are right for me?
A detailed description of roles follows this set of information. General voice type requirements are:
High coloratura sopranos: Miss Wordsworth
Big voice sopranos or big voice quite high mezzos: Lady Billows
Mezzos or sopranos with full middle range who are ingenue types: Nancy
Mezzos or maybe sopranos with full middle range and some low notes: Mum
Mezzos with strong chest voice and some high-ish notes (This is the lowest range of the women's parts): Florence Pike
Sopranos or Mezzos of shorter stature: Cissie, Emmie, and Harry (Please note: We will need to cast people in these roles who are not obviously bigger than the "adults." However, short people will not be eliminated from contention for other roles simply because of their smaller stature.)
Tenors: Albert and Major Upfold. Both are significant roles with plenty of stage time. Albert has more solo singing. Tenors might be cast in one or the other. However, if you are particularly interested in Albert, you should learn the Albert excerpts. If you (or your teacher) feel you would be better auditioning for the Mayor, you may learn those excerpts, but you will be less likely to be considered for Albert in that case.
Baritone: Sid and Vicar. Both are in similar ranges, perhaps a bit higher for the Vicar. I have combined audition excerpts so the baritones will sing some of each. Don't be put off by the occasional high F#s and Gs; these may be sung head voice or falsetto as needed.
Bass-Baritones: Superintendent Budd. This is more bass-like in timbre than the above baritone roles, and sits somewhat lower most of the time.
If you are uncertain what roles might suit you, please email Prof. Koestner (koestneb@lawrence.edu) and your studio teacher. There is certainly some overlap in castability for roles, but please choose one set of excerpts for your audition (in the case of baritones including both roles as described above.) You will be cast as best suits you and the production.
Should I wait until next fall and try to learn the excerpts then?
Not recommended.
What will you be looking for in the auditions?
These qualities might apply to any audition for anything, but I think they are particularly important for a work like Albert Herring: 1) Clear and expressive text. This opera won't work unless all of the words can be understood and are delivered with meaning. 2) Musical accuracy. This is not a score that can be learned from listening repeatedly to a recording. You will need to demonstrate your ability and willingness to learn pitches, rhythms, and expressive marks from the printed page. 3) Good vocalism and acting ability.
