I know, it's really been a while; sorry!  I've been busy with a few things relating to the current season, and have been scrabbling to put together a decent publicity package to stun theatres across Europe (well, hey, the world, if it's listening; anyone who is interested, please get in touch!) into letting me loose upon their stages.  

One of the aspects with which I had most trouble was the simple video shooting of me singing an aria or two.  You'd think it wasn't a difficult thing to arrange, but bringing together a great accompanist, a good piano, a venue that's not too acoustically dry yet not too resonant, a sound engineer, a videographer and myself in decent voice and looking elegant was like HERDING CATS!

I managed it in the end, and you can see one of the videos above (it's an excerpt from Kostelnička's Aria "Co chvila...", from the opera Jenůfa, by Janáček.  I always think of the late, great Philip Langridge when I sing this, as I first worked on it with him, and when he asked if I were singing it in the original language or in translation and I said the former, he grinned and said, "Oh great, you get to spit all over the audience in Czech!")

It's the details that you remember, isn't it?  Like wondering where to warm up the voice beforehand, and upon discovering that an ancient and venerable chapel was empty of tourists, asking the man at the front desk if it would be possible to sing a few scales.  He looked me up and down and said, dryly, "Just don't break any windows, then." (I'm pleased to report that I didn't.)

Or arriving early at the venue and not being able to get in, so that my lovely accompanist found me sitting in the car park in the sunshine, musing on how gravel is formed.  We had a good discussion about that; possibly not the usual prelude to a recording session, but I enjoyed it!

Or realising halfway through that it's all very well spending ages worrying about an outfit and whether it shows off one's waist, if one plonks oneself in front of a black grand piano in a black suit!

My favourite bit though was probably in the pub afterwards, where I definitely owed those who'd helped me a drink.  I felt like a red wine and asked what they recommended.  The barman, having asked about my preferences, offered a choice between a Shiraz and a Merlot, and gave me small samples to try.  The Shiraz tasted absolutely appalling, so, barely refraining from spitting it out, I pushed it back in disgust and picked up the glass of Merlot instead.  It was only when that one also tasted foul that a light came on in my head; I had to apologise profusely to the barman and explain that I'd just spent an hour and a half crunching bits of eucalyptus sweeties (I happen to like the way they clear my voice) and therefore my palate was shot to hell!  Embarrassing...

Anyway, with the idea being that I wanted very basic video, showing simply that this is what I look like and proving that I had recorded the aria in one take should people need proof (it's so easy to edit audio these days that this can be useful), I was not displeased with the results. 

The next step is to send out my publicity materials including the new recordings; much less daunting now that I have the video and audio under my belt, but still one of the tasks which generally strikes terror into an artist's heart...

(The audio of Fricka's aria was better vocally, but I was a bit overwhelming in the flesh, so whose whom I asked for an opinion reckoned it was better as audio!  If you're curious, it's here.)

As always, thanks for reading my irregular ramblings!

Well, that was pretty amusing.  I attended a concert of opera scenes yesterday evening, given by the chorus.  Many of them are friends of mine so it was a combination of support for colleagues, curiosity and a free ticket.  Never a bad thing.

 

Afterwards, I was chatting with a couple of women who eventually asked whether I was a singer too, and if so, was I a member of the chorus?  I said no, I was a soloist, and they asked if they would have seen me in anything.

 

Turns out they have between them seen just about everything I have done here, but totally failed to believe it was me each time!  (Yes, I *did* check whether they had eyesight problems, to forestall any snark comments...).

Slightly weird being in a profession where one is delighted not to have been recognised!

(They are now both coming to my next performance of Eugene Onegin - which they praised to the skies even before I let on that I was singing in it (thank goodness) as they said they still weren't convinced that I could possibly be the little old lady they remembered...)

Copyright:  Martina Pipprich

OK, und das war's. 

Last performance as an ensemble artiste here in Mainz.  SO amazing that I got to play Lady Macbeth.  Really, it was an honour and a pleasure.  So many actresses would literally give their eye teeth to get their... um, teeth... into this role.  And I even got paid for it!!  As an artist, leaving on such a high note (OK if I'm going to be a pedant, which I generally am, technically it was a very low note, being as the last word in this role starts on an E above middle C and simply goes down and diminuendos until there is no more voice left...) is wonderful.  And yes, I was inundated with flowers, wine, cards.  Thanks to the Staatstheater Mainz for two wonderful seasons.

Absolutely the best thing, however, was the reaction of my colleagues.  Not just the singers with whom I have shared the stage, but orchestra members, make-up artists, technical staff... I was incredibly touched by the affection I was shown, and only managed to avoid sobbing pathetically by threatening to haunt them all constantly until someone found me a decent role somewhere (translated into normal terms as, I shall be back, I live here for the moment, I have permission to practise in the theatre, and given that I am no longer an ensemble member, I no longer have to hold back on the glamour at premières, so watch out for the diamonds and Attitude!).

I'll be in England for a while (normally coinciding with the best of the weather here in Germany), but then intend to come back and hit the ground running.  Renovation of the website (www.katherinemarriott.com, for those who came in via the back door, as it were) is in process.  Photos done; recorded a couple of arias this afternoon with a wonderful pianist but have screeched to a bit of a halt because the software I used previously has lost its reverb options somewhere along the way, and the orchestra room we used is flat as a pancake acoustically.  I'll work it out somehow (if I have time; social life appears to be running on fast forward at the moment) and put them up when I can.

Meanwhile, thanks everyone for reading my ramblings for yet another year.  Next season promises to be different; who knows what will turn up?    Several of my colleagues have said that going freelance was the best thing to happen to them.  Yes, it's the worst financial climate for decades, but the possibilities are still out there.  I am now free to jump in or work as a guest where and when I please; should you come across anyone who needs a true dramatic mezzo, do point them in my direction!