MY LIST OF FAVORITE YOUNG OPERA SINGERS, 2012 AUDITIONS:
National Council Audition results from all districts still aren't in yet, but I'll list the singers I think may be among the district level winners who go on to regionals. I'm curious how *my* judging will compare with that of the Metropolitan Opera judges. I gave a star to the two singers (of the thirty I've heard) whom I would pick to advance to Regionals:
* Leah McIntire-Barnett, Soprano (see above post to hear her sing)
* Jesse Donner, Baritone (His voice was strong, full and sweet, plus he has a whimsical sense of humor)
Aani Bourassa, Soprano (I felt she had an even, melodious voice, strong both in the low and high registers)
Katherine R. Weber, Soprano (she tried out in 2008, too, but didn't make it past the district level. Once she turns 31, she won't be able to compete anymore.
)
Sarah Toth, Soprano (her singing was even, clear, and loud; a very capable singer)
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I have learned that one benefit of listening to opera singer competitions is that they introduce you to arias from operas you may have never heard of before.
For example, Katherine Weber sang a song, "But you do not know this man," from an opera, "A View from the Bridge," by William Bolcom, based on the play by Arthur Miller, who wrote the libretto for the opera. I read the play around five years ago, but I never realized it had been made into an opera.
A View from the Bridge - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Below is a scene from the play, "A View from the Bridge," that includes some of the words that are used in the song, "But you do not know this man."
The actress in this Broadway production was Scarlett Johansson, which may interest her fans on MusicBanter:
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I could find only one YouTube recording of the song and it has horrible sound quality, but it's the only one available, so here it is:
"But you do not know this man" from the opera "A View from a Bridge."
Hearing this modern song among all the arias by older composers like Mozart, Strauss, and Verdi, was a refreshing change:
But you do not know this man - YouTube