Hey.



I'm planning on auitioning as a singer (as well as a flute player) to the RSAMD for 2010 entry. I would need to sing 3 songs:

1) An old Italian Aria
2) An aria from Opera or Oratorio (not musical theatre)
3) An art Song

and at least one must be in a foreign language.

At the moment the songs that I have studied that meet the criteria are :

1) Vittoria, Mio Core! (Carissimi)
Caro Mio Ben (Giordani)

2) People that walked in darkness
The trumpet shall sound
( Both from Handel's Messiah)

3) Linden Lea
High Noon
(Both by R. Vaughan Williams)
Apres un reve ( Fauré) but only on a good day

Can anyone suggest a good programme, or suggest any other songs they've sung for uni auditions?

Making a choice from those I think the Vittoria rather than Caro - there's a bit more variety in Vittoria and I think it would generally be considered more technically demanding.

Is there a time limit? The trumpet goes on for ever and it should probably have the short recit that comes before it. Similarly with the people walking it would probably make sense to have the preceding one as well.

With the last three High Noon's probably the best choice (or it would be for me), they might not consider Linden Lea as a high enough standard and with Faure you've got the french issue, and you've already dealt with the foreign language with the italian.

There's no indication on time limits on the website.

And it doesn't say anything as to whether or not the recit is needed although I noticed other conservatoires ask them to be included.

Balance your recital.

Caro Mio Ben is a simple song so extremely difficult to pull off well, plus it is extremely well known, and a slow song to start?

Unless you are a fantastic lyric singer this is a trap for yourself. Trey somthing with a faster tempo Vittoria is the better bet, but look through the book and don't just limit yourself to those two.

Go for an oratorio/operatic piece with a recit. Recitative is hard, but pace it well, and you will win brownie points. Also look for something that has a proper Da Capo if you are sticking to the Baroque.

Have you thought about looking at Mendelssohn's Elijah? No need for a recit, but loads of scope for bass arias.

As for Art songs. Linden Lea is set for Grade 5! Again this means you need to pull off a very special performance for it to be considered good enough for audition standards.

I may be the first to state that in a concert a piece of music is a piece of music, but for a conservertoire audition, you do need to look at the technical content as well as the musical content.

Apres Un Reve is hackneyed (even though I love it and did it for my finals) try looking at some Duparc, Schumann, or lesser known Faure. Listen to some good Baritones singing the repertoire, good names from the past like Pierre Bernac, and for the German Repertoire Detriech Fisher Diescau.

I think this programme needs a through re-write I'm afraid and not just a mild tinker at the edges.

Jo

I agree with après un rêve - what about au bord de l'eau instead?

Have you looked at any Warlock? "The Fox" (poem by Bruce Blunt) is my favourite, and I don't think it's performed that often.

Thanks so much for all suggestions! I will have a look at them.

I know I don't have much of a voal repertoi, mainly because my singing teacher focuses more on old itlaian arias and songs from musical theatre for Standard Grade, Higher and Advanced higher programmes, but if if I do find a song I like I can take it along and we'll work on it.

It's just finding a song that's so dificult as there is so much on the syllabus.

Any suggestions and vocal audition experiences stories would be greatly apreciated

Just realised I said I was studying High Noon by Vaughan Williams, I meant SILENT NOON

Oops!

I thought that was what you meant... now this song is of a suitable standard. It is one I love to sing, and technically and musically difficult, yet so satisfying. If you can pull this one off, particularly the float needed on the phrase "Two fold silence was the song", yet really bring out the character of things like " deep in the sun searcherd earth..." " the dragonfly dropped like a blue thread..." "golden kingcup fields with golden edge where the cowparsley meets the hawthorn hedge..."

Now we are talking Steve!-flute!

Lascia ch'io pianga? x

Lascia ch'io pianga? is womans song. It is possible for men to borrow the castrati arias like Ombra mai fui and transpose them down an octave, but the ones which are rather more feminine are more awkward.

I still suggest you look at "Lord God of Abraham" or "It is enough" from Elijah (Mendelssohn) they are cracking arias, have the option of being sung in German too.

Have you thought of "Gia Sole del Gange" as your opening song. It might not be the hardest song in the book, but it is a good programme opener, particularly if you end with something like Silent Noon, and have one of those Mendelssohn Arias, or Trumpet shall Sound (with da capo) in the middle.

Hello

Nearly there

this is what I'm going for:

Starting with "VIttrorio mio core"

Ending with "Silent noon"


But for the opera/oratorio piece i'm stuck between two: "It is enough" from Elijah. I youtubed it straight after it was suggested by JOD (thanks)

and a lovely aria I found in a book of Baritone and Bass arias at school. It's "Bella siccome un angelo" from Don Pasquale by Donizetti.

I'm having such a difficult time choosing one!