MOZART, Wolfgang Amadeus
Don Giovanni K 527 (Don Juan)
“In quale eccessi… Mi tradì quell’alma ingrata”
Susan Bullock, guest professor
Olga Syniakova, student
Alina Artemyeva, accompanying pianist
After the student’s performance, Professor Bullock talks about the character of the aria’s persona, Elvira: she is somewhat crazy because of what has happened to her and has outbursts and abrupt changes in personality that the student should take into account when performing. She then comments on a technical issue in a certain jump to the high note where she changed the color too abruptly. It is important to take into account what happens in the music before she starts singing: she is as if searching for something, with frustration. Instead of thinking of several short phrases, it should be seen as one big explosion. It matters how she is on stage when she is not singing, especially in an audition.
She also recommends using hand and body movements only when necessary, avoiding “dancing” excessively. She must show anger and fury, but without clenching her jaw, keeping it relaxed. She advises her to think at each moment what the character’s feelings are when saying the text, always advancing in the story and the drama without stopping the thought, more involved in order to make it more interesting.
In addition, she must take care of the placement of the voice with the vowel e so as not to close it too much and not change its color, keeping the tongue flat and using the part of the jaw near the ears.
Later the feeling changes, Elvira feels sorry for him and then she must change the color to reflect this. The professor gives her more advice to improve the part with more complicated agility: moving the placement of the voice appropriately, avoiding pushing it and calmly taking a big breath feeling it as a single note without thinking about all the intervals. In addition, she does not have to spend too much energy on notes that do not require it.
Language: English
