july 28-29
July 28th: Restin’ up
I slept in blissfully today and only woke up to Gabbi calling for Jenn out of the window around 10:30. Another pointless rehearsal was called “just for the Americans,” but since we weren’t at the last one, Jenn and I technically didn’t know about it. However, the other American bassoonist has been having jaw problems or something and apparently overdosed on Viacatin, so Gabbi was sent all the way back to the villa to retrieve Jenn to play the first bassoon part. Gotta love not having any means of communication. They should give everybody carrier pigeons so that we know what’s going on. Anyway, for lunch I had a fruit salad with some crackers and Nutella (it flows like wine here). Then I practiced until dinner, which consisted of leftover pastas, and before long it was time for our third performance of Suor Angelica. The singers were so unanimated and uninteresting, and it was all together, once again, a mediocre performance. Afterwards I had my Skype date with my parents, and back at the villa we had a peach and apricot fruit torte with cheap white wine, courtesy of Gabby. I’m actually getting more and more anxious about coming back to the States to get my second year going at Yale. I’ll have a new apartment, more money to make, and a handful of auditions to get ready for. I love new school years!
July 29th: More of the same
Today we woke up a little early to get some groceries before the mid-day heat set in. We went to a different grocery store today- the Co-op- and though it was a little farther than ‘Emme Piu’, it was much cheaper and the trip home was all downhill (nice when you’re carrying groceries for 4 people). The rest of the day was spent practicing and eating (grilled cheese/tomato soup for lunch, leftover chicken-bean casserole for dinner), and the evening was consumed by rehearsing and performing the cut-up concert version of “La Traviata.” The tenor, a young-ish American, was amazing. He sang with such ease and control, and belted out all of the altissimo sections perfectly. The soprano was an American as well, and though she was a good singer, something about her bothered me. It could’ve been her occasional flatness, but was most likely her skinny, bitchy demeanor. Oh, and the fact that she said something bitchy to Jenn about arriving late to that impromptu rehearsal yesterday. Anyway, the baritone was good, but sang like he was in molasses…always behind the beat and dragging down the orchestra. The conductor is a bit of a pushover and just let him drag every aria slower and slower. Maybe I should do some conducting next year...I think I could be pretty good at pushing people along and taking control. We were done about 11 and then hurried back to the villa. It had been thundering all evening, and the little flashes of lightening were a bit concerning with our 30-minute walk back home. It ended up thundering all night, but we think there had only ended up being a drizzle or two of rain. In typical Italian fashion it was supposed to rain, but decided last minute to change its mind.
I slept in blissfully today and only woke up to Gabbi calling for Jenn out of the window around 10:30. Another pointless rehearsal was called “just for the Americans,” but since we weren’t at the last one, Jenn and I technically didn’t know about it. However, the other American bassoonist has been having jaw problems or something and apparently overdosed on Viacatin, so Gabbi was sent all the way back to the villa to retrieve Jenn to play the first bassoon part. Gotta love not having any means of communication. They should give everybody carrier pigeons so that we know what’s going on. Anyway, for lunch I had a fruit salad with some crackers and Nutella (it flows like wine here). Then I practiced until dinner, which consisted of leftover pastas, and before long it was time for our third performance of Suor Angelica. The singers were so unanimated and uninteresting, and it was all together, once again, a mediocre performance. Afterwards I had my Skype date with my parents, and back at the villa we had a peach and apricot fruit torte with cheap white wine, courtesy of Gabby. I’m actually getting more and more anxious about coming back to the States to get my second year going at Yale. I’ll have a new apartment, more money to make, and a handful of auditions to get ready for. I love new school years!
July 29th: More of the same
Today we woke up a little early to get some groceries before the mid-day heat set in. We went to a different grocery store today- the Co-op- and though it was a little farther than ‘Emme Piu’, it was much cheaper and the trip home was all downhill (nice when you’re carrying groceries for 4 people). The rest of the day was spent practicing and eating (grilled cheese/tomato soup for lunch, leftover chicken-bean casserole for dinner), and the evening was consumed by rehearsing and performing the cut-up concert version of “La Traviata.” The tenor, a young-ish American, was amazing. He sang with such ease and control, and belted out all of the altissimo sections perfectly. The soprano was an American as well, and though she was a good singer, something about her bothered me. It could’ve been her occasional flatness, but was most likely her skinny, bitchy demeanor. Oh, and the fact that she said something bitchy to Jenn about arriving late to that impromptu rehearsal yesterday. Anyway, the baritone was good, but sang like he was in molasses…always behind the beat and dragging down the orchestra. The conductor is a bit of a pushover and just let him drag every aria slower and slower. Maybe I should do some conducting next year...I think I could be pretty good at pushing people along and taking control. We were done about 11 and then hurried back to the villa. It had been thundering all evening, and the little flashes of lightening were a bit concerning with our 30-minute walk back home. It ended up thundering all night, but we think there had only ended up being a drizzle or two of rain. In typical Italian fashion it was supposed to rain, but decided last minute to change its mind.