Author Topic: new to opera and kind of scared  (Read 7798 times)

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ernlin

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new to opera and kind of scared
« on: Apr 10, 2009, 07:08 pm »
so i just got a job for the summer being an ASM for an opera. this is all good news but i have never done opera before. i have been looking at the other message boards and i still have a few questions.

what are the primary duties for the ASM?

what is the rehearsal process like?

what should i do if i am not fluent at reading music?


BKrynicki

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Re: new to opera and kind of scared
« Reply #1 on: Apr 11, 2009, 01:54 pm »
Congrats on getting the job, it can be a lot of fun and there's likely great music!  Primary duties will depend on the stage manager and how they like to divide up responsibilities on the team as well as on how many ASMs there are.  ASMs are often responsible for Prop and/or Costume running documents as well as the WhoWhatWhere.  The extent of that content is up to your SM.  Sometimes it's just entrances and exits and applicable props/costumes, sometimes it includes tech cues as well.  ASMs typically cue all entrances especially for chorus and supernumeraries (extras).  Principals may take their own entrance cues, but you should be there in case they fall asleep.  Each SM works a little differently and they should be able to guide you in this.

Rehearsal process: Often the first day is a musical sing through of the show, sometimes they just do music of the pertinent scene right before staging it.  Actual staging rehearsal will look familiar as far as resetting props, having rehearsal costumes available.  The conductor may request coaching time for a certain singer if he feels they need more work, that's usually private time and SMs are not needed.

Music reading fluency: I take it from the way you phrase the question that you have some familiarity with reading music.  If so then the best way to become more fluent is to borrow a recording of the opera and listen to it while following the score.  Then do it again.  As often as you need.  While one can often follow the vocal line that shouldn't be relied on in case the singer is off by a bar.  Get used to following the orchestra (piano) line.  If there's a particularly difficult passage you can either count beats diligently or even ask the accompanist for guidance in how to follow it, they are often helpful people.

Good questions. Let me know if you have more.

Beth Krynicki

BKrynicki

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Re: new to opera and kind of scared
« Reply #2 on: Apr 11, 2009, 02:21 pm »
A few more music reading tips I thought of....

I find it helpful to highlight all the time signatures so I know when it changes from 2/4 to 5/8 to 3/4 etc.  Helps counting.
Hopefully the score also has "rehearsal numbers" in it, I highlight those too.  These are sequential numbers usually inside a square or circle, they refer to the orchestra parts and are frequently used to communicate to the music staff/orchestra where to start again.  They've always seemed randomly placed to me and rarely are they exactly where you want to start.  For example the maestro may call out "we starting at 3 before 25" meaning 3 bars before rehearsal no. 25.  One usually refers to placements on the page by page no/system/bar.  A system is each complete line of music (the soprano's line plus the right hand's and left hand's lines of the piano).  A bar is delineated by the vertical line that goes top to bottom.  So 107/2/3 would be on page 107, second line of music, third segment of that line.  Hard to explain without a visual aid, but I hope that helps.

SMrose

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Re: new to opera and kind of scared
« Reply #3 on: Apr 11, 2009, 07:24 pm »
In addition to the other jobs listed, I use the ASM make sure "so and so" is waiting in the wings and ready for his/her entrance.  It's a major meltdown if a singer doesn't make an entrance (been there, done that). You may have to cue them on so ask your SM to give you the cue if you're not sure.

BlantonRK

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Re: new to opera and kind of scared
« Reply #4 on: Apr 11, 2009, 10:08 pm »
ernlin,

Just curious... do you know which opera(s) you will be working on this summer?

ernlin

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Re: new to opera and kind of scared
« Reply #5 on: Apr 12, 2009, 10:10 am »
i will be working on the Mikado. so its in english which is really nice.

SMrose

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Re: new to opera and kind of scared
« Reply #6 on: Apr 15, 2009, 08:16 am »
The G&S repertoire is actually classified as "operetta".  I would treat it as a musical--same duties an ASM would perform for that---but you still want to make sure entrances happen on cue.  English will be easier to follow (although it's not always easy to understand the words sung in any language).  I'm a big G&S fan...enjoy the Mikado!!