I have read with interest the article written by an anonymous contributor to your column on the thorny subject of auditions.
I am Co-Chairman of Hampsted Garden Opera ("HGO") and whilst I do not sit on their audition panel, I believe that I speak with some authority, having myself, as a singer, auditioned for other companies as well as HGO.
My first comment relates to the rationale of the author wishing to have his or her name withheld. The author should have sufficient confidence in his or her opinion not to hide behind the wall of anonymity.
Now on to substance. Putting to one side singers who audition for audition experience, singers audition usually for a specific role and must surely accept that in the competitive world of opera, there is always a risk that the audition may not be successful. No-one should audition on the expectation (as opposed to the desire) of being cast - it is unrealistic.
The audition panel of the HGO consists of three members - the Production Director, MD and Assistant MD. The auditions are open to all. Auditions are not intended to "reward loyalty." Their object is to choose (for better or for worse) those whom the panel consider to be most suited to a particular role. Invariably, and depending upon the number of roles available in any particular opera, we usually end up with a mix of old and new faces.
|
In our case, there is no pre-casting and no political agenda. It is as simple as that. It may well be that the author of your article (whom I assume to be a singer) has not auditioned for us and may well have suffered unfortunate experiences with other audition panels. Yes - audition panels have powers but HGO believes that it exercises responsibility rather than power in attempting to secure the best possible choice of performer and with due regard to the piece, composer and audience.
As for the concept of "closed shop auditions" - they may well have a place in the world of amateur opera but I suspect the primary object of most of them may be to secure roles for a particular niche of singers who may prefer to avoid the competitive nature of the auditioning process. I would expect audiences soon to tire of hearing the same voices & seeing the same faces over & over again. Audiences need a mix of the familiar and not-so-familiar.
So here is my manifesto for auditionees:-
(1) Be prepared for rejection as well as acceptance.
(2) Live with rejection - it's rarely personal - there is often considerable competition - you win some & you lose some!
(3) If you seriously believe that some roles have been pre-cast (without notification to auditionees), enquire before you audition. I believe that you are entitled to an honest response.
David Rose
Co-Chair
Hampstead Garden Opera
|
