Thanks for the Feedback, Singers

December 10, 2007 - It appears that my thoughts on the recent crop of auditioners has become more provocative than I thought it would. I'll just make one final comment with regards to the last comment posted about the matter. In the case of a singer singing something from Siegfried (splendidly or not) when I'm casting a Magic Flute, I would have to say to that singer "Thank you very much. That was lovely. If I'm ever casting a Siegfried, I'll keep you in mind. However, your audition offering leads me to believe that you would not be suitable for any of the roles in Magic Flute. If you would care to disabuse me of that belief by singing something by Mozart, then let's hear it." I also think that repertoire does make a difference when the demands of a particular role are distinctive. For instance, being able to sing "Porgi amor" well does not guarantee that the singer would have the agility or the upper extension to sing "Non mi dir" or the lower register to tackle Fiordiligi. Personally, I feel it would be a great risk to cast a Donna Anna or Fiordiligi without hearing the "Mount Everests" of those roles. Anyway, thank you all for weighing in on the matter.