Hello, All! Sorry I haven’t been keeping up the blog this week. We have finally jumped into the swing of things here in Perigueux. We are finally working and making lots of progress with our music. I’ve been working nonstop, and I’ve already performed in our first recital!
One of the things that we’ve been doing is working with French composer, Isabelle Aboulker, on pieces that she composed. I was assigned two of her children’s fables, “Le Chien et le Roseau” and “Le Rat de Ville, et le Rat de Champs,” both of which are difficult, delightful, and coming along very smoothly. She is pleased with my French for the most part, and so we’ve been working on amping up the drama (she writes very dramatically for mezzos, I’ve noticed!). It’s been a joy to work with her. She is a very charming woman, and I can see why Professors Lewis and Added adore her.
Roughly every other day, we have a French class at 9:30 in the morning. I was placed in the French I class, since it’s been a number of years since I last had a French class. However, I feel that this class is too elementary for me. I know how to introduce myself, order a kir and a croque madame, count, and tell the difference between feminine and masculine nouns. I like our teacher, she makes our class fun and interesting, but I feel that at this rate I will go back home knowing exactly as much French as I did before I came. I’ve wanted to sit in on the French II class, but my schedule thus far has not allowed me to do so. We’ll see how my schedule works out for this coming week.
On most days, we will have a coaching with one or two of our collaborative artists on staff, going over our music and text in preparation for the stagings that are held every afternoon. Professor Lewis and his son, Jeff, who played the Phantom in Webber’s “The Phantom of the Opera” for a number of years, lead the stagings for “Orphee aux Enfers.” We have already staged most of the first act, and will be moving onto other projects, such as the upcoming Poulenc and Aboulker recitals.
Three days out of the week, we have been having dance classes with teacher and choreographer Pedro Rosa. I love these dance classes and always look forward to participating in them (though my body definitely feels differently the next day). He speaks to us in French, and he mostly tells us to copy what he does, and that works out pretty well for the most part. His dance choreography for us tends to be based on a lot of natural movements. These are movements that anyone can do, they are so simple and easy to follow and repeat. The hard part is that there is no AC in our dance room, and the windows provide little circulation. So we sweat, and sweat, and sweat until we feel like we’re about to collapse. It’s fun though. And it’s been very difficult to resist going to get gelato afterwards.
Our first concert was our Castle Concert series, which is exactly as it sounds. It was a concert at a castle! Well, it wasn’t a real castle, just a restaurant made to look like one. Still, it was very beautiful, and the concert went without a hitch. They even fed us: sausages, asparagus, soup, bread, and cheese. And of course, wine was served at intermission and at the end. I though everyone sang and acted beautifully in the concert. I decided to sing “Que fais-tu” from Romeo et Juliet by Gounod. It was one of the funnier ones, and I think everyone enjoyed it.
Between the 45 minute walk to the conservatory (not to mention a longer walk back, uphill), our dance classes, and all of our staging rehearsals, I think I’m doing pretty well! The food here is, well, very French. It’s mostly been sandwiches, yogurt, and fruit for me. Though resisting all the patisseries and chocolataries has proved to be incredibly challenging. I suppose my two biggest weaknesses are gelato and macarons. J’adore le macarons! But I’m doing my best to be good, and that’s all I can really do.
Anyways, tuna and yogurt for dinner for me. I hope you all are doing well. Bonne soiree!
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