Auf Wiedersehen Salzburg!

I am now in Roma. It's nice, but it really makes me miss Salzburg. I knew downtown Salzburg like the back of my hand. I knew which bus to get on and when the next bus would be arriving. It was hot when the Fohn was in town, but there was always a guaranteed breeze by the Salz River. Almost everyone spoke some English, and I knew enough German to get by.
When I left Salzburg at 4:30 AM I slept the entire way to MUC. I said my goodbyes to folks and then found the AirBerlin counter. The goodbyes were nothing emotional. I don't know if I'll really miss anybody all too much. I'll miss Lindsey. Otherwise, I didn't really get to know anybody else that well. The dynamic of the group this year was very different from last year, or so I hear. It was definitely less talented and there were lots of cliques. There were also a number of dramatic people. When at Cafe Republic with Lindsey, Stephen, and Chelsea we talked about how we won't miss and are glad to be leaving dramatic people. Stephen said that when he gets back to Boulder he's going camping with his straight friends who aren't musicians.
After walking all the way to the other terminal, I finally made it to AirBerlin. The Munich airport had no moving walkways to help with the distance. Apparently My blue carry-on could not be a carry-on since I already had a backpack (which I later learned to be rucksack in German while I listened to Dora the Explorer- instead of teaching spanish, she teaches english). In the US I'm always able to pull off the backpack as the one personal item because it can fit under the seat. I could have done the same thing on this plane but the lady wouldn't believe me. So, I ended up having to pay 40Euro for the extra weight (it could have been worse, but I just bought a membership and then got the service for free).
I ate breakfast at an overpriced cafe in front of my gate. It was my last chance to indulge in the Nutella stuffed croissant and espresso that comes from a machine. On the plane I sat next to a young Italian boy, Frederico. I think he was probably almost 2 years old. He was so cute, but very fidgety. He thought it was fun to lower the tray table multiple times.
My first thought of the Rome airport was that it was like the U.S. It was definitely not as well kept as the German airports, people are noisier, like Americans. The cab driver the hotel sent me, Emiliano, was gorgeous. The cab was a Mercedes mini-van, I wonder if they sell those in the U.S.? While driving, I was very discouraged. It was very bleak looking and reminded me of a mixture of Southen California and Mexico: smog, heat, graffiti, and no vegetation. It is also a huge city. So it was like moving from Corvallis to LA.
My room is very small, but all I need is a bed (and it comes with a firm pillow, yay!) I have to leave my room key at the front desk everytime I leave. I got to the convent at 4 in the afternoon and headed for St. Cecilia's at 4:30. I didn't think I would be able to get much done, but I got back by 9ish and pretty much saw the majority of Trastevere on this side of the river.
I took the bus because I wasn't sure how far S. Cecilia's was. But it ended up not being that far away so I walked back and saved my 2nd bus pass.
I didn't have enough money to go to the cript, well actually I had 100E but she couldn't break it. I'm finding that I really like sculptures more than the other visual art forms. I got to see one of my favorites: St. Cecilia as she appeared when pulled from her tomb (don't worry, it's not gross, she was an incorruptible). My other favorite I will see tomorrow (Pieta by Michaelangelo). I spent some time in St. Cecilia's. It wasn't that fancy of a church and the organ was incredibly out of tune, I hope my 40 cent donation will help pay for tuning.
I then decided to head to the more signifcant church in the area: St. Maria. It is believed to be one of the oldest churches in the city (220 AD). The dome above the altar is and incredible gold mosaic and it is believed that a fountain of oil miraculously appeared on this site.
The square in front is a nice place to take a break, so I chilled out and ate some gelato. The gelateria also was unable to take my 100. But we didn't realize this problem until after they had scooped up my scoops of soy hazelnut and soy chocolate gelato. They were very nice and just gave it to me for free. Anna was right, Italians know how to do ice cream better than the germans.
I then looked in my guide book and they said that if i was willing to take the climb to Paul's Fountain that I should. They build it up to be something steep, or atleast that's what the Austrians mean. It was not that bad and again surprisingly close. The view was great and the sun was setting, so I got some good lighting for pictures. I also thoroughly enjoyed taking pictures of people hanging out at the fountains and in the parks. I was so joyous for the rest of the evening. I felt like my legs were invincible. I eventually made my way down the hill and just wandered. I ran into the college that my friend Matt goes to (he's gone to Torino for a few weeks, so I can't hang out with him). I found that you can only go down one side of the hill (the side opposite of my convent). Then I got lost wandering around a parking garage trying to figure out how to get the the 5th level the signs kept taking about (restuarants, etc.) Just below the garage is the tunnel that I came through on the bus, but I wasn't sure if I could walk through it. So I just walked further and looped around by St. Peter's.
I wasn't able to use my cell phone (you have to dial 00 then country code), so I called Lydia from a payphone to wish her a happy birthday and left a message.
I then grabbed a late dinner from one of the 5 pizza places right at the end of the street. Finally, somebody was able to take my 100 Euro note. Then I headed back to the convent for a night of trying to sleep. It's so hot here. I'm learning to just live through the sweat.

So my pictures aren't always that thorough. I don't take pictures of the breath-taking moments. They can't be recreated, therefore why try. I'd rater just remember them in my mind than some photo. They will be up soon...

I performed my opera scene tonight. It went pretty well. My high stuff seemed a little pinched, that's frustrating since I know I can sing it so well. But it was better than I was afraid it might be. I did however, make the mistake of drinking some wine before the performance. After the masterclass we had an hour and a half before the performance. I ordered my favorite: weisswein gespritzt. Basically, it's white wine with soda. I didn't think it would affect me, and I don't think it really did. But I was a little paranoid at the start of the concert.
I sang in the masterclass today. I was somewhat disappointed with it. The clinician was Betty Bullock. She really didn't offer any advice about my singing, but mostly about interpretation, which I've heard already multiple suggestions of how to sing the b section of the song. It was mostly just trying stuff out. Nothing earth shattering. I wish I could have sung in more masterclasses.

Last weekend

So It's my last weekend in Salzburg and it sucks! It was raining buckets this morning. I was wanting to go to Monchsberg and Nonnberg Abbey. But instead I managed to walk down to the supermarket.
I'm sick. I have a sore throat, congested chest (as usual), and now drippy nose. I'm also coughing a bit and have an occasional ear ache. I can't sing because anytime I sing above a D I start to have a coughing attack. I wish my technique was good enough to sing through being sick, but I'm not there yet.
Because I can't practice, I am getting kind of depressed. I need to be patient and work on things like text, etc. that doesn't require me using my voice. But I just really want to sing. This is the first time that I am really frustrated that I'm sick. I started crying in the practice room when I realized that I couldn't practice yesterday. I skipped my German test to sleep. Then went to lunch and the dress rehearsal for the opera scenes. I was able to sing, for that since the duet is in a comfortable spot in my voice, but I definitely sounded weak.
On the bright side of being sick, all that I crave right now is fresh fruits. I ate so many grapes (but they take a while since these ones have seeds), nectarines, and cherries.
I'm now having to get ready to leave and it makes me sad. But I'm also excited to start things back home: lessons, practicing, cooking, etc. I am actually not as excited to start student teaching as I should be. Right now I'm just seeing it as something to get through. It will definitely feel more like a job that I have to do for the money. But in this case, the salary is not in dollars, but a Bachelor's degree.
On the brightside I don't think I will need to take anymore money out for Salzburg. I also found 30 Euros in my pocket today when I put on my rain jacket.

Sorry I have not written in a while. I've been trying to get to bed early and not spend so much time on the computer because I am starting to get sick and am needing to sleep and drink water. I was still able to sing this week, except today I'm just not feeling like my voice wants to do it. Though, I think I could still practice a bit.
I need to spend so much more time in a practice room. I got some of the best advice the other day. So remember how we sat in the masterclass with Christa Ludwig and there was this awesome Chinese baritone and Turkish mezzo who sang? Well we ran into them at the bus stop. They happen to ride the same bus as us and get off at our stop as well. Angelina asked them who they'd recommend for voice teachers, since both of them studied in the US. They said that in the end you are your best voice teacher. Then they went on to recommend Barbara Bonney who they said explains things so clearly and is such a caring person. But that really struck me, I am my best voice teacher. I'm the one who has to work at this and make my voice better. Teachers are only there to give suggestions. I then considered this in all aspects of my life. I'm the only one who can make myself better. The people we meet along the way are just inspiration or they introduce us to things. The next day I had one of the best practice sessions I have ever had. What used to happen was that I would just sing through things and memorize and then go find what i need to fix at my voice lessons. Instead, I started a new aria and found the things I needed to fix in the moment of learning the piece. I need to be a set of ears like my teachers before I get to the lesson, so much more can be accomplished. So I was super knit-picky when learning the aria. I sang through each phrase on my most resonant vowel 'ee' and focused on line and constant moving forward then sang just the vowels in the music, and then finally added the consonants, if it wasn't just right I went back and did it again. It took so much more time, but it was totally worth it.
The next morning I went to my voice lesson. I asked to sing the aria I had worked on ("Kommt ein schlanker bursch gegangen" from Der Freischutz) This was my first time bringing it to a lesson. It was going very well. When the accompanist came in to play, my teacher said to her "She's singing the poop out of this piece." I really liked it. So now I'm trying to memorize it for the final. That is, if my voice holds up. I actually don't have to do the final since I am in one of the opera scenes. But my opera scene is quite short and was a breeze to memorize, so I don't feel I qualify to take the free ticket out of the final, since i could easily do both.
Yesterday I bought more cherries from the outdoor market in front of the University Church. I am on fresh fruit withdrawal and bought nectarines and cherries. Which will both be gone by the time I get home. So yummy!
The last couple days we had masterclasses with Mary Dibbern, one of the leading French diction experts. The diction coaching can get a little tedious, but it was very helpful. There were a number of diction things with French that I had been taught incorrectly. When Mary explained how things should be pronounced, like the schwa, etc. it actually made it easier to sing French. It's not as closed as we think it needs to be.
After yesterday's masterclass, Lindsey, Ryan, and I went to dinner at Cafe Republic, the popular place to go after the day (just down the street). Lindsey and I were heading to the concert/opera and Ryan was heading to see Romeo et Juliette (he payed 390 Euros for a return ticket, but it was 4th row center). I went and saw the Vienna Philharmonic perform and evening of Bartok. They first played his Four Pieces for Orchestra, then the Cantata Profana: The Nine Magic Stags, then the second half was his only opera Bluebeard's Castle. It's a one act opera. The soloist, Michelle DeYoung, is an American dramatic soprano and will be singing Isolde this year for the Met. The production was very minimalist, especially since it was on the giant stage and all the action was on the front central part of the stage. there were one black backdrop with light shining through, three dresses, and Duke Bluebeard was in a wheel chair. That's all that the set was. But the music painted an even better picture. It was amazing when he opens the 5th door and she sings some bombastic high note and the brass pulls out all of the stops. It was so cool especially since they had the trombones up in the balcony for that moment, where we were sitting. Of course it's going to be good, it's the Vienna Philharmonic. Though, I was surprised that there were only 5 women or so in the entire orchestra.
Today Michelle came to give a masterclass. The first half was a question answer session. She was so much fun to listen to speak, good personality. I liked that she joked around too.
Tonight La Traviata, the Netrebko and Villazon production, is playing on the large screen in the domplatz. I might just not go, but I do really want to see it, it depends on if I feel well.

Last night I saw one of the best performances ever. Ok I'm sure I'll see more operas like this. But still, it was awesome! I wasn't there in person though. Jesus, Jessi, and I went to Jessi's home to watch the live television broadcast of Romeo et Juliette's opening night performance. Her host family was gone for the weekend, so it worked out perfectly.
The opera starred Rolando Villazon as Romeo and a new singer to the Salzburg stage, Nino Machaidze, who is only 25 and from the Republic of Georgia. Both were stunning. The acting was amazing. Every moment they were able to embody the characters and mannerisms of youthful love. It was hott!
There were certainly a number of mistakes, some I didn't even notice (like too many notes in one of the ornaments in 'Je Veux vivre'). The best was Rolando was tripping all over the stage (it was a stage made mostly of stairs). The one were it actually was almost a huge hiccup was when one of the Montagues didn't hand Romeo the dagger soon enough. So Tybalt could technically have gotten out and not died, but they stuck to the fight choreography.
It got over at about 11:45. I was afraid that the buses stopped running at 11. When actually it runs until 1:15 AM.
I wore my dirndl to mass at the cathedral. Oh my goodness. I have never heard such beautiful music at mass before. I believe they sang parts of the mass by either Haydn or Mozart. And during the collection they sang the Laudate Dominum that YCA sang with Maria Jette this summer. It just soared in the cathedral. I didn't understand most of the readings. I was zoning out in the middle of the gospel reading, but then somehow tuned in to hear 'brot und fisch' and figured it must have been the miracle of the loaves and fishes. Good thing we've been learning food in German class. I think I'll have to go again next week, I probably will never get this kind of music at a Catholic mass in the U.S. the soloists were wonderful and there was a choir and orchestra as well.

I am soaked to the bone. I look like a wet puppy dog, or better yet the tragic Hollywood, my boyfriend just dumped me and I'm forced to walk home in a rainstorm look. In the middle of dinner (9:00) it started pouring. Then, we tried hanging around the Afro-Cafe a bit more (it's our favorite restaurant) but we had already paid and more people were wanting to sit down. Since then it's been pouring, a good old fashioned deluge. After we left the bar because it was claustrophobic and lot's of smoking, we hopped on the first bus we could find. Then we just rode the bus around awhile until we realized it was heading in a direction we did not want to go. We all just decided to go home. unfortunately we were on bus 7 and the stops were all atleast 300M from any of the stops for 3, my bus. Being waterlogged was unavoidable.
Today, when it was sunnier, I ended up buying a dirndl. I had been wanting one ever since I got here. I found a store with a decent price on them. The one I really wanted was only 98 Euro, but it was too small. The one I ended up getting fits perfectly, is black, and cotton instead of polyester like some of them. The apron is a bit too christmas-time for me, but I can always make my own aprons to change in and out. I would have worn my dirndl to the midterm recital tonight, but it was quite hot and humid out and I would have been the only one wearing one.
The midterm went well. I was a little nervous at the beginning because it was a rather dead room. But after the first line I just allowed myself to relax and sing to myself. The song flew by after that. It certainly wasn't my best singing because I have not had enough time to really solidify the new things I've been learning, but I felt good when I sang. Some people were ridiculously upset that the teachers/coaches didn't give them any praise. Well, they didn't do the best job. I think I'm pretty realistic about things, I know that it was not my best singing, therefore I do not expect any compliments saying that it was or that it was any better than lessons. Singers are a bit too dramatic for me sometimes.
Here's an important announcement: My roommate from freshman year, Lindsey, is in a scholarship competition for a law school scholarship. The winner is selected by votes. Place your vote today! Visit: http://www.accessgroup.org/onelessworryfiles/index.html?utm_campaign=VideoContestLaw&WT.mc_id=VideoContestLaw
and then vote for Lindsey Meyer's video. You should watch the video, it's pretty hilarious, and once again she puts her accordion skills to work.