Winter Wonderland

I left Maggie at home today, and sent the kids off to school on their own, as I had an important audition with the Flanders Opera in Antwerp. It's great living where we are, where I can get one train to Brussels North station, a second to Antwerp Central, and walk to the opera there in an eyeblink.

The opera house in Antwerp is recently renovated, and the inside is impeccable; it's airy and clean, with excellent fittings for all the doors, windows, washrooms, etc. The elevators all work silently, and the dressing rooms even have a couple of barber's chairs to make the wig and makeup routine even more comfortable. The house inside is hard to see properly from the stage, with lights in one's eyes, but looks like it's filled with the usual red and gold. It seats around 1100, and one gets a good amount of sonic feedback from the house, which is not really necessary but reassuring to the auditioning singer.


I did a little surreptitious recording from the wings of my own singing, and was content with what I heard... even if one sings a good audition, one never knows what the casting team likes or is looking for; it's like fishing. You've got to keep casting out if you want to get a bite. It's also a bit like cars: some people like Volvos, other like Cadillacs; some like VWs, BMWs, or Toyotas, or Hondas, or Mini Coopers... they are each one of them a well-engineered car, but there is an element of personal taste involved in choosing one. I have lots of work for the moment, but it would be nice to sing something on that stage... we will see how it goes.

While waiting my turn to sing, I had a nice chat with Mats Almgren, who auditioned a little bit before me: I saw him sing the Hagen in Siegfried in Toronto a few years back, and he told me he's coming back to do Daland in Dutchman this year at the COC. The Dutchman himself will be played by a 65-year-old baritone, who according to Mats came to this Wagnerian repertoire fairly late in his career, but has all the components to make a compelling Dutchman: brilliant high notes, deep lows, and a mature sound. I'm just sorry I won't see it, but if you get a chance, go.

I got back to Brussels in time to visit a bit with Maggie, and then go to the school and pick up the boys. Today we had quite a bit of snow, and it seems to be sticking around. Certainly it wasn't warm enough for it to pack into snowballs easily, or to make a snowman, so we played in it instead. Good practice for Canada, next week!

Here's hoping you are enjoying your winter as much as we are enjoying ours...