BY STEPHANIE ESLAKE
So you’ve been to see the opera.
Maybe you were a concertgoer, taken aback by the majestic staging and tales of love and tragedy. Maybe you rocked up as a musician or singer yourself, and listened out for the quality of timbre from leading stars and chorus alike.
It doesn’t matter who you are or why you see the opera, because opera is for everyone. But not everyone knows how much work goes into the production of a show – from the rehearsals to the individual training and practice from each singer who is working hard in their part. Working to be the best they can be.
That’s why in 2018, we’re teaming up with the West Australian Opera to shed some light on what happens behind the curtain. Here, we chat with Emma Pearson – the singer who plays the starring role of Sharp Ears in The Cunning Little Vixen.
Emma Pearson is an Australian soprano who held the position of principal artist at Hessisches Staatstheatre, Wiesbaden from 2005-14. She has performed countless titles among her 30 roles throughout this time in Germany, and on her return to Australia she has starred with Opera Australia, West Australian Symphony Orchestra, Southern Opera New Zealand, Opera Queensland, and – of course – the West Australian Opera. An award-winning artist, Emma is a graduate of a Bachelor of Music (Vocal Performance) from the University of Western Australia.
Hi Emma! Tell us all about The Cunning Little Vixen. You play Sharp Ears – who is she? What can we learn from her story?
Sharp Ears is a female fox who was caught by the forester [while] in her puppy-hood. He couldn’t bring himself to kill her, so he took her home to be a pet. She eventually upsets the other animals in the household – gets into the chicken pen – and must run away to save her life. In the forest, she learns to live on her wits, meets the love of her life, and dies at the hands of another man who wants to make a muff from her tail.
The Vixen’s character comes from a satirical comic strip, and though very tongue-in-cheek, she fights with a rooster for chicken – i.e. women’s – liberation and sharing wealth with the Badger. Her final words are: ‘Beat and kill and just because I’m a vixen. If I take a chicken, why this outcry?’. It’s about the circle of life and comparing the lives of animals with humans’. Who is happier in the end?
What are you most looking forward to about singing the vixen?
It’s a wonderful treat to play an animal on stage! It will be interesting finding ways to be a woman-like fox.
So what is a typical day in rehearsal like for you?
At this stage, I am learning the music. Our rehearsals begin in a week. But I imagine I will be in knee pads, crawling around, counting, singing, emoting, and working on my diction all day! Maybe finding time for a roll of sushi, if I’m lucky…
I will be working very hard, as I’m a last-minute addition to the cast after the beautiful Taryn Fiebig has had to withdraw.
What style do you feel best suits your voice as an instrument?
There is a technique to every style, and if you have the financial funding, it is possible to learn it. The size of your voice and the speed of your vibrato can’t be manipulated though, of course – that creates some limitations. I will never sing Tosca, for example. Only in the shower!
Pianists, conductors, competition judges, and singing teachers will tell you what suits you and in which direction you should go. I suspect I suit 19th Century French music best, but I’ve only just started singing it, so I could be wrong. The older I get, the more I enjoy schmaltzy German operetta; an agent once said I should sing Anneliese Rothenberger’s repertoire. I’d love to record some of her songs one day.
What are some of the vocal warm-ups that you find are most effective or enjoyable?
Number one warm-up is the lip-trill, especially in this sort of music where different vowels and consonants come on every crotchet. Then, I work on legato-binding, making sure I’m allowing my larynx to tilt on its own – not forcing it into different intervals. Then the text. I have quite a heavy way of singing the letter ‘s’, so I have to work a bit on making that sibilant – sing though my ‘n’s, etc.
How do you like to protect and nurture your voice throughout the week, when you’re not on stage?
I just don’t socialise much. I don’t talk in loud places, and avoid raising my voice if possible. I have to watch my diet for gastric reflux; coffee, dairy, and soy are the main problems for me. I also have to protect my ears. I wear noise-cancelling headphones on the trains and planes, or anywhere I’m around loud noise for longer than an hour. It’s really important!
Has performance anxiety ever been an issue for you?
I always had butterflies in my stomach, but I enjoyed the thrill of the challenge of performing; up until my 30s, when I started to have other problems in my private life that then affected my belief in myself and how I felt on stage. I think it’s a natural part of the business, and life, and you can bounce back every time. Just ask for help.
What are some of the skills you’ve developed throughout your singing career that mightn’t be so obvious?
The one that’s really helping me now is from learning Alban Berg’s Lulu 10 years ago. Berg was so clear in how his music was connected to the character’s psychology: if Lulu didn’t agree with Dr Schon, her vocal line came in a semitone out from his last note, or always took Alwa’s note, and inverted other’s motifs, etc. I guess the lesson was that there is always a way to make sense of incredibly hard music – by finding human elements; understanding the relationships. You can commit it to memory that way.
What has been the biggest struggle in your career, and how did you push through?
It’s all a struggle, really! I pushed through medium-sized ones, like working extra hard to get time off from Wiesbaden so that I could guest in Australia or New Zealand, then return to Germany the morning after the final Australian performance; sometimes singing Queen of the Night in Wiesbaden the same day I got off the plane. I often flew around the world with QotN glitter in my hair. My biggest ones got the better of me, though. I didn’t always win.
What advice would you give to other young singers looking to embark on their careers?
You must learn another language and you can’t do that on your own. Take a course that lasts for four to eight weeks at least. I would recommend German or Italian. It is best to study for a year outside of Australia. The best agents in the world watch the final concerts at RAM, RCM, Guildhall, Curtis Institute, etc. They don’t come to Australia, unfortunately. Never audition for any course or competition before you have a seen a well-reputed opera coach. Never start a rehearsal period for a concert or opera without first working with an opera coach and singing teacher. Study singing in Italy. Look for summer courses. Look after your weight. We have don’t have to be as thin as movie stars, thank goodness, but we can’t be out of shape or unfit. Best to eat low GI while you’re working and studying and stop eating after 6pm at night. The best way to do that is to get busy. Practice at night! We always work from 6-10pm in opera, anyway. And lastly, I always say this, but make yoga part of your day now while you are still flexible. Be careful with your bodies and you will still be able to crawl around on your knees, cartwheel, and pretend to be a fox in your 30s.
Toi toi toi! Good luck!
Watch Emma Pearson sing in The Cunning Little Vixen on April 21, 24, 28, and 28 in His Majesty’s Theatre Perth. The West Australian Opera production will also feature the West Australian Opera Chorus and West Australian Symphony Orchestra, and is presented by arrangement with Victorian Opera.
We’re excited to team up with WAO throughout the year, so that we can give you an exclusive look into how opera works behind the curtain.
Tune in for our next interview to learn more about life as an opera performer!
Image supplied. Credit: Kurt Sneddon.
