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pallas_athena ([personal profile] pallas_athena) wrote2006-07-06 02:46 pm
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In which I work hard for the money

"We're doing the Weinberger," said the plummy voice on the other end of the phone. This was two weeks ago. Previously I hadn't known what translation of Fledermaus these people were doing, so I'd been working on it in German.

Huge sigh of relief: I went out and bought the Weinberger edition of Fledermaus with English translation by Hassall. This was the same translation I'd learnt for another production many moons ago, so a week's work got me offbook.

Last night was the one-and-only rehearsal, and I went along feeling very positive. The conductor introduced us all, then gave the signal to begin Act I.

And the chorus started singing.

"Hang on," I thought, "There's no chorus in Act I of Fledermaus!"

Then the tenor started his solo, and the words he was singing bore no resemblance to the words in my score.

Turns out that Weinberger also do an opera-society version of Fledermaus with lots more chorus, random repeats, random cuts and everything in different keys. And, of course, a COMPLETELY DIFFERENT TRANSLATION from the one in the standard Weinberger edition. I sight-read my way through it last night, and now I have one day to get it performance-ready. That whole month I spent working on the score? Wasted.

Felchbuckets.

[identity profile] slightlyfoxed.livejournal.com 2006-07-06 04:47 pm (UTC)(link)
Good Lord. Good Luck. Grrr grrrrrrr.

[identity profile] pvcdiva.livejournal.com 2006-07-06 06:27 pm (UTC)(link)
buncha fucktards!

bastard buggery bollocks...

break a leg, sweetie...

[identity profile] spyinthehaus.livejournal.com 2006-07-06 09:56 pm (UTC)(link)
Holy God.... Good luck, darling. Let us have tea and post-match analysis. Well, coffee and screaming.

[identity profile] artnouveauho.livejournal.com 2006-07-06 10:57 pm (UTC)(link)
Thanks guys! I shall get through this by thinking "What would Esther, Dan and Sue do?"

Post-operatic cups of tea/coffee/iced lemony thing most gratefully accepted/shared/chatted over.

[identity profile] velvetdahlia.livejournal.com 2006-07-07 09:48 am (UTC)(link)
Yow! I have bad dreams like this, from when I did sing a little-- no where near your talent and prowess.

But, uh, nightmare!

You are mighty though, and I have no doubt you will be great in the role.

Is it this weekend? Is there a Sunday performance, and can we buy tickets at the door?

[identity profile] speedlime.livejournal.com 2006-07-08 05:05 am (UTC)(link)
Crap, the things I miss whilst simmering in mountain isolation and my own stupid dramas. Since I'm going through LJ in reverse order, I already know you rocked the performance... but then, I KNEW you would! :)