Gerald Finley, my new hero

So, I have a new hero. His name is Gerald Finley. He is a baritone. I was privileged to see and hear his recital yesterday at Clayton State's Spivey Hall. He sang Schumann Heine settings, Ravel Nature Songs, Barber songs and some Ives songs.

First the Schumann. To say that his diction was superb is simply not enough. It wasn't just that his diction was so good or that he sang really beautifully. Finley communicated the songs in a way that was simply - well, - clear. That is the best word for it. I understood the words, but more importantly, I understood the story. I can't think of a better compliment than that. Finley uses his voice at the service of the text BUT he never sings less than beautifully. How I loved it!

At the end of the recital, I looked at my watch and sincerely believed that only an hour had passed when really, it was twice that.

THEN

He gave a master class for our students at Clayton State. here are some quotable quotes.

“You sort of have a personal angle on the piece”

“The energy is not just in the making of noise but in the activity of communicating.”

“You’ve given me a beautiful picture and we’re gonna’ take the puzzle pieces out and put it back together.”

Breath – “not stopped by your throat but (moving) through your throat”

“You like to bloom into the sound – don’t be cautious, its much more satisfying for us to hear the beginning of the tone.”

“I’m gonna pretend that I’m tired but I’m still gonna SING!”

Breath – “it’s like punctuation”

“Piano is beautiful – not soft. --- So pianissimo is even MORE beautiful. Never sing anything less than beautifully.”

“Once you start the sound, there’s no going back.”

“What is bloom? It is allowing the breath to travel a little more luxuriously.”

“These (abdominal muscles) will be your friends for life. These (vocal folds) will only be your friends as long as you treat them well.”

I recently had the immense pleasure of seeing my college friend Elizabeth Bishop (not the poet) sing the role of Amneris in Verdi's Aida with Atlanta Opera. Here is my gush:

What an absolute pleasure it was to hear her singing so beautifully and musically! How she uses her voice as an integral part of her acting. How healthy she sounds. How her vibrato is spot on - not to wide, not to shallow. (this is a pet peeve of mine)

I loved her characterization of Amneris as NOT a shrieking harpy - as is sometimes so easy to do. But as a woman who is unaccustomed to not getting what she wants, who genuinely loves Radames and can only direct her hurt and anger towards the only source she can think of. I love that she also heard in Verdi's music that Amneris ultimately makes peace with the lovers (although admittedly she DID sort of "win" ha!) and is really the only character who grows and changes over the course of the story. If I were telling this story, Amneris would be MY focus. By all accounts, she is technically the protagonist!

But I just can't say enough about how beautiful she sounded. I wish every one of my students could have heard her sing.