Guten Morgen

After crashing last night, I woke up feeling well rested this morning. This morning I had breakfast with Laura and Lisa. I made us all toast with strawberry jam and I also had a small bowl of cereal with coffee. I’m sure the girls ate more once I left and Martina and Martin came down.

Being surrounded by German, I’m starting to understand more, or at least get the basic impression. I’m still not good at formulating a sentence of my own yet… at least not without the help of my notebook and book from class.

Right after class I had my second lesson with Yvonne. We’re working on attacks and cleaning up my middle voice to create a crisp clear sound. Also keeping the line going. With the competition on Saturday, I wanted to sing both “Poor Wand’ring One” from The Pirates of Penzance and “Willow Song” from The Ballad of Baby Doe. These are the two pieces I’ve been debating over as my starting piece. (With the competition we get to choose the first piece and the panel of judges choose the 2nd, and if they so choose a 3rd or even possibly a 4th.) I wanted Yvonne’s opinion on both pieces. The majority of the time we worked on “Poor” and at the very end of the lesson we ran through “Willow.” She loved both and didn’t have too much to add for Willow, but as far as a competition for a recital spot goes, she and the pianist chose “Poor.” It’s a showpiece and crowd pleaser, which is good for a competition like this. It also shows off my voice very well. I just need to remember to keep my “AH” long and tall verses spread which cuts off the sound.

P.S. The garden's in the picture are across the river from the college. They are part of a small palace of sorts. It was built by one of the bishops that ruled over Austria. He built it for his mistress and her many children she had by him. It is in this building that there is the "Marble Room" where the winners of the competition will perform their recitals. This "Marble Room" is famous. There are always weddings and chamber concerts taking place in there. It is one of the only original rooms still in tact from the original building.