Life enCounter: JULIUS CEASAR IN TURIN

How were you cast in the Julius Ceasar production?

I had been hired to sing Tolomeo in Germany, and posted an update on Facebook. Laurie Feldman, a wonderful director and dear lady, commented on the post, “We are doing that at the Regio in Turin and I am directing!  Are you singing it there???”   Ok, this might seem odd, but the minute I read that I knew that that was MY job! I couldn’t shake the feeling.   How did things develop from a comment on Facebook to a contract? Nothing really materialised for a while.  In the meantime I got new management, and tried to get him on the case, to no avail.   I got to Hamburg to begin working on ‘Orlando Furioso’ and found myself one evening sitting across the table from Alessandro de Marchi (who happens to be the conductor of the production).  A friend of mine, Becca Jo Loeb, who works at the State Theater in Hamburg invited me out to dinner after a show.  We all chatted for a minute and then I just thought, “Well Jud, if you don’t ask now, you might never get the chance again.”   So I asked him if he would have time or any interest in hearing me?   He said something incredible to me, "Sure Jud, you know, a conductor can change your life.”  Well, a few weeks later I sang for him, and he loved it.  Between Laurie Feldman and Alessandro de Marchi, the Regio hired me.   I didn’t even go there to audition!

Who were the people that supported you getting the Turin job?  

Without a doubt, Becca Jo Loeb, who introduced me to de Marchi.  Alessandro de Marchi, the conductor.  Laurie Feldman, the director.  Fortunately, the people at the Regio remembered me from a ‘Parsifal’ production in 2011 in which I sang a very small role.  Apparently, I left a very good impression.  I admit I am a bit of a music nerd and overachiever when it comes to opera and music in general.  I attended almost of the rehearsals and was just very interested in the whole process.  

What is the opera?

‘Giulio Cesare’ is an opera from the Baroque period (1724) and recounts the story of Julius Caesar and and Cleopatra.  I play the villain…

Lots of beautiful arias, LOTS of recitative, beautiful, big set pieces, war, death, beheading, love, sex, partial nudity (yikes!), and a lot more.

Why is Turin an important theatre?

It has always been an important theater in Italy and in Europe.  As an American, I can say that most everyone has heard of La Scala.  A lot of people have also heard of La Fenice in Venice, though a lot of its notoriety came about as a result of the big fire.  But Turin is and has always been a major player.  It is a financially stable theater, that has finished most of its seasons in the last decade “in the black.”  The artistic quality is also very high, and the orchestra is outstanding.  

When is the performance happening?

The premiere is November 20, 2014 and there are further performances the 23, 25, 27 and 29 of November.

Life enCounter: THE FIRST BOOKING

When did you get your first booking as a countertenor?

My first booking was a concert in Wiesbaden in March of 2014.  ‘Passions-Pasticcio’ is a compilation of works by Händel, J.S. Bach and Reinhard Keiser. My first operatic engagement was the title role in Vivaldi’s ‘Orlando Furioso’ at the Opernloft in Hamburg, Germany in June of 2014.  I wasn’t able to take another nice role because I was in the process of finishing out my last contract as a tenor! That was interesting and I’ll tell you more about that later too.

Life enCounter: THE AUDITION

What was your first audition as a countertenor?

The first person I sang for was my friend and conductor/pianist, Benjamin Schneider.  He was a tremendous support and a great friend during a very difficult time.  He said to go for it.  Then I sang for a few other trusted people in my circle who are also involved heavily in the Baroque music scene.  My first audition was for a concert in the Bergkirche in Wiesbaden, Germany.  I sang for Christian Pfeiffer and he hired me on the spot.  It was a smaller piece, but a beginning.  My first operatic audition was in Regensburg and it was a bit disastrous…...more on that later.  

What rep have you sung since making the transition to countertenor?

I am spending the vast majority of my time studying Händel operas that are right for my voice and also a few Vivaldi roles.  I have also looked at some Bach Cantatas and Passions (St. Matthew and St. John).  

Life enCounter: THE TRANSITION

When did you become a countertenor?

I began my vocal transition from Tenor to Countertenor in August 2013.   How did you approach the transition? At the suggestion of a trusted colleague I started off slowly with several short practice sessions a day to build up stamina.   How long did it take you to make the transition? After about a week I was able to sing for long periods of time, and I also started looking at arias and roles that interested me, both opera and oratorio.    

What made you switch from tenor?

Unfortunately, I had been having some trouble with my voice off and on since about 2010.  It was very difficult because the problems were very sporadic and came on with almost no warning, sometimes in the middle of a performance.   How did you deal with that problem? Of course, I went to the doctor, but they never saw anything wrong with my vocal cords.   What was the impact on your career?   Over the course of the next few years things really dried up for me as a tenor, and I had no confidence in my abilities or voice anymore.  This was all very odd for me as I was always able to sing and at least felt like I knew what I was supposed to do to sing well.   What was the critical point when you knew it was time to change? Fortunately, in the summer of 2013 I decided to give things one last ‘go’ before deciding to change careers.   I felt like it was necessary to go and find a voice doctor who would very thoroughly examine me and tell me that I was not going to injure myself if I jumped in with both feet one last time.   I ended up at the clinic at Mainz University in Germany, where I was seen by the head of the entire of ear, nose, and throat department.  She happens to be a singer also and was one of the most attentive and knowledgable people I have met.   With the use of a stroboscope (a device that allows the Doctor to slow down, with the use of a strobe light, the movement of the vocal cords), she was able to diagnose a partial paralysis of one of my vocal cords.   What is a paralysis of the vocal chords? It is basically a condition that was caused by nerve damage of some kind.  These conditions are a bit of an enigma, as the cause of the nerve damage can be difficult to determine, but she felt sure that it did NOT mean the end of my career as a singer.  It did however explain a lot!  

Did you have any hesitation?

I never really had any hesitation.  I had a feeling deep in my heart, or in my gut, that told me this was absolutely the right thing to pursue.  I was just a bit concerned about how people would receive it.  Especially, people who knew me already as a tenor.  I had already been singing professionally since 2005.