I believe progress within any industry requires meaningful discourse involving all parties.
In many of the performing arts this is not the case, and opera is no different. When it comes to making fundamental decisions regarding the industry, artists are often left out of the conversation.
A Wandelprobe is the rehearsal where singers, orchestra, and blocking come together for the first time. It’s an important rehearsal to observe if the various elements of the final product are working well together, and how to change what isn’t working. The literal translation of the German word Wandelprobe is ‘change test’.
This blog is my attempt to remind myself and anyone interested in the process of opera that it’s important to create room to test for change — To create spaces where all those invested have a voice.