Barbara Bonney spent the weekend in San Francisco by giving a recital
Saturday evening, a lecture about the business of music Sunday morning,
and a master class for amateur singers Sunday afternoon.

It is a measure of this singer-entertainer-teacher-coach-golfer-standup
comedienne that seven hours spent with her felt neither too much nor quite
enough.

The standup portion came Sunday morning when Bonney told young singers
about the reality of singing as a career - "figure on 30% of income cleared
after international/US taxes (56% in Germany alone) and make sure your
expenses and living costs are covered by what remains, good luck to you!"
- and she peppered her eminently practical advice with fun bits of
information:

- Be true to your voice, if you're a lyric soprano, don't let 'em try
"to make your voice big because that's what sells." Even such respected
conductors as Harnoncourt and Rattle can fall for this, Bonney said,
rolling her eyes vigorously, the former suggesting Fidelio to her, the
latter Donna Anna.  Those revolving eyes went into earth orbit when
Bonney contemplated Charlotte Church singing "Vissi d'arte."

- Keep track of what you wear for recitals in which city.  She does
that (and makes sure she doesn't repeat repertory either) with an Excel
spreadsheet.  The cost of her superb gown Friday night in Herbst Theater:
$109, including tax, but she wouldn't reveal the source lest the place is
over-run by thrifty singers.

- Don't overdo "protecting the voice." An example: "dear Kathy Battle
writing notes." The other end of the scale: Neil Schicoff, "who sings
through his entire role three times immediately before the performance,
oh dear!" Incidentally, Bonney's own five-hour speaking binge on top of
the two-hour recital took place just 72 hours before her concert in
Carnegie Hall.  That's practicing what you teach, with gusto.

- Being a waiter/waitress is an excellent way of assuring survival for
the young singer - Bonney spent seven years doing it - because it helps
developing skills needed on the stage: timing, discipline and endearing
yourself to the paying/tipping/applauding public.

- Her singing idols: Elizabeth Schumann, Ella Fitzgerald and Yo-Yo Ma.

- An American in Europe: when she started her career in Dortmund,
the New Jersey-born soprano had 120 performances in her first year,
plus rehearsals, of course, leaving her four days off.  A much-coveted
recitalist today around the world, last year, Bonney had 35 days at home.

- Recording are good for the ego, as "calling cards," but there is no
money in them for the artist.  With 85 CDs under her belt, Bonney is still
waiting for her first royalty check.  But it's all rather irrelevant, she
said, because new classical recordings are disappearing.

- "Diva days" are almost over, except for "the Strauss-Puccini crowd."
Mozart singers like herself behave much better, she joked.  Or did she?

- With all the difficulties, hardship, challenges, dangers in path of the
young singer, what is one to do? Bonney suggested sincerity, integrity and
"enjoying the hell out of music."

The master class was a hoot.  Drawing numbers from a hat, Bonney picked
eager, mostly middle-aged volunteers who sing for the pleasure of it.  She
predicted that there will be some moving performances, and she was right.
"Before voices are ruined by training," she said, often they maintain a
childlike simplicity, a natural head-voice production, and the love of
music comes through.  A Palo Alto attorney singing Mahler and one of
Bonney's accompanists making his singing debut provided real, lasting
musical experiences.

Moments before Bonney began her Saturday night recital, she was playing
with the Tiger Woods golf computer training program backstage and the
concert turned into a par-busting performance on the back nine, the vocal
equivalent of a double eagle on the long par 5 and a hole-in-one on the
tough par three.

The opening "Dichterliebe" was among the least satisfying performances
I heard from her.  There were no actual error (although she came close
at times), but she was on top of the cycle, mastering it, but not IN it.
If not vocally, emotionally, at least, it was a cold performance.

But oh, how things changed by that back nine of the second half!  With the
magnificent Margo Garrett at the piano (who was to sightread flawlessly
throughout the master class the next day), Bonney became herself again.
She sang Schubert and Liszt, with elegance and charm, the most gorgeous
"Standchen" since Schwarzkopf (with the same kind of color and sheen), the
Liszt and the Clara Schumann "Lorelei" back-to-back, and then a floating,
dreamy Liszt "Quand je dors," which then kept running in the listener's
head all night long.

Janos Gereben/SF
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