Tenor Only Goes To The Operas He Is In
Max Tenor, talented young classical singer, says he loves opera.
“I love opera,” he said.
Max is currently working as a professional opera singer in a renowned German city, and he is thoroughly enjoying the vibrant cultural life that is available to him in this sort of place. There are many concerts and operas and shows happening all the time, in a way that he couldn’t have imagined even being possible in the town he’s from.
“There are just so many operas to imagine being cast as the lead role in,” he said breathlessly. “Think of how good I am!”
Though opera is a complicated and difficult art form which remains something of a hard sell for mainstream audiences, Max says he loves it more than any other, especially ones he can’t do, like jazz, or acting. “What I love most about opera as an art form is the way it tells a story,” he explained. “It’s always about the story for me: you know, will I sing even better tonight than I normally do? Will my top C have a fiery intensity that changes peoples lives or will it be, say, excellent? And how will I look in my costume? Incredible? You never know the outcome of the story until you go on stage and perform.”
However, strange as it might seem, Max says he doesn’t go to the opera unless he is in the production itself. Though he loves the opera world and listens almost exclusively to recordings of his favourite tenors, he nevertheless doesn’t see much of a reason to go and see any operas, especially those with other tenors in them. “I’m an empath,” he explained, “and the hardest part about my job is knowing that the audience will occasionally have to miss out on hearing me sing. It’s too much to bear.”
When asked what his favourite opera was, Max simply replied with an exhaustive list of every role he has ever sung. “To be honest though, gun to my head, how can you have a favourite opera performance of mine? Impossible!”
Despite his struggles, Max says he is glad to be able to be part of such a glorious artistic process involving the creative efforts of so many different types of people, from directors and choreographers to costume designers, stagehands, and technicians, all of whom have a vital part to play in making theatrical magic happen in a way that has enchanted millions of people for centuries. “That’s right,” he said with quiet awe, “all of those people get to hear my voice. Or as I call it, The Instrument. I’m so glad they are all there to make that happen for them.”