<p>I have live auditions for Oberlin, NEC, and MSM so far.
The repertoire on my CD consisted of:
"Ridente la Calma" by Mozart
"Nachtlied" by Mendelssohn
"Willow Song" by Douglas Moore
"Durch Z</p>
<p>You should really check the websites for the schools that you are applying to. They will want to hear certain things and many schools won’t ask for an aria at an undergrad audition.</p>
<p>I know some schools specifically ask for no arias because they do not want to hear them especially if they are well known arias. However, I think that lighter arias would be okay, simpler ones that don’t have as much technical difficulty are generally okay. Yet, I think you should be aware that if you sing these that they will be experiencing it with reference to normally hearing it from a fully mature voice, so they might be more critical. I have worked with a voice prof. at Indiana Jacobs and she said that she wouldn’t even hear me in the multiple voice lesson I had with her because she is very against young singers attempting a song well beyond their years. Like others said, check the website, I know schools such as Oberlin and MSM ask specifically for an art songs and I know the profs at Indiana-Jacobs are against it. Generally italian arias that are located in the Italian art song book is fine. As I was told by one prof. that you want to choose the songs that are the simplest, yet make you sound amazing because all that they want is to hear your voice and how you preform it. </p>
<p>Yet, the choice is really up to you. What did you use on your prescreening cds?</p>
<p>Thanks so much for your input, mezzo.
I sang the repertoire I listed above for my prescreening. What did you sing?
I am going to switch my English song though, and leave an aria as an option for the panel.</p>
<p>In general, schools frown on applicants who don’t follow the instructions for audition repertoire that are listed in the application materials/web site. ‘No arias’ doesn’t mean ‘No arias unless your teacher thinks you’re really, really, really special’. It means ‘no arias’.</p>
<p>If repertory requirement says English language song, it means song, not English language whatever. More often than not when listening to auditions, we want to hear less demanding, more lyrical repertory. Regardless of how good your high notes are and how big of a voice everyone says you have, songs show much more about the voice, the technique, and the artistry. Be wise.</p>
<p>I totally agree with Lorelei. I also think it would be better to sing something that is done often really really well than to pick something difficult ("Durch Z</p>
<p>For a soubrette, it’s fine. Durch Z</p>
<p>haha, thanks Breezer.
Exactly, it’s not like I’m singing something like the queen of the night.
and I am putting Durch Zartlichkeit as an option, if the panel wants to hear it, then they can hear it.</p>
<p>On my prescreen I sent “The Cherry Tree”- Armstrong Gibbs, “O del mio amato ben”, and “Lachen und weinen” ( the german and italian are not in the traditional keys, but lower). Though I was going to send “Mon coeur s’ouvre a ta voix” by Camielle Saint Saens and " When I am Laid in Earth" from Dido and Aeneas. Though was advised by college profs. that they would prefer to just hear art songs. Its hard because I tend to have a big voice that lends well to dramatic songs. I will leave them as options, but I know its not likely they will choose them being arias and also some schools, such as MSM did not want to hear your first song if it was over three minutes because then they most likely will not be able to hear the second song. So Im going to start with my english song which is difficult because of the different tempo markings between the vocal line and the piano line. Like you its going to be an option, open for them to choose.</p>
<p>Yes, wonderful selections, mezzo!
I do believe it’s best to leave any arias as an option and to sing an art song for your first choice.<br>
Is MSM your first choice?</p>
<p>Im not even sure which is my first choice, between Indiana,CCM,Oberlin and MSM. All are great schools and I love each one for different reasons.</p>