GREAT BARRINGTON — What do the Périgord region of France, the Emilia-Romagna region of Italy, and the Berkshire Hills of Massachusetts have in common? All three are home to Classic Lyric Arts‘ summer training programs for vocalists and collaborative pianists. Since 2009, CLA has provided language-based training for aspiring opera singers in France and Italy, and this month it will conduct its first summer program in the Berkshires at Bard College at Simon’s Rock.
From July 5 through July 10, CLA will hold recitals featuring performances by the 2022 participants of Classic Lyric Arts in the Berkshires. Each recital will feature selections from Mozart operas, including Le Nozze di Figaro, Don Giovanni, Idomeneo, Cosà fan tutte, and La Clemenza di Tito.
What is language-based vocal training? It starts with native teachers of French and Italian classical repertoire emphasizing diction, musical style, and spoken language. It culminates in 13 performances worldwide in 2022: three in France, three in Italy, three in the Berkshires, and four in New York City.
Artistic Director Glenn Morton and co-Director of CLA Italy Ubaldo Fabbri launched Classic Lyric Arts in 2009 after meeting in New York a decade earlier. Prior to that meeting, Mr. Morton had established himself as one of New York City’s most sought-after vocal coaches. (He now teaches at Manhattan School of Music, Mannes College, the New School for Music, and the Juilliard School.)
Morton had taught Italian diction for several years at Mannes College and was inspired by Fabbri’s approach to teaching vocal technique, an approach that focused primarily on the inherent musicality of the Italian language—its basic sound set. Fabbri observed that “beauty of sound was formed through vowels, expression through consonants, communication through the shape of a phrase.”
“I realized,” writes Morton, “that his teaching was unlike anything I had heard before. Everything originated from language.” Over a period of years, Morton transcribed Fabbri’s lessons and adopted a new approach to his own teaching.
Eight years after the two met, Morton and Fabbri established a summer program for young singers to be held at the academy Fabbri directs in Novafeltria, Italy. The school’s objective is to examine the connections between the Italian language and bel canto singing.
CLA expanded in 2012 to include a program in France. Morton tells the story: “One of my longtime friends and colleagues, Ken Benson, introduced me to tenor Stéphane Malbec Sénéchal, who in turn introduced me to his adopted father, Michel Sénéchal, one of the most celebrated French tenors of the twentieth century.”
CLA’s staff of instructors have associations with opera theaters such as La Scala, Paris Opera, Covent Garden, The Metropolitan Opera, and others.
Classic Lyric Art’s 2022 Berkshire performance schedule is as follows:
- Tuesday, July 5 – Summer Serenade
- Wednesday, July 6 – Summer Serenade
- Friday, July 8 – Scenes of Mozart
- Sunday, July 10 – Grand Finale
All CLA performances take place at Kellogg Music Center, Bard College at Simon’s Rock (map) and run from 7 to 8:30 p.m. More information here.
CLA’s international 2022 schedule is here.
