Happy Holidays to all!  It is a festive time of year in Germany.  Everywhere I turn, I see Weinacht Markts filling city squares and warm Glühwein filling colorful mugs.  It’s charming and exciting.  Everyone is cheerful and having a wonderful time.

Well, I have some exciting news.  Last night I performed my German debut at the Gendarmenmarkt in one of the finest areas of Berlin.  A dear friend who was scheduled to sing Christmas carols for a bit of evening entertainment fell ill, and at the last minute, I filled in for her.  It was a huge leap of faith for all involved, since no one had actually heard me sing, but we pulled through all uncertainty and made a fun night out of it.  I sang with a lovely Canadian soprano and an American pianist.  We performed everything from Stille Nacht to Winter Wonderland on a glittering stage with spotlights and lots of decorations.  It was outdoors, so onlookers could easily see our breath as we sang.  The cold temperatures didn’t freeze our spirits, though.  We sang four sets of carols throughout the evening and received waves of applause from the crowd.  What a great night! 

As this round of auditions draws to a close for Christmas, I want to thank all of the super-generous folks who’ve shared their dinner tables and homes with me along my way: Cosi, Niko, Klaus, Schattdecor, Roberta, Andrew, Grützners, Su (and the kitties), Michael and Karen.  I appreciate you all so much.  Thank you for opening your doors to me and making me feel so at home half a world away from mine.  You are angels on my journey. 

 God bless you all this holiday season!

~D.

“In a city of strangers, I’ve got a family of friends…”  These lyrics come from a wonderful song by John Bucchino.  While having Thanksgiving Dinner in Berlin with all sorts of new friends, one of the chefs of the day offered this heartfelt song.  It fit just right.

But, I want to give an update about auditions.  So far, I’ve sung in Hamburg, Munich, Bad Endorf, Duesseldorf, some of them two and three times.  Next week I go to Cologne and then Berlin.  Appointments were slow-coming at first, but lately, things are picking up.  It’s going pretty well; at least I think it is.  Everyone who listens has nice things to say—very encouraging.  “You sound nice.”  “You have a nice package.”  “Excellent diction.”  “Great dress.”  “Wonderful interpretation.”  I just haven’t heard any offers that might result in a contract.  But, I’m not complaining.  A lot of people in the business have told me that it’s a waiting game.  Some folks sing for the same agent 2 and 3 times before getting representation.  Others have done this “audition tour” for 3-4 years before seeing a contract.  The common denominator is that there is none–no one follows the same path to success in this business.  It’s a crap shoot.  But, along the way, it’s nice to exchange experiences and find comfort in those little things that are similar experiences between singers.  It’s like that ‘family of friends’ I mentioned earlier.  Every audition I attend, there are usually one or two singers I recognize from a previous audition.  We exchange a familiar smile, and feel like we’ve known each other for a long time.  Sometimes, we even go to lunch afterwards, or have a drink–somethng social.  It’s a great atmosphere for networking.

I’m just having a ball exploring a different country and its culture.  Between audition appointments, I go exploring–sometimes with a new-found friend, sometimes alone.  Salzburg was a special trip.  I toured Mozart’s birthplace, walked through a few old churches at which he must have played and I saw a few sights where The Sound of Music was filmed.  All this plus the snow-capped mountains in the distance.  It was magical!!

 I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving!  So much to be thankful for…

 ’Til next time, Diane

On Wednesday of last week, I visited Dachau Concentration Camp.  It’s off-peak season for tourists now, so there were only 12 in our group.  We came from Iowa, Colorado, Illinois, Minnesota, England and Kosovo.  It was probably the coldest, most miserable day I’ve experienced since my arrival in Germany–one local claimed it reached just a few degrees above freezing.  Top that with the incessant rain and strong winds, and you have a fitting environment for visiting the first of dozens of concentration camps during WWII.  As we walked the gravel road to it’s entry gate, I was struck as to how massive it was.  Dachau was actually a model for all concentration camps during Nazi power.  Designed to hold 5,000 prisoners, in the end, it held nearly 30,000 political activists, immigrants, homosexuals, criminals and Jews. 

It wasn’t until we had arrived at the camp and entered the gate displaying ARBEIT MACHT FREI that we realized we had a survivor with us.  This gentleman entered the camp as a political prisoner at the age of 19 in 1942.  Luckily for this Albanian, he had skills of a machinist, so he was sent out of the camp on a daily basis to work his way to survival.  I watched his reaction to seeing the camp for the second time since his liberation in 1945.  (His first trip back was in 1974, before a fitting museum had been erected to honor and remember the victims and survivors.) He was calm and unemotional.  Nearly 85 years old now, he walked around with ease and listened intently to the tour guide, who was a little star-struck at the idea that a survivor  of the Holocaust was listening to her explanation about his experience.  As we looked at the reconstructed barracks and original gas chamber and crematorium, he would offer personal accounts, telling us where his barrack was and sharing his memories of that horrible time.  I sat next to him as we watched a graphic documentary.  He was still and wide-eyed.  He kept his hands in his pockets–something he wasn’t allowed to do while a prisoner at Dachau.  Even if the issued uniforms had pockets, no prisoner was allowed to use them for anything, otherwise endure severe punishment, which may well have included execution.  We walked on the gravel center of the camp, where daily roll call was taken.  We walked on the forbidden grassy perimeter, where SS officials would taunt and abuse prisoners, snatching their issued hats and throwing them on the grass. Here a prisoner had to choose: run to retrieve the hat and get shot for touching the grass, or ignore the order and be severely punished.  It was a numbing experience.  Tears welled up in my eyes a couple of times out of frustration and severe confusion of how something so vicious and demonic could have happened.  I struggle to find words.  

One other striking observation was the number of high school students I saw touring the camp.  Our guide said it’s mandatory for all students to witness the history of the concentration camps.  The government and the school systems find it necessary to educate and inform everyone about what happened–all in an effort to ensure this never happens, at least in Germany, again.

With humble respect, Diane Dietz

Well, it’s been almost a month since my departure from St. Louis, and I guess that means it’s time for a little homesickness.  While I have had some really great experiences with auditions and tourist activities, nothing quite soothes that yearning for the familiar. 

Saturday was a particularly challenging day.  I auditioned for an agent in Munich.  The audition itself went well.  I was pleased with my singing, as was the agent, and I met some fellow singers also in pursuit of a contract with an opera house.  They came from all over the planet: Australia, Austria, China, France, Germany, Greece, Illinois, (that’s me ) and New York.  The challenging part was associated with deciphering the transportation system.  Don’t get me wrong, I’m extremely grateful for the available public transportation, but the first time is always a little rough.  From the little village I’m staying in (BTW–thanks, Tom!–I love it!!!!), I took a bus to a bigger town, and then a train to Munich, and then a subway to the audition location.  It seems simple enough, but combine that with announcements over a broken loud speaker in a foreign language and every town using different styles of navigation signs and a grumpy old bus driver that yells the amount of the bus fare at you in a slur of broken German…I miss my comfort zone. 

Anyway, now that Saturday’s audition is complete, I have a few days to enjoy Bavaria before my next appointment.  I’m planning on a tour of Dachau Concentration Camp and a walking tour of Munich.  I’m also very close to Salzburg, so I may just jump the border and try Mozart’s town on for size. 

Thank you to all who post comments to the blogs, and to those who read and enjoy silently.  Your encouragement is felt half a world away.  I truly appreciate it!!

Hugs to all!

Hello all!

 Berlin is such a nice city!!  I’ve taken a walking tour of many historical sites, and last night, I saw an amazing production of Der Freischuetz at Deutsche Oper Berlin.  So much to offer, so much to do, not terribly expensive.  It has all the comforts of a small town and all the accessibility of a big city. 

But, I’m not here to tour the city…I just heard from my contact in Munich that housing arrangements are in order, and I am due to change locations very soon.  Of course, just as I get used to Berlin, I have to leave it, but I have an appointment with an agency in early November, so a move is a must.  Plus, once I’m in southern Germany, Austria and Switzerland will be much closer to me.

Ahhhhh.  Europe is a wonderful place.  It feels profound at times to be in the presence of some of the most defining moments in history.  Just the other day, I walked along the former perimeter of the Berlin wall.  Wow….palpable!  Even walking through the Brandenburg Gate was moving, imagining I’m an important diplomat, riding into town. Witnessing the patched bullet holes in it’s facade dampened the mood a bit.  Lots to be thankful for…

If you get the chance, I highly recommend visiting Berlin.  The people are nice and patient with my limited German.  The food is delicious! Of course, in a big city there are many choices to keep your palate interested.  Transportation is easily accessible, although I have walked more in the last two weeks than I have in the last two years. 

I’ve met a couple of opera singers in Berlin, and it’s been great to chat about the business with those who are currently living the dream.  All of them mention luck playing a part in their experiences.  There’s no doubt to me that I am blessed with fortune…I mean, look at me!  I’m here!!

 Ciao, for now.

~DD

Hamburg is a beautiful port city in Northwestern Germany.  It was there, at the Hamburg Kammeroper (Chamber Opera), that I had my first German audition experience. The people who listened to me were very nice, and although it was obvious that I was not fluent in German, they listened as I offered my few introductory lines before singing:  “Guten Tag.  Ich heisse Diane Dietz.  Ich moechte mit ‘Quando men vo’ beginnen, und dann die Arie der Pamina aus Die Zauberfloete–Mozart.”  I feel that I represented myself well, and that I offered my best.  I owe this arrangement to Klaus, my friend from MOSA, who helped not only to arrange the audition, but also served as my personal tour guide of Hamburg.  We saw many old churches and lots of beautiful sites.  And since Hamburg is home to a wonderful fish market, I dined on lots of fresh seafood.  It was wonderful!

Now, I’m back in Berlin, planning my next move.  I hope all is well states-side.  Until my next post…Tschuess!

Greetings to all!  Here I am at the kitchen table of my friend who lives in what used to be East Berlin.  Already I have made appointments for auditions that will start next week.  So many of you have shared contact information about friends and family you have here in Germany.  Thank you, thank you!  You can be assured, I will be using your information as the months go by.  I feel so lucky and blessed to be here right now.  All I can say is that it feels right.  Your encouragement and support have only enhanced what I know in my heart.  More later…for now, Auf Wiedersehen!

Blog home to Lyric Soprano, Diane Dietz.