San Francisco baritone Bradley Kinard will play Sportin' Life in the Vallejo Symphony Orchestra's concert version of George and Ira Gershwin's opera “Porgy and Bess” on April 20 and 21 at the Empress Theater. Narrate and sing. (Photo provided by Vallejo Symphony Orchestra)
For baritone Bradley Kinard, his journey to opera houses, concert halls and churches around the world began one day as a 30-year-old IT employee humming a song in his office.
“It wasn't classic,” Kinard said Sunday in a phone interview from his home in San Francisco. “I think it was probably gospel or R&B.”
“Mrs.
“That's why I took the challenge,” Kinnard said. Kinard will sing the role of drug peddler Sportin' Life from “Happy Dust” in a concert version of George Gershwin's opera “Porgy and Bess” on April 20 at the Vallejo Symphony Orchestra. 21 at the Empress Theater in downtown Vallejo.
“I was stupid enough to think I could do that,” he added.
Kinnard (pronounced “kinard”), a native of Los Angeles, visited one voice teacher, then another, and that made a difference. But he said he “almost didn't go” the second time because the prices were “ridiculously low.”
A former opera singer who loved teaching, he was asked by his voice teacher to sing scales. As soon as he did so, the teacher said: Hold your mouth like this and breathe here,''' Kinard recalled.
According to information on his website, he followed instructions and made “ridiculously loud noises.”
Kinard recalled being “stunned” and intrigued at the moment, but had no intention of singing opera. But he enjoyed the technical aspects of singing, being able to communicate things without words and continually improve.
Time and circumstances changed, and so did his tastes and ears. Slowly, he said, he began to enjoy the feeling of singing and opera, and later recalled that his vocal teacher told him that a career as a professional singer would involve “a lot of sweat and tears.” I remembered.
“He was right,” Kinard said. “Why do something easy? If it was easy, who would want it?”
Kinard, interviewed on Easter Sunday, said he had just returned from a performance of 18th-century French composer Théodore Dubois' oratorio “The Seven Last Words of Christ.”
In April, she will travel to France and then to Scuol, Switzerland, where she will sing the baritone part of Beethoven's “Chorus” symphony.
On Monday, he will meet with fellow soloists in “Porgy and Bess,” soprano Tiffany Austin, who plays Bess, and baritone Robert Sims, who plays Porgy, to discuss the concept for the semi-staged performance.
This concert version includes songs such as “Summertime,” “A Woman Is a Sometime Thing,” “I Got Plenty O Nuttin,” “Beth,” “You Is My Woman Now,” and “My Mans.” “Gone Now” and “It Ain't Necessary So” were originally written in 1959 for legendary singer Ella Fitzgerald and jazz trumpeter Louis Armstrong, and were arranged by Russell Garcia. be. Conductor Marc Taddei conducted the orchestra and performed alongside members of Verismo Opera.
Kinard said of her character in her performance of “Porgy and Bess” that the cynical Sportin' Life “understands life” and is realistic.
His signature song is the jazz-infused “It Ain't Necessarily So,” emblematic of the dichotomous genre of opera in 1935. The residents of Catfish Row, a tenement house in Charleston, South Carolina, lyrically express their hope to overcome their living conditions, but there is no hope in Sporting Life: I have drugs,” Kinard said.
Throughout the song, Sportin' Life is cunning and slimy, delivering a kind of sermon extolling skepticism to onlookers within earshot, and delivering one of the opera's best songs, triplets and trisyllabics. I'll sing it. You can do that/read in the Bible/that doesn't necessarily mean that's the case. And/Oh, Jonah, he lived in a whale/Oh, he made his home in the belly of a fish/Oh, Jonah, he lived in a whale. ”
“I like his character,” Kinard said. “Who wants to be bored? Not that I want to sell drugs, but who wants to be bored? Angelique is boring.”
At the end of the opera, Porgy stabs Bess's boyfriend, Clown, and is arrested on suspicion of murder and taken to detectives. Sportin' Life sings, “There's a Boat Dat's Leavin' Soon for New York.” After returning to Catfish Row, he learns that Beth has eloped with Sportin' Life and sings “Beth, Where's My Beth?”
“And Porgy sets off after them in his goat wagon,” said Kinard, who has sung roles in Orff's “Carmina Burana” and Humperdinck's “Hansel and Gretel.”
Although these operas are part of the standard opera repertoire, many of his performances have also been in contemporary operas, including Jake Heggie's 2010's Moby Dick.
While many people think of “Porgy and Bess” as a satire of black life nearly 100 years ago, Kinard says it is “a non-black interpretation of what a black voice could be.” admitted that.
“But it also happens to be funny and catchy,” he said. “As a black American, you have to understand things in context. There's a hint of flattery (of Gershwin) in imitating black style.”
For the past several decades, “Porgy and Bess” has been considered the prototype musical and premiered on Broadway. However, recently it has been performed in opera houses around the world. Boasting a combination of melodic and rhythmic themes, he blends jazz, Broadway, and all forms of Black and Jewish American music into his unique compositions. It is now considered the first American opera.
Kinnard's mother was a nurse, and his father was a teacher and musician who played the piano and organ, recorded several jazz albums in the 1970s, played on many recording sessions, and at one time worked with Gladys Knight and the・I also went on tour with Pips. Both died before he turned 18.
He confessed that despite his father's career, he had no interest in making music his life's work. When his entertainment career was just beginning, he held on to his IT job “until the income was enough” and moved to San Francisco, where there were more jobs than Los Angeles. He eventually auditioned and was accepted into the Francisco Opera Chorus, performing solo roles on the side.
“I said goodbye to the choir,” he joked. “I'm tired of singing in the background.”
To stay at the top of her game, Kinnard still performs regularly in her 80s and sees a vocal teacher who is “all in.” His dictionary coach is in his 70s. His running partner is 77 years old and has run 117 marathons.
“There's a theme here. Over the years, I've found that the most helpful people are the elders,” he said. “I have a general rule: If you're under 70, it's most likely not going to help you. Why waste your time? Older people have figured it out.”
Mr. Kinnard said those who attend performances “should hear good melodies and good music.” No matter how good the story is, if the music isn't pleasing to the ear, it won't work. ”
Symphony spokesman Tim Zumwalt said in a prepared statement that the orchestra's Gershwin Series, the third and final installment of the orchestra's 91st season, is “arguably one of the most important and unusual musical events of all time. It will become one.” This season in the Bay Area. ”
Zumwalt added that a pre-concert talk, “Meet the Music,” will take place one hour before the performance and will feature conversations between Taddei and guest artists and provide insight into the program.
The Vallejo Symphony can be heard on Radio KZCT-FM 89.5, and the “Porgy and Bess” concert will be broadcast May 3 at 10:30 a.m.
In addition, guest artists will appear in live interviews, and their program times will be posted on Facebook/VallejoSymphony.
if you go
- what: Concert version of “Porgy and Bess” performed by the Vallejo Symphony Orchestra
- when: April 20th at 8pm and April 21st at 3pm.
- where: Empress Theater, 330 Virginia St.
- ticket: $50-$80, available online. Group tickets are also available and discounts are available for groups of 10 or more.
- online: www.vallejosymphony.org
- phone: (707) 643-4441