Life as Opera - 2nd Act

As I´ve written in my last blogs – regular sport activities really helped me mentally, but in this month, where all the days were rainy and cold, it was really hard to do anything.  I didn´t have to study much neither, because nobody at the Uni knew, whether we are closing soon and heading home. In the third year is my schedule not full at all, so except the weekend I had a few days more off. So I´ve spend much time in the bed with a cup of tea watching Netflix. I was suffering. “Over thinking” was my new ME. So I needed to find a solution on how to be active again. So I did the same as I did in spring. Waking up early, working out (therefore I bought a new groundsheet, yey!), eating healthy, practising singing and learning new repertoire. Sometimes it was hard not to lose my mind, but until the dishes I often talk to will not start responding me, I´m safe.

The third year at the Uni brings a bigger responsibility. The “School middle-aged crisis” came. The first half of my studies is over. In the next year I´m, hopefully, getting the diploma at one the most prestigious universities in the world. Didn´t I waste my time here? How will my colleagues and friends from Czechia look at me when I return back? Was this experience worth it? What did I achieve?  These questions are still more and more often on my mind.  When a younger student comes to one of my singing lessons, would he think: “Oh, I´d love to sing so good as him one day..” or :” Oh, come on, man! You´re in the third year? “ I´d rather not have the answer. I´m probably just overthinking again. 
The start of the semester was quite successful, in contrast to my friends in the Czech Republic. We have all the practical and individual lessons. For now. On the TV, radio and in the news just came information about the new lockdown and the bomb attack, but luckily it won´t change anything for our university. There are many restrictions and precautions, but we can go to the building and study there. We can sing and that´s beautiful. I do even enjoy the time I spend on my way to the school. Everyone there is somehow happier, nicer, more motivated. We are all happy that we can work and study! Even the cultural department was working until now, so I could make it to a few performances in the State Opera... Amazing!  My summer was just as amazing. I´ve spent the time with family, friends, travelling across the state. I´ve been visiting my beloved Olomouc, Liberec, walking around the Krkonoše.             

But the biggest highlight of my summer was the first year of our festival Class Fest, which I´ve set up with my friend Jan Kukal. It was amazing! We made two baroque concerts and two educational performances about the life of W. A. Mozart. 15 musicians in the orchestra, 12 singers, 2 moderators and one conductor. Triumphant. Good experience and also a proof, that even in this hard time we can do music and cultural events. It makes sense.  Therefore we´re not wasting our time, and we´re just getting ready for the next year. To make it even more For the Class Fest 2021 we´re planning a true delicates - One opera which was found 10 years ago in an archive in the Czech Krumlov by a conductor Vojtěch Spurný. Except his performance, no one heard this opera for more than 250 years. And now we´re on! It´s a short comedy about two jealous couples. I´m very looking forward to it. It´ll be fun! Actually, Jan and me are going to sing those two main male characters.
                Except for opera, we´d like to add a few another genres of art. Theater, photography and sacred music. Finally it´ll be an art festival and not just a musical festival.
I´d love to write what I´m waiting for and what I´m planning, but due to the crisis, most of my projects were simply cancelled, like my tour with Dagmar Pecková, or the songs recital - where I should have presented my own poems. The only hope is the concerts with the ensemble Chorea Bohemica. I hope they´ll will take place! 
 Well, at least I can concentrate myself for my own personal progress, that´s never enough. For example – languages. I´m supposed to learn another one - French. But, honestly, it´s already quite confusing. English for communication, German for studying and Italian for singing - those are the languages I can already quite fluently speak. Plus I know basics in Spanish, because I was really bored in the spring time. And now I´m learning French -  as well for the singing. (And next year we have two semesters of Russian, lol.) I know, it does sound like I´m actually not complaining, but showing off... and it´s true! The possibility of learning so many languages at just one institution is amazing! And I can test it immediately on one of my Erasmus colleagues!

What would I wish to myself? Strong will, good nerves, not to rot in my bed, but still have the drive and unworldliness. I miss meeting friends in pubs, I miss my family, which I have not seen for almost 2 months, I do miss people, but that´s probably normal, nowadays. The autumn as a season sucks every year, so now it´ll be just a bit harder.
But, another good thing I´m doing right now – I started to tech music theory at the Uni. One professor asked me to help students to understand better his lessons, so I ´ve signed a contract and now I´m a “help teacher” as well! That´s a motivation, isn´t it?

But do you know what does help? The baroque music! I can recommend the Haendels ´ G minor passacaglia -  that´s a superduper piece of music!