The Icelandic Canadian - 01.03.1994, Qupperneq 32

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THE ICELANDIC CANADIAN
SPRING, 1994
two pieces by a British composer,
who came to Canada to conduct his
work. And finally, a prominent
Hungarian composer sent me a score
and asked me to perform one of his
pieces - there will be a North
American premiere in Toronto; it’s
very exciting!
The composers are so different -
some make more of the text than the
music, and some the other way
around - they have text that is
ambivalent and vague, and others
have no text at all. The Vancouver
Opera commissioned a work by a
local artist. The first half of the opera
was workshopped to see how it would
sound before going on to do the other
half. I was part of that workshop and
I was given the part that I had worked
on. There are six performances
planned for June 1994 and I am
thrilled to be a part of them. They
liked my interpretation of the
character and, based on my voice, the
composer wrote the part for the
second act. I’m sure, most composers
hear a voice when they are writing for
a part - I’m thrilled.
Telga: It’s really great if you do have
a name for doing work such as that -
because you will be sought out.
Valdine: Even though governments
are cutting back, they will still have to
support today’s composers to some
degree. And, no matter what, there
will be new pieces written, so it’s
relevant - a good place to be.
Ijelga: Yes - when you think of it,
there are not veiy many people doing
that type of work.
Valdine: Well, it helps to have perfect
pitch.
helga: Is one bom with perfect pitch,
or is it something one learns?
Valdine: Really, I don’t know. It’s just
an acute tonal memorization. For
example, you can remember the
sound of “A,” like you can remember
the colour of yellow. You seem to be
born with it. There may be people
who have that capacity and have
never honed it. I was lucky to be bom
to a very musical family, so I was
surrounded by music from morning
to night. I noticed when I was
humming that I was always on pitch,
but I didn’t know what it meant. My
father had perfect pitch too.
Ijelga: Your little ones sing as well - I
remember.
Valdine: Yes, they do - I encourage
them.
Ijelga: Do you think you’d like to do
some composing yourself?
Valdine: No, I don’t think I’m inspired
that way. No, one’s head has to be
swimming with original ideas that it
just can’t contain - these ideas must
come out, like those of a writer. I
couldn’t ever write something
considered profound.
helga: What are your plans, then, for
the next few years?
Valdine: I am hoping to do an
“audition tour” next year and, to do
that, will contact various managers
and theatres to sing for them. It is
possible, through a manager, to have
auditions arranged with various
houses, and thus secure a position. If
you secure a position in Europe, it’s
your living. Musicians there work a
30-hour week, with two days off each
week. It is recognized that, because
you have this position and are
working on a regular basis, you will
be supported by many people. It is
part of the culture in Europe that
people go out to hear music.
Managers there can afford to have
staff.
There is no equivalent in Canada.
There is only contract work, and
musicians simply go from job to job.
The Manitoba Opera, for instance,