Interview: Beth Taylor Pt2
More about Beth’s plans for her career and how she sees her development as a singer and an artist.
Brian Bannatyne-Scott - Do you have short, medium, and long-term goals? What are your dream roles, and when do think you will tackle them? Do you have roles that you will completely avoid? I’ve been musing on the amazing career of Christa Ludwig, who died recently at the age of 93, and looking at the choices she made over the years, even wandering into the dramatic soprano repertoire. Is that an option for you in the future, do you think, or are you happy to stay as a mezzo? I consider Ludwig to have been the greatest mezzo of the last 50 years but was unconvinced by her forays into dramatic soprano territory, although she was so good, she even made that work too. I have just been writing about the mezzo voice for the EMR and considering this question of what women singers call themselves. For example, do you ever describe yourself as a contralto? Would you be happy to be known as a contralto? Mistress Quickly in ‘Falstaff’ is often described as one, but I’m not sure. I know you were meant to sing your first Quickly at the Monnaie in Brussels before Covid took over. Now, a year on, is that where you want to be going?
Beth Taylor - I wake up every day grateful for being a mezzo and for having always been from day one, according to my first teacher. She kept trying me out with soprano material, but it was just never comfortable. I love the mezzo repertoire, across all platforms. I would not class myself as a contralto, though some have tried to in the past. I think this is mainly because I feel most comfortable singing the roles often associated with the contralto voice. But having heard some genuine contraltos now, I know this is not where I fit in.
Baroque Opera remains my priority for now. There are quite a number of Handelian roles I would really like to sing, before I can even think about anything else, and plenty of Monteverdi, Purcell and Vivaldi, too. I would also love to try and get my voice in a place where Mozart becomes slightly more comfortable. At the moment, the range of the mezzo roles in his operas sit too uncomfortably and I am not at my best here. It will probably never be my strength but I’m always striving to be better.
I have always referred to my voice as a “slow developer”- To be honest, I’m amazed things took off the way they did immediately after graduating, when I had intended to work for a year or two and then return to full-time study. But this career is not linear in nature and neither is the singer’s journey getting wherever they want to be.
A friend recently asked me: “Where do you want to sing”? in terms of theatres, concert halls.
I have genuinely never thought about this! We all know there are these big prestigious houses and halls. But I have always dreamed about what music I would get to sing, both solo and choral, rather than the venue.
I think it’s a shame when singers put way too much pressure on themselves to have “made it” by singing at (insert big theatre) by a certain age or the fact that, if they don’t ever get that opportunity, their career was a waste of time. I feel I’ve already achieved so much more than I had ever expected of myself as a student singer and I know that there are singers out there who would kill to have the opportunities I’ve had, who have worked very hard too and are waiting for a lucky break. So for that, I hope I never find myself complaining about not having sung THAT role and at THAT house- that should never be what this career choice is about. I can’t imagine spending my career chasing down that one role or gig. Particularly during this pandemic, I’ve appreciated that work is work!
My main goals over the career, however long or short that may be, is to sing beautiful music and challenge myself to love the craft and to appreciate my own contributions each and every time, no matter the difficulties- and pay the bills. There are many singers whom I aspire to be like who did not have glittering careers, but they speak of their time in the business with such fondness and love for the music, their colleagues and adventures, it makes me so glad I jumped in with both feet when I did.
I’ve always loved singing the Baroque heroes and villains and would like to keep doing more of this. Or even Gluck’s heroes? I love Gluck and I find he’s very underrated as a dramatist. I now have a lot more confidence in coloratura and want to use it as much as possible. But whilst Rossini is an obvious solution, there are physical aspects that I think haven’t made me an obvious choice for Rosina or Angelina. I see myself more of a Malcolm or Arsace. Falliero, in ‘Bianca e Falliero’ will be my big Rossini debut at the Oper Frankfurt this season, and it is a much meatier role than people give it credit for.
I would really love to sing just as much concert repertoire too and the amount of songs I want to learn and collaborate on is infinite, so I’ll leave that there!
My voice is going through quite a big change in size and timbre at the moment, so there are a few gear changes that need to happen before I make any more diversions in repertoire. I’ve discovered a love for Wagner I didn’t know I had before. Perhaps this is an avenue one day I might explore further- much further down the line!
Needless to say, Ludwig’s incredible vocal stamina and ability to almost seamlessly evolve into dramatic soprano repertoire, are only part of what make her the legend that she will remain forever. Her Lieder singing is just some of the most moving and instinctive I’ve ever heard.
BBS - Finally, do you want to keep strong links with Scotland, and are we going to hear you here more often (other than the wonderful concert in Edinburgh on August 22nd)? I know that the more international my career, the less I sang here or was even asked to sing here. Is this something you’re aware of, and will you try to make a point of singing here often?
BT - A few years ago, when I was considering my next steps for Postgraduate study, I had two options; to stay at the RCS (I was rejected by the two English colleges I had applied to), or attend the Lyon Conservatoire in France.
After a huge amount of debate, sitting a French DELF B2 exam to allow me to study there and even making brief accommodation arrangements to settle in until I found a more permanent solution, I decided strategically it was better for me to stay in Scotland. In that year leading up to the decision, I had started to get a lot more bookings with choral societies around Scotland and as a young student, felt if I left now, then all those ties I had finally made with the choirs, would be cut.
Little did I know at the time that things would work out the way they did, and that as international doors have surprisingly opened up, the doors at home have sadly remained ever more closed.
It would be the absolute honour of my life to be invited to sing at my national company - also a joy to be a bit closer to home, for a change! Scotland was where I was born, educated and where the doors began to open for me, so I feel I owe everything in my development to it. If things hadn’t worked out the way they have, you can be sure I’d have been making every effort to enrol in the chorus of Scottish opera and other ensembles like the Dunedin Consort. We do have some of the best musicians in the world and yet somehow, the reputation remains tarnished against the more elite London colleges.
I am fiercely proud of my Scottish identity and heritage, something that at times, has been mocked or even directly spoken down about at auditions or competitions; the accent not being taken seriously, the mythical and stereotypically assumed “Glesga” reputation, despite knowing nothing about me or my background. They’re certainly not getting a can o’ bru in their stockings from Santa!
They say it’s hard to be a prophet in your own land. I know I’m not alone in this situation. But to one day sing with the RSNO, BBC SSO, the Edinburgh Festival or at Scottish Opera would be such an honour and I do hope that invitation can one day be possible.
BBS - Thanks very much for agreeing to do this interview. I’m sure our readers will have been really interested in what you have had to say. I have enjoyed your natural responses to my questions, and your honest appraisal of your career so far. It seems to me that you are being well looked after, both by teachers and agent, and also that you understand what is needed to make a good career, artistically and personally. It’s a hard business, and you need to know who your friends are and who you can trust. In the long run, it is your career, and yours alone, and you need to think very carefully about every step of the way. You can afford to make the odd mistake; indeed you need to make mistakes to find out where you are truly going, but I think you are in a good place at the moment. It is a strange business. You may find that, as one door closes, another opens up across the room. If that happens, you need to walk boldly through, holding your head up high. I’m sure our readers will be watching out for you from now on, and I do hope you can get some serious work here in Scotland soon. I am looking forward immensely to our joint recital at 7.30 on August 22nd in St Michael’s Church, 1 Slateford Road, in Edinburgh, with the excellent young Polish pianist, Michał Gajzler, playing for us. Hugh Kerr will review it afterwards for the EMR.
In the meantime, once again, thank you very much, Beth. I have one final question, and it touches on the work you have been doing this year in 2021, during the latter stages of the coronavirus crisis in Europe. I know you have a lot to tell us about how Brexit has utterly changed the lives of British singers working in Europe, as many of us must do, and how difficult that work has become. I know our readers will be both shocked and astonished by what you tell us, and for that reason, I propose to hold back this final question until next time, when we will be able to read the third part of this interview, and digest its importance.
