It was a beginning that bode well for her future as an operatic performer. It was an extraordinarily significant début.

The remarkable number of awards Jane has gathered becomes a very impressive collection, indeed a litany, in addition to her television appearances in both the United States and Europe.

Her absolute and profound understanding of the human voice, her vast repertoire, her knowledge of several languages, her comprehension of stage presence, her understanding of the role and perception of the score, all make Jane Marsh a precious resource for learning for those who are capable of doing so.
Certainly, a career such as her’s is clearly impossible to condense into these few pages herewith but at least a foretaste of what she has achieved and is continuing to accomplish can be of interest not only to so many up-and-coming singers but also to music-loving audiences.

Her impressive experience certainly cannot be elaborated on in detail here but it is well worth consulting her website if only to have some insight or a glimpse into what being a great diva is all about and what it takes to achieve this. Being American certainly did not stop Marsh from competing and winning the Gold Medal, the first singer to do so, in the International Tchaikovsky Competition in Moscow, a country that was, at that time, perceived as the foremost adversary of the United States. It must have taken a great deal of courage, determination, and skill at such a young age to engage in this adventure.

She has performed with huge success under the baton of numerous outstanding conductors such as: Leinsdorf, Ormandy, Maazel in addition to von Karajan, Böhm, Ozawa, Bernstein, Schippers, and von Matacic. She has appeared on so many Television and radio programs both in the States and in Europe that it would be of some difficulty to enumerate all of them here.

Marsh has also held multilingual Master Classes in the United States and Europe including showcase classes on Mozart & Salieri, Verdi & Bel Canto and Mahler & Vernacular Composers in Performance presented during the European Mozart Weeks in Italy and Germany in 2008, and in 2014, 2016 and 2019 during a recital tour of Croatia and Italy, and most recently for the CUNY Graduate Center, New York. She has been Artistic Advisor & Program Consultant for the successful Met Opera Guild, as well as an Adjunct Professor at Hunter College and the San Francisco State University.

Jane continues her brilliant musical journey now by addressing the problems of young singers and helping them to overcome certain performance situations for which she unquestionably has the background to advise them on.

OperaWire visits with Jane Marsh to learn more.

OperaWire: Were you born into a musical family or did you just perceive your attraction to music on your own?

Jane Marsh: My attraction to music was the result of a latent talent that bubbled to the surface, leading music and singing to ascend majorly into me and my total existence. Others have experienced this, but it is rare and surely not the norm.

OW: How did your journey in music begin? Did you study another instrument as a child?

JM: My initial participation in music goes back to the last semester of high school, when college-track students were given a choice between two of the school’s electives: the school’s Chorus or the school’s Art Class. I decided to try the school’s Chorus, as I simply thought it would be a fun interaction with school friends.

OW: Who or what have been the most important influences in your musical life and career?

JM: Tantamount has been my understanding that knowing roles prior to receiving offers is important, but golden is understanding that knowing roles before offers appear magnetizes the roles to you. Conductors Leinsdorf, Szell, Ormandy, Schippers, Bernstein, von Karajan and Schick have been valuable influences, not to mention my Gold Medal as First Singer to win the International Tchaikovsky Vocal Competition.

OW: What inspired you to become an opera singer?

JM: Inspiration was transmitted to me by an overall interest of teachers who saw something out-of-the-ordinary in me, and, as a result, the passion for singing opera took me by storm. Though, I must say that singing per se has been the real Alpha Inspiration here. I’ve gone along for the ride.

OW: You were very young, so were you still in college when you were catapulted onto the international stage to perform the role of Desdemona in Verdi’s Otello?

JM: I was still in college when George Schick, of the Metrpolitan Opera, requested that I sing for conductor Thomas Schippers and I was then chosen by Schippers to sing Desdemona in the production of Verdi’s “Otello” at Italy’s Festival of Two Worlds, but I was out of school when the performances took place.

OW: It is surely quite a demanding role in which one needs to command the stage. What are your memories of this debut performance?

JM: Conductor Thomas Schippers’s first hand at directing Verdi’s “Otello” was not the most memorable, but his conducting of the production was an utter joy. Singing Desdemona with Schippers allowed me the connection to international audiences and opera administrations and the interaction with opera stars. It opened doors for me into the major Italian opera houses.

OW: You were cast for your American opera debut with the San Francisco Opera in the principal role of Pamina, a role for which you were very highly praised, in their production of “Die Zauberflöte.” A highlight of your rendition was your aria “Ach ich fühl’s” that revealed the vocal control requisite of a successful singer of Mozart’s operas. How did you deal with so much success at such a young age?

JM: Success for me has been a fabulously exhilarating challenge. My eye has been on distinctively personal performing and as a conduit to positively affecting others. I was initially cast as Pamina with the mindset of Viennese taste. General Opera Directors Kurt Herbert Adler’s and Rudolf Bing’s taste was the result of a former Viennese era of Pamina casting, with drama in the voice plus the needed “spin of dynamics and vocal colors” intended by Mozart. I loved singing the role in major German and Austrian opera houses and festivals. The public responded favorably to the subtle thrust of drama I offered in Pamina, while continuing to showcase lyrical vocal colors. Our opera directors of today might consider bringing this idea into contemporary Pamina casting—Tamino casting as well— still keeping the character innocence in mind.

OW: You were invited by the White House to represent the U.S. in the International Tchaikovsky Competition. How did this come about?

JM: I had been requested by my college voice teacher, Ellen Repp, to compete in the Metropolitan Opera Auditions. As a result of the auditions, I was offered a contract at the Met, but declined as I was still in college. The Met, however, took me in hand directly after the auditions, and introduced me to several major conductors looking for a soprano for their individual projects. They all engaged me. Thomas Schippers was among them! Thereafter, all of these conductors had been assembled as search committee, to suggest singers to compete in the first ever International Tchaikovsky Vocal Competition, in Russia. They all suggested me to compete in Russia. I was then officially informed by a formal letter.

OW: Was it, in a certain way, after all there was still the Iron curtain, a chilling experience?

JM: The Russians had boundaries and I observed them, while keeping laser focus on my function in the competition. Competing in the International Tchaikovsky Vocal Competition was an elating experience. I worked exceedingly hard, despite having contracted tonsillitis while competing. My goal orientation, in the whole experience, never wavered and this kept a positive and buoyant resilience afloat in me. I feel my attitude contributed largely to my winning the Gold Medal.

OW: You have also made numerous appearances on American Television shows with Johnny Carson, Mike Douglas, and Merv Griffin to name only a few. Were these appearances connected to your Tchaikovsky Competition win?

JM: My appearances on the Variety Shows, where I sang the likes of Hollywood Palace, The Red Skelton Show, among some others, were in direct correlation to my Gold Medal win in Russia. The Talk Shows, among them Art Buchwald, Mike Douglas, Johnny Carson, and Merv Griffin, were a combination of performances in and out of New York, of world premieres, concerts and television here and abroad. The pleasure to have performed with the likes of Bing Crosby, George Burns, The Mamas & the Papas, Sid Caesar, Paul Anka, Joan Fontaine, et al was huge.

OW: Reading about your impressive successes in many different areas is just about overwhelming. Looking back, do you have any preferences about these appearances? In other words, were there some that you consider now more to your liking than others? Your favorite?

JM: I loved doing all television shows and I still love television, and naturally the honor of the Gold Medal in Russia and performances in the world’s great opera houses wins too. But my first major Recital in Vienna’s Musikverein, of all German Lieder with the theme of Advent & Christmas, was incredibly successful and memorable.

OW: There is, as mentioned, a wealth of information about you on your website but what is the one quality above all you would choose to impart to young singers or is this difficult if not impossible?

JM: Besides the voice, energy and self-esteem are the two major factors required in focused success. Resting on spontaneity alone can threaten a constant “stand out” standard. Early, organized practice need be the mantra in building a reliable self-esteem. But remember, particularly with new repertoire, the process tends to get worse before better. Knowing this, don’t allow this to threaten self-esteem and singer “mojo.” Reliable and constant goal orientation in practice, allowing time for the process to turn around and move forward, is paramount and will lead to artistic prowess. The singer needs the voice, but the voice needs the singer!

OW: Your favorite opera roles?

JM: This is usually answered with the role one is working on at the time one is asked, but, despite performing numerous roles and styles, I find Verdi’s Leonoras, in “Il Trovatore” and “La Forza del Destino,” and Mozart’s Donna Elvira, in “Don Giovanni,” plus Bellini’s Norma, to have brought me particular pleasure and success.

OW: Your repertoire is exceedingly extensive with nearly every composer conceivable represented but perhaps one of the most out of the ordinary performances was Mendelssohn’s “Elijah,” which marked your orchestral debut with the New York Philharmonic, where you were required, unusually, to memorize the entire oratorio. Can you recount something of this intriguing episode?

JM: When I sang for conductor Thomas Schippers, I didn’t have management at the time. Thomas Schippers not only offered me Desdemona in the opening of the Festival of Two Worlds in Verdi’s “Otello,” but offered me my debut with the NY Philharmonic in Mendelssohn’s “Elijah.” Thomas Schippers was big with the Philharmonic and the performances attracted much attention and success. Having to memorize the score was an original take, but it led to a successful endeavor. Memorable were the seven attending managers who handed me their cards for management. I had the challenge of choosing the most influential management of the group, which was, at the time, the then all-powerful Columbia Artists Management, Inc.

OW: You have performed such a vast number of operas. Do you have a preferred opera composer?

JM: I would have to say that Giuseppe Verdi wins here. I seem to answer technical and stylistic prerequisites for singing Verdi, so I have met the vocal and interpretive challenges with an understanding and overall insight into Verdi.

OW: Not only have you translated for selected publications but you have also tried your hand in cookery with some superb recipes which can be found on your website. How did you become interested in this subject?

JM: Cooking is creative and I have long felt that combining colorful sketches of opera characters in opera scenes with recipes and wines from each character’s country location could well prove to be an inventively profitable coffee table cookbook. This could produce a rather original path to the general public as well as opera shops, but also to sales in universal bookstores.

OW: You’re also known to be a keen horsewoman. How did you acquire the unusual title “Diva Who Busts Broncos” bestowed on you by Life Magazine?

JM: I was a member of the 4-H Club and I had my own horse. Girls from 4-H were allowed to participate in bareback riding of bucking broncos in rodeos. This is not an easy task, but I was able to stay on the bucking horse for the required eight seconds. Life Magazine informed itself about this and, in its story about me, the title “Diva Who Busts Broncos” was part of the result.

OW: If you could go back what, if anything, would you change in your long and fruitful career?

JM: I would change having signed a contract with the then preeminent Columbia Artists Management Inc., after my debut with the NY Philharmonic, to a contractual agreement with S. Hurok Presents. After Mendelssohn’s “Elijah,” prior to the invitation to compete in the International Tchaikovsky Competition’s Vocal Category, I was unaware that in five months my life would majorly change with my winning the Gold Medal. Immediately after my win in Russia, the first people to approach me were the renowned judges, teacher-composer Nadia Boulanger and Bass-Baritone George London, plus the desired office of S. Hurok Presents. I was unable to accept the Hurok management’s agreement offer having five months earlier signed an agreement with CAMI, the CAMI arrangement led to my awareness of overwhelming universal intercarrier-managerial-politics that forced me to find a personal strength to take career reigns in hand.

OW: What are your plans for your future work?

JM: I have begun several Master Class Series in Manhattan locations, and I am programming projects yearly for interesting and thematic Vocal Showcases. Additionally, I find my career consultations, with new artists and experienced artists, a help to new artists entering the profession, as well as experienced artists who have, for one reason or another, fallen off the band wagon. Important to keep in mind is that two formats are significant here. One doesn’t restart an experienced career from square one.

The post Q & A: American Soprano Jane Marsh on Her Career & How to Magnetize What You Want in Your Own Career appeared first on OperaWire.

SeokJong Baek’s rise to prominence in the opera world can only be described as meteoric, if not almost difficult to believe. Almost 15 years singing as a baritone, a chance encounter with fellow South Korean tenor Yonghoon Lee suggested to him that he might make a better tenor than a baritone.

Despite joining the San Francisco Young artists program as a baritone in 2019, the Covid 19 pandemic became the impetus for SeokJong to make the change. He trained himself, religiously, singing daily in a South Korean church in San Fransisco, almost giving up his quest at one point after making little progress in his vocal transition. After the
pandemic as over, he had progressed sufficiently to enter competitions and it is testament to his abilities that three of his first roles as a tenor were at the Royal Opera House in London, a level of prestige that many singers work years, if not decades, to achieve.

Operawire caught up with SaekJong at the Royal Opera House, the night after his opening night as Cavaradossi in Puccini’s “Tosca.”

OperaWire:
Hello SeokJong, thank you for speaking with OperaWire. How does it feel to be back here at Royal Opera after your big debut success as Samson in 2022?

SeokJong Baek:
I mean, it’s always delightful for me, since I made my surprise debut here and they like to have me. I’m so fortunate. I feel so blessed. Every time I come here, luckily the roles that I’m singing are very much fit for my voice, so I’m always feeling that I come ready and ready to sing. you know what? So, it’s my second home! (Laughs)

OW:
You once described yourself as “a bit of an introverted guy from South Korea.” So how does such a guy make what many are describing as a meteoric rise in the opera world, having only transitioned from baritone to tenor during the Covid pandemic, and how DID you make such a transition?

SJB:
I’m just an ordinary person who loves singing. I was so into singing and I always look for how to sing better, and what is pure knowledge of bel canto singing.

And yes, I’ve been singing as a baritone for many, many years, nearly 15 years. When I was around 27 years old, my voice started to stretch out a bit. During my academic years at Manhattan school of music. I was unstable with my economy. I couldn’t’t support my tuitions. And it was so hard to continue the study. Because of that, all I could do was focus on singing.

Mom said “Don’t try to work and make money. You need to focus on singing”

Then I fully focused on how to speak naturally, then discovered that speaking is the most important thing, the key to singing. And then I practiced singing as I’m speaking.

After many months, all of a sudden, my high notes extended above A5 to C6. It felt like falsetto, but I would never imagine I could sing a tenor aria.

Also, I fully agreed with my teacher that I was a baritone. At the time I was singing Germont. My teacher said: “you are a young Verdian baritone.” My whole life I sung as a baritone, and I was trained as a whole technical baritone, but I could also hit high notes, so I was curious about my voice.

Then many years passed, one day in December 2018, I met Yonghoon Lee who told me that I could be a tenor. And in 2019, I entered the San Francisco Young artists program as a baritone. I finished all the small roles as a baritone. But I had already decided to change my voice. And then at the very end of the final show, I sang with Eun-sun Kim who was a guest conductor at the time, and they gave me an opportunity to sing tenor arias. It was “Recondita Armonia” in Tosca. It was the first time that I ever sang tenor arias in public.

So, I made the change and became a tenor in 2020. It was such a change and challenging. As soon as I committed to change, the pandemic happened. Nobody could really keep in touch because of social distancing. So, the only way I could train was by myself.

It was lucky for me that I had enough time to settle down my voice. I thought that I might need at least two years to settle down my voice. I went to a Korean church in San Fransisco. Without skipping a day, I went there to practice. Every day I just kept practicing and kept practicing. The first six months, maybe a year, was really terrible. I tried to sing tenor arias, but I couldn’t’t make it. Maybe I could sing in the early part of the aria. but as the aria goes to the end, all the tension and the high notes that I knew before from the time, it was totally different. So I began regretting and thinking that I’d made a huge mistake trying to become a tenor. And I was already doing OK as a baritone.

But I just kept training and practicing in the church. Also,I prayed a lot. I did not even make a sound until I finished praying.

The key was speaking. I tried to make my voice resonate through the mask area. And then I opened up my body, connecting the resonance to it. So, I trained my voice, first by speaking. Then I put my singing into this method. After a year or so, it started to feel a little bit easier, and I could begin to sing full arias. Over the next few months, it felt as though I was getting better and better. Then as soon as the pandemic settled down, they started to have in-person competitions. Then I went to competitions, and I won them. That was a huge change.

When I made my tenor debut at Royal Opera House with Elīna Garanča, she was my first partner as a tenor. She was like: “Can you imagine you’ve been singing as a baritone for many years? No, you’re born to be a tenor.” 
That’s what she said.

OW:
I saw you in “Cavalleria Rusticana” at the Royal Opera House, replacing an indisposed Jonas Kaufmann. I read recently you were offered the role with less than two weeks to go before opening and that you didn’t know the role! How did you learn it so quickly?

SJB:
That was another of my biggest… well…. a career threatening time! You know I made such an impression with “Samson and Delilah.”

And then one day at the end of the rehearsal, Maestro Pappano was looking at his phone, and he seemed freaking out. I didn’t know why but after a few days, I heard that Jonas was ill and was not coming to the rehearsal, and then he may be coming a few days before the opening night. Maestro came to me and said:
“SeokJong, do you want to cover this role? 
I accepted it of course, and then people started saying:
“Hey SeokJong, you’re going to be singing it. I bet he might not come. and you will end up having to sing it!”

So all of a sudden, I got so stressed because you know I had no idea about this opera. I only knew the key aria. So, then I was freaked out and I was trying to find somebody to help me to learn the music. At that time when I started learning the music I had three shows left in the week for Samson. Three shows left and then I started to learn the music for “Cavalleria” for four hours every day with the coach here. That week was the most challenging time because I had to finish the three “Samson” shows and then I sang every day for four hours. I finally got into the rehearsal and then there was Maestro Tony Pappano and several coaches there.

He asked:
“Can you play it?”

I told him I couldn’t do it. I had learned it, but it wasn’t yet in my head. I was so freaked out, sweating a lot. I felt so naked.

I said: “I’m so sorry. Maestro”

He replied: “It’s okay. Just do it. Just do it”

So, I started to learn the choreography. After three to four days, I started to learn all the choreography, and then, I started memorizing as well. Another three to four days, I took to the first stage with the full orchestra. And then that was the first time I sang the whole way through it without music. So, it was like one week and four days of rehearsal. I learned the opera. Luckily because “Cavalleria” is not a huge, long opera. Somehow it seemed to work.

OW:
What was it like working with Maestro Pappano. He has a great reputation for being a singer’s conductor also, doesn’t he?

SJB:
I mean, it’s absolutely delightful to work with Maestro Pappano because he’s a very passionate Italian soul. He’s very active in the rehearsal and demanding musically what the singer needs to be. I’m a bit of a shy person but he was like pushing me to a certain level and he inspires me so much. Working with Maestro Pappano is very challenging as a singer. Sometimes he literally asks to sing piano. But it can be dangerous for the singer who is… somebody who has not a secure technique. I was able to do what he requested. I was very pleased that I could do it.

OW:
Tell me about growing up in South Korea. You had a lot of exposure to opera as a young man?

SJB:
My parents and other family love music. I have an uncle who conducts in church. My father joined an amateur voice group singing. My mother sings gospel every day at home. My sister was the only real musician in my family. She was training as a pianist, but in her teenage years, she started to sing. She became a soprano. And then at the time, I was a teenager also, 16, 17 years old, looking for what to do in the future.

When I was younger, I was a person who was very active and I also wanted to be an athlete; like be a basketball player or judo, I love judo. My Grandpa suggested that I focus on my studies, so I put that idea aside. But a few years later my parents suggested that I follow my sister and sing.

I had an audition with her teacher in town and then, I started to clearly, fully decide to be a singer.
I remember one day when I came home, I was Googling “the best classical singers” and I discovered Luciano Pavarotti. It is such a shame I never knew him before. When I first heard him sing, his signature aria, “Nessun Dorma” and I was like “Wow! Is this classical singing?” I was mesmerized by his singing

OW:
So Pavarotti was your big influence? Who else did you take inspiration from?

SJB:
Really, only Pavarotti, but baritone-wise it was Cappuccilli, Renato Bruson, Ettore Bastianini… but once I heard that “Nessun Dorma,” the tenor aria after that, I was miserable for weeks because I couldn’t sing it, as a baritone. I was sad.

OW:
But you DID go on to sing it, to great acclaim at the Met?

SJB: It was the season for the house debut. “Nabucco” and “Turandot.” It was so fantastic to sing this role at the Met. Like a young boy who dreamt of singing the role and it finally came true.
I almost had an encore! “Nessun Dorma” but the regulation was, if the audience applauds for one full minute, then we do the encore! I think they clapped for 45 seconds, (laughing), so I didn’t make it! But I made an encore another day at the Met.

And this season I am singing “Turandot” here at the Royal Opera House in next spring. But I’m also debuting a new role in Arizona with MORE Puccini in January. I am singing “La Bohème.” I’m working on it. It’s a bit high! I knew that it’s high, but I never realized how high, compared to the other roles I perform. It could be a little like too dramatic with my voice. But why not? It’s a Puccini opera so I can be a little bit fuller than regular tenors.

OW:
You have achieved so much in a comparatively short space of time. What would you like to work on next?

SJB:
Well, “Turandot” was always my dream role. Now, finally, I can claim it as my signature role. Since my debut two or three years ago, I have had more than eight roles debut. “Samson,” “Cavalleria” “Turandot,” “Tosca,” “Aida,” “Butterfly”…

My next, new future roles are “I Vespri Siciliani” in French at the Royal Opera House. And I’m preparing for “La Fanciulla del West” and later “Don Carlo” at the Met.
Also, I want to sing “Il Trovatore” and “Carmen.” They haven’t been planned yet.

OW:
What do you like to do when you’re not singing?

SJB:
Taking care of my condition and health due to heavy schedules, but the most important thing for me is sleeping. Sleeping well gets you better immune systems. I need at least eight hours. If I’m still tired, I take more sleep for one or two hours.

And I don’t smoke, I don’t drink, and I barely take sugary drinks. I try to avoid bad things for your health.
But I’m blessed. I’m so overwhelmingly happy when I’m doing rehearsal and singing with a fresh voice. I’m so blessed. All that working and practicing in that church during the lockdown was worth it. It was long and deep, the dark tunnel, but I just kept going forward with faith until I finally came into the light.

The post Q & A: SeokJong Baek On His Favorite Roles & How His Faith & Voice Transitioned His Opera Career appeared first on OperaWire.

This past week, Francesco Meli made his role debut as “Otello” in Verdi’s masterpiece.

It marked his 18th Verdi role and a return to the Venice house where has sung many of those Verdi works. But in the run-up to the premiere of the opera, Meli’s comments in an interview with Il Giornale became the center of the story. In the interview, Meli spoke about his disagreement with director Fabio Ceresa in not emphasizing Otello’s race and did not agree with being a white Otello.

Following his comments in the interview, Meli spoke with OperaWire about his interpretation of Otello, his comments in Il Giornale, adapting to the audiences, and his concept of how to interpret Otello.

OperaWire: You recently made your debut as “Otello” in a new production at the Teatro LA Fenice. Why was it the right time to take on this role?

Francesco Meli: I chose to make my debut with “Otello” at La Fenice because it was the right moment: I am 44-years-old and after so many Verdi roles and so much experience in this repertoire, it seemed to me that it was the perfect time to do it, moreover, to sing in a theatre where I have many friends, where I can feel at ease, it was the ideal situation… Then there is an anecdote: when I debuted “Il Trovatore” 13 years ago, which was at the time a change of repertoire, I did it at La Fenice and so it seemed a good omen to choose La Fenice again for a new debut, so particular and crucial in my career.

OW: “Otello” is one of the most difficult parts of the repertoire. What are the most difficult aspects of this work and how does it compare to other Verdi works that you sing or sang in the past? Dramatically what do you find challenging?

FM: Otello is a demanding role and among the most difficult of Verdi’s production and perhaps of the entire production for a tenor singing this type of repertoire. From a dramatic and dramaturgical point of view, the commitment is to dig into the character, who is usually mainly characterized by jealousy, in fact, he is said to be jealous like Otello, and by that somewhat brutal and violent side that is attributed to him. In reality, Othello is a man of great balance, I know it may seem out of place now to say this, but he is a man of firm principles, he is an upright, loyal man, a man who has a very deep psyche and soul. It is precisely for this reason that Othello is so struck, and at a certain moment actually blinded, by what is happening to him, that is, by Desdemona and Cassio’s betrayal: It is as if his world collapses, it is not just a physical, bodily betrayal, but a betrayal of loyalty, for him a supreme good.  This is where the difficulty of interpreting Othello is mainly concentrated.

OW: You recently spoke with Il Giornale and said that for this production it would be a white Otello because that was what the director had chosen. However, you said you did not agree with that choice. What did you mean by that?

FM: The Othello I did in Venice was not a colored Othello but was white. Therefore I was not wearing make-up and my face was not dark. Yes, I made a statement in Il Giornale in which I said that I did not agree. I disagreed because I think that having drawn a black Othello is an absolutely modern way that Verdi and long before him Shakespeare used to give an anti-racist message. In fact, Otello, despite himself, as written in the libretto, experiences the prejudices of the world around him. This is profoundly important, and so to deny this possibility to the character of Otello seemed to me to deny the possibility to myself, Francesco Meli, to be in turn the bearer of an anti-racist message, in this precise historical moment for Europe.

OW: In the interview, you also spoke about opera losing the connotations of its identity and also alluding to “Swan Lake” and the suspension of disbelief. Do you think that when portraying a character, you need to look a specific way or can the audience just suspend their disbelief and believe what is going on on stage?

FM: I believe that when you go to the theatre you go to experience a situation that in the real world might not exist or a situation that in the real world is difficult to talk about. In fact, opera for centuries has experienced the harassment of the censors who did not consider it appropriate for the topics that were being dealt with. Today, perhaps the opera world has the possibility of not being afraid to show or hear uncomfortable situations on stage, without taboos and without fear of offending anyone, because the intention is absolutely not to offend, but rather, as in the case of Othello, to overcome prejudices.

OW: Over the past years there has been a lot of talk about “blackface” and most companies have now done away with it. “Otello” and “Aida” are at the center of this conversation and it is a practice that is offensive. In 2022 Arena di Verona had a public scandal that was criticized worldwide. Obviously, the race of these characters is vital to the plot of the story as you noted. What are ways you think that we can present these works in a modern context without offending and still doing justice to the story? Isn’t the music the most important thing in the end?

FM: Yes, there was a whole scandal at the Arena di Verona and I was in Verona when it happened. I understand and respect the reasons of those who resent it, but I also understand the reasons of those who have managed a theatre for a long time and know the sensitivity and needs of their audience. At the bottom of it all, I believe that a civil and peaceful confrontation on ethical issues is always useful. How to stage a work without offending anyone, and at the same time without betraying what is written in it, without betraying the message that the author wanted to bring is a very difficult job, especially in these times when there are different sensitivities from of the audience, even geographically diversified. Today the situation is much more diverse than it used to be, fortunately, so one person may feel more offended or called into question than another. I believe that respecting the relationships between the characters, not altering the story, and respecting the music is certainly an antidote to staging a performance that conveys what the author wanted to convey, and this even without having to color in black a white singer’s face, because if this is perceived as an insult, in certain geographical locations, then it is right that it should not be so.

OW: How does the new production by Fabio Ceresa speak to Otello’s outsider perspective and to Otello being an outsider?

FM: Fabio Ceresa’s direction is one that wanted to dwell on the human side of all the characters and therefore made Othello the man he is, beyond the color of his skin and his ethnicity. A steadfast man, a loyal man, a man with principles that go above all else, and for this reason when they are violated there are serious repercussions, so it is not by chance that Otello sticks to his supreme laws and wants to punish both Cassio and Desdemona in the same way. Then Cassio does not die just because Rodrigo does not kill him, but Desdemona will instead be punished in the way Otello considers the fairest. This is not to say that he is right, indeed violence is always a terrifying act and one to be condemned, but within this play, one should focus on what Otello believes has been violated and betrayed, not just on the effect Otello’s actions have had.

I think it is important to emphasize that for Otello loyalty is the highest good, and loyalty has been wounded and killed by two very important people in his life, and the world collapses upon him. This is a bit of the meaning of what this production wants to highlight: in the end, Otello is a man defeated by himself, because in the name of a loyalty that he believed to be wounded, he behaves disloyally and therefore there is a boomerang effect and his life, his world, no longer makes sense.

OW: What have you learned from working on this production and what will you take away from this experience?

FM: From this production, I learned, and this had never happened to me before, that there are dynamics, social and personal, that you have to pay attention to when staging a play and also when declaring the way you stage a play. It is a lesson I will keep very seriously within me, a valuable lesson, and I think it is the right one. An opera like “Otello,” even from this point of view, succeeds in teaching those in the audience but also those on stage how much delicacy and how much respect it takes when dealing with people’s feelings and sensibilities.

OW: Is Otello a role you will continue in the next years?

FM: Otello is a role I will continue to play because it is a role I deeply love and have been preparing for a long time, a role that has always been alive in my head, like a goal to be reached. So I hope to have the opportunity in the coming years to play it again, and I hope it will continue to teach me something, as it did this time.

The post Q & A: Francesco Meli Addresses Il Giornale Comments & How to Perform Verdi’s ‘Otello’ in a Modern Context appeared first on OperaWire.

Born in Montreal, Étienne Dupuis has established himself as one of the most distinguished baritones of his generation. Amongst his wide-ranging repertoire, he is especially in demand for Verdi roles. In the 2023-24 season, Étienne made a series of role debuts: as Don Carlo di Vargas in “La forza del destino” at the Royal Opera House Covent Garden, in the title role of “Rigoletto” in a new production at the Teatro Real Madrid, as Count Karl Gustav in the world premiere of Bilodeau’s “La Reine-garçon” at the Opéra de Montréal, as Paolo Albiani in “Simon Boccanegra” and Sancho Pança in a new production of Massenet’s “Don Quichotte” at the Opéra national de Paris.
He was also made a Chevalier de l’ordre des arts et des lettres de la république de France in 2021.

OperaWire caught up with Étienne via video conference in Washington where he was preparing for another debut, as Macbeth at the Kennedy Centre.

OperaWire: Hello Etienne. Thank you for speaking to OperaWire. I know you’re about to open as Macbeth. How are rehearsals going?

Étienne Dupuis: Big night yesterday: dress rehearsal. Big night tomorrow: opening night. I mean the house here is wonderful, it’s typical, you know, I want to say of North America… I come from Montreal… and this is where I grew up. Washington is very similar in terms of the commitment that people give to what they do with the amount of resources they have. So everyone is pitching in from their own personal passion. So I love these shows because you always feel everyone on stage is enjoying themselves and in the pit as well, backstage as well. You know, it’s not just a job, you know what I mean?

OW: Indeed. And this is your debut in this role. Tell me about how you see the character, Macbeth, how you decided to approach the role.

ED: It’s funny, so, I accepted the role and then I didn’t give it much thought for about a year because I was doing all of these new operas. I did my first “Forza,” my first “Rigoletto,” my first “Boccanegra” ( I was singing Paolo), and “Don Quichotte”… I had so many new operas coming up. But you know, I always played the part in the back of my head. I’m French Canadian, so I grew up in French. Shakespeare is not something that we went towards naturally. There were all these different things that made me feel like an imposter from the get-go, you know? And so, the way I decided to tackle it was to just be…to come at it as a newcomer from someone who wasn’t raised with it.

A lot of people think that the best way to play a role is to partly be that role. Like if you were to cast an opera with a bunch of French Canadians, hire a bunch of French Canadians, then that would be a perfect cast. But then, at the same time, in opera we spend a lot of time playing gods and kings and I’ve played murderers and rapists, I’ve played all sorts of things, and of course I am none of those. So, you know, this is what my brain was telling me, you can do this. And then I remember I got emailed for an interview. It was just like two or three questions. And the questions were all in the vein of: he’s the ultimate villain, he’s the worst scum on the earth human you could think of, how do you get around to play a role like that? And I remember thinking… I don’t think so. Why is he? There’s a context here. He’s in context in the years that he is. The next leader was always going to be the best fighter, right? It was always about survival. So who’s the best fighter, the one that can lead our armies to make sure that we survive? He was the best one. And then once he got there…and this is to me the most interesting thing about him…he really got into those witches and the witches’ predictions. And that is his downfall, because until then he’s doing just fine in this context, in the context of the years he lives in and the people that surround him. But then he starts paying too much attention to what they have to say. And as we know, as an exterior audience, is that everything they say is just one layer of truth, there’s always, another side to everything they say. 

And so…I just thought I would play him like any human today that starts to believe predictions and starts to believe in it, the way they start to believe fate before it happens. So, in this case, for a long time, he’s doomed to be invincible. It’s not a doom but it plays above his head like the Damocles sword and everything he does is informed by this. He wouldn’t take that many risks if the witches hadn’t told him that he can’t be killed you know? So, I decided to play him just as human as I could. Flawed. He loves his wife and he’s manipulated by her. He loves power. He is hurt by not being able to have a descendant, especially a male one, to father a long line of kings. These are all, except for the king’s part, these are all human traits, they’re all common, you see them around us, some of them I’ve experienced either personally or through friends. That’s how I decided to play him, and that’s how I decided to play pretty much all of my characters, I just tried to put them back in context.

OW: Who did you take inspiration from when preparing for the role, and who did you aspire to sound like?

ED: (Laughing) These are two very different thoughts! I listen to Piero Cappuccilli. He’s always my go to guy because I’m not him. That’s why I listen to him. He has this incredible easiness in creating long legato lines. And in the recording I listen to, he actually does something that I didn’t expect. He actually does a lot of sounds that will be like “ugly” sounds. Not ugly, but he’ll make a vowel very bright all of a sudden because he’s playing a character that gets scared from seeing a ghost. I really truly enjoyed that because he can be so wooden and so strong in his immobility. Everything, all the acting, all the intentions are in the singing. And so that’s not me. I’m like, I’m the guy with thoughts and movements and blah blah and then the singing suffers from it. So, I try to listen to people that are not me, like they are the opposite. I listen to Cappuccilli in a lot of roles, but in this particular one, in the “Macbeth” one, he really sold me on it.

There are many things to say about this “Macbeth,” but although Verdi wrote it, it’s different. It’s not Verdi the way we think it is. I asked my friend William Berger, who works at the Met, I asked him: what is “Macbeth?” And he said to me…and he says this to everybody…he says: “early Verdi…. midlife Verdi….. late Verdi…. and ‘Macbeth!’” It doesn’t fit a specific writing era per se, you know, he created it earlier, but then he reworked it just before “Don Carlo.” And it’s in real time. I almost never repeat any sentence. In Verdi operas, if I sing “Traviata,” or “Rigoletto,” or “Trovatore,” or any of the midlife and early works of Verdi, a lot of the lines, you get to repeat. You repeat them over, because he’s creating a musical moment. But “Macbeth” doesn’t do that much. “Macbeth” just talks. His mind races. He’s got these contradicting, conflicting thoughts and Verdi wrote it that way.

So, when I listen to Cappuccilli sing it, he manages to play with those things but just with his sound and just with his voice and that amazes me and I try to emulate some of that whilst, of course, still being myself. Of course, I really, really love Ludovic Tézier as well!

OW: 
I saw your debut last year at the Royal Opera House as Don Carlo di Vargas in “La Forza,” which you sang to great acclaim. You were a replacement stand in, I believe, and this performance seemed to elevate your career somewhat. What do you remember about the performance?

ED: Yes, that was with Brian Jagde. Brian and I love each other, we want to do as much together as we can in the future and I think we will, I have big hopes. It’s still very interesting to me that they called me because their original guy didn’t get his visa. And so, they called me and said, “Can you come and do this?” I think I had maybe a month to learn it. I knew some of it (I was supposed to do it during the pandemic months). But I remember saying, I want to do it because first of all, I love challenges. But I wanted to do it because I wanted to show a big opera house…I wanted to show people where I thought I was going and what I could do. So, “Forza” was the first one…. and that was with Sondra Radvanovsky as well!! She is probably in the top three humans of the singing world! So, I did this, and I think a lot of people in the opera house just kind of went: “Oh, you CAN do this”. And then it just kept going. Then “Rigoletto” came by and “Boccanegra” came by. And now in the future, I have “Boccanegra” and “Macbeth.” and I have “Rigoletto” coming. And that was from the first one, that “Forza.” That was what opened the door to this…. Although, also, before that in Paris I’ve got to say I’d done a “Trovatore” that got people talking as well. I think that’s where probably the “Forza” came from, the “Trovatore” I did in Paris.

OW: You mentioned that you like challenges and looking through your performance credits, I would say you have sung quite a wide-ranging number of roles, some you have only sung once or twice, but I would say you have quite a diverse repertoire.

ED: I do! I’m not going to complain. I love it. I love it. I love being able to touch all these different things. I love that my career is taking me to new places. If I had been one of those singers who only sang the same two or three roles, especially the first 10 years of my career, I don’t think I would be doing that anymore. Now it’s different. Now I’m craving a bit more time, you know, for my family and to spend less time learning new stuff.

OW: So have you sung pretty much all that you aspired to sing or is there still some dream roles that you would love to perform?

ED: Right now, I’m dreaming about sitting down with a team and creating TV shows and movies. These are my dreams at the moment. I call it my midlife crisis (laughing). That’s what I call it. It’s like a self-titled midlife crisis. Because for years and years, you ask yourself every year, am I still happy doing this? It’s important to me to rethink the pros and cons at least once a year, like in any other job! People ask you, like in interviews or, or just in coaching and stuff, and people will say: “why, why are you a singer? What do you like about being a singer? And I reply that I love being on stage. I love telling stories. I love telling stories with the group of people that I get along with. And I think THAT love is starting to not outgrow, but it’s growing bigger than just opera. Opera is still, it’s a frame still. And I’d like to start telling stories going outside of that frame if I can.

Nothing says that those things won’t be linked. Perhaps once we finish working on a project and telling a story we’d like to tell, we’d realize, hey, we’d make a great opera. You know, like, it doesn’t have to be just like a TV show or, I don’t know, five minutes on YouTube or something. But I just want to write stories and collaborate to them in any way I can. So, this is my dream at the moment. But I think there’s… I think in me there’s still a lot that I can use on stage in regard to making people feel something….. like the emotion I can create with an audience…. and it has to do with the psychological arc of a character. So of course, if you’re talking to me about Wagner, like Wolfram or something, there’s an arc, you know, it’s okay. But it doesn’t come to touch me the same as Puccini does, because Puccini’s characters are so like in real time, you know? I’d love to tell a Gianni Schicchi story. Most people think, oh, it’s a comedy. Yeah, it’s a comedy but there’s serious stuff to tell in there. Some of the greatest operas have some really good morals to them. I love to touch those. I mean, Gianni Schicchi is… I’m naming him just because I like the role. There’s many… I don’t know, there’s many. It needs a good team. It needs a good director that’s going to have a great idea for bringing the context back into today. Here, I’m going to say, I’m hesitating because I don’t want to go on a tangent, but I keep thinking that new operas should be more informed about what everyone knows today. Every opera that’s been written usually, the big masterpieces that we play today, usually stem from common knowledge at the time. You know, books that were highly popular, news that everyone had talked about, even mythology that everyone knew about. So, they had the codes. No one went in there, not knowing the codes. They probably had read the book, or if not, people had discussed it with them. Nowadays you sit someone in front of “La Boheme” or a “Carmen” and no one’s read the book, but they still have some of the codes because they’re very famous and popular operas that you can hear in other mediums but then you get them into a different opera something like “Falstaff” for example and they’ve never heard of the “Merry Wives of Windsor.” The whole time they’re like, what is happening? But it’s a genius piece. It’s genius, genius. But I go, how about we write genius pieces today on the events of today? And to facilitate things, we don’t have to write music that is so hard to understand that you need like five degrees just to get the reference of it. Like, you may have ten people in the audience going “wow!” but then you have thousands going, “what?” I think we’re doing a disservice to the art to create only that kind of new opera. So, this is the tangent coming back to what I was saying… I need directors and conductors who are willing to do that with operas we know. We don’t have to change the original setting, necessarily, but we have to change the idea of how we’re going to put things on stage.

The post Q & A: Étienne Dupuis
 On His Opera Career & How He Envisions His Future appeared first on OperaWire.

On Oct. 11, Rachel Fenlon made history with her debut album on Orchid Classics, becoming the first ever to sing and accompany herself in Schubert’s masterpiece “Winterreise” on recording.

Fenlon has self-accompanied herself at prestigious festivals and venues such as Fundación Juan March, the Oxford Lieder Festival, Festival de Lanaudière, Martha Argerich Festival Hamburg, Ottawa Chamberfest, National Arts Centre Canada, Settimane Musicali di Ascona, Vancouver Opera Festival, Festival International Povoa de Varzim, and Toronto Summer Music Festival, among others. She has also performed with such companies as the Deutsche Oper Berlin, Vancouver Opera, Pacific Opera Victoria, and Oper Leipzig, among others. 

Fenlon spoke to OperaWire about her new album and the process of finding funds and recording “Winterreise.”

OperaWire: How do you feel after releasing this album?

Rachel Fenlon: I feel a deep sense of support and love from those around me, for a project that I’ve dreamt about creating my whole life. I feel I accomplished what I set out to achieve, I poured my whole self into this record. It’s still sinking in, that “Winterreise” is now out in the world! However, what’s surprising me the most is how shared this experience feels. I never expected it to feel like such a collective experience. Now I get why so many of my favourite musicians say that a record is no longer just yours, when it’s released, it also becomes the listeners, their experience of it, it belongs to them too. I’m definitely feeling that and it feels incredible.

OW: You play piano and sing on the record. How did this come about? What were the biggest challenges of doing it this way?

RF: Singing and playing is about 95 percent of my career, since I first began in 2016, which takes me on the road internationally, year round.

My path has been beautifully winding – pursuing singing and piano, in conservatory in high school and then in University at UBC in Vancouver, where I was finding myself going back and forth constantly between the instruments – singing leading roles in the operas, playing piano for singers, learning Beethoven piano sonatas when I wasn’t learning a Mozart soprano role. My career began in quite a traditional way – I was a young artist at Vancouver Opera, and singing roles on their main stage from age 24. and it wasn’t until I moved to Berlin and truly challenged myself in my identity, in who I am as a person and an artist, that I realized that I would never be quite whole unless I found a way to combine my singing and playing. It was after I moved to Berlin, which was a pivotal moment for me 10 years ago, that I began to question my artistic identity completely.

In 2016, I sang and played my first Schubert recital at an artist residency in Lunenburg, Nova Scotia, and I had the experience of feeling a deep sense of “home” on stage. I knew from that moment on, that I would put everything into singing and playing. At this point, I’ve played self-accompanied recitals at major festivals and recital halls, and I feel incredibly lucky to have gotten to this point.

The vision for this album was to be able to share what I do, to share my unique interpretation as a singer/pianist. The choice for “Winterreise” itself came in 2021, during the dark months of the pandemic, when I was living alone in a forest area outside of Berlin. I bought the score to “Winterreise” one day and began learning it. What I discovered was that I have never found, nor lost myself so much in a work as I did with “Winterreise.” To share my interpretation of this great work, and to add to the enormous canon of recordings, from the perspective of a singer sitting at the piano and accompanying myself, is the greatest gift I could ask for.

The biggest challenge has definitely been trying to figure out how to create and navigate a career where I am doing something no one else has done before. There is no real example of someone who’s paved a career this way. I have to say, though, that this has also been extremely liberating, because I get to be the one determining how to do things. What repertoire to sing and play. How to build and shape my own career. What kind of artist I want to be. It’s so empowering.

It was very challenging in the early years, because a lot of people tried to discourage me from doing something which was so against the grain. Some people in classical music can be really afraid of change, because they think they are safeguarding something sacred, instead of, in my opinion, participating in a living, ever-changing thing, which is evolving as we evolve. I feel really lucky that with core people who believed in me, and with a really deep passion for music and a strong sense of self, I’ve been able to create an artistic life which is so rich, and fulfilling. I also have an amazing team, and it was a huge moment for me to sign with my agent Isabella Pitman at IMG – she is someone who really supports the uniqueness of my vision and is very good at what she does.

OW: Why do you think accompanying yourself has become something very unique?

RF: Whilst accompanying myself and singing is totally unique in our day and age, outside of the pop/folk realm, it wasn’t always the case. Something which many people don’t realize is that Schubert himself sang and accompanied himself in the first 12 songs of “Winterreise” in the world premiere. Renaldo Hahn sang and played all his songs. Richard Tauber performed Schumann’s “Dichterliebe” singing and playing. So, for me it feels a bit like a forgotten art.

I draw so much inspiration from singer-songwriters, like Joni Mitchell, Nina Simone, Alicia Keys…I absolutely adore the singer songwriter genre, and a huge part of my passion is bringing the essence of this to classical song. I feel there is such an intimacy with singer-songwriters, and that kind of intimacy is at the heart of classical and contemporary song.

OW: Were you first a pianist or was it singing that was your first passion?

RF: My introduction to music was on the piano, at age three, with my grandad, who was a jazz pianist. At age six I began formal piano training, and went through all my degrees of piano performance. For years, I was sure I wanted to be a concert pianist. Singing lessons came much later, although I’m reminded constantly that I used to get my entire family together to perform musicals for friends and neighbours!

As a youth, I was in children’s choir, and then choirs in high school, and at 17 I had my first voice lessons, which were like a crash course in singing. I took six weeks of singing lessons so that I could get through a university opera audition, for which I was miraculously accepted! It was really in university, at the opera program at UBC, where I feel in love with opera, and in love with singing.

OW: How did this album come about? How did you raise the money to do the record?

RF: Such a key question, thanks for asking that! So, the model for many record labels these days is such that the artist has to financially back a huge chunk of the recording and post production costs. Once I had decided I would record “Winterreise” and had secured the sound engineer and producer I wanted to work with–Carl Talbot, a Canadian legend–I got working on fundraising. I raised most of the funds for the album through a Kickstarter campaign, which was a huge gamble, because you only get funded on Kickstarter if you meet your fundraising goal. I had the fortune of having an exceptionally generous patron of the arts say he would match whatever the total of my campaign amount was so that I would meet my goal. In the end, I raised a total of $16,000 for the album. I have to say, I am pretty proud of that!

OW: What was the collaboration with Orchid Classics like and what has distribution been like?

RF: Orchid Classics is a dream team. They are artist driven, which means they are there to support the vision of their artists once they have signed you. Matthew Trusler, who founded the label, has so much insight into the industry and we had so many helpful conversations about things like distribution, playlists, Dolby Atmos. Alex Patel is their head of marketing and he has also been such a massive support–he’s helped me with everything from graphics on my socials, to scoring us huge coverage on the radio. “Winterreise” was chosen as BBC Radio 3’s “On Record” Disc, as well as CBC’s “Concert on Demand” Record of the Week. These were huge wins for a new artist on the scene like myself. “Winterreise” was also selected as an album of the week on IDAGIO, and is featured on lots of different playlists on Apple, Tidal and Idagio, which is key to reaching wider audiences.

I can’t say enough amazing things about the team. We have also had physical CD’s produced, and I had a sold out album launch last week in Berlin at the Kuhlhaus, where I sold and signed my first CD’s…what an amazing moment!

OW: What are the challenges of making an album in the modern age and what are some of the facilities now?

RF: First of all, the financial investment is completely on your shoulders, and that’s an immense responsibility. It’s an investment which can absolutely (definitely) put you on the map, and benefit your career in huge ways, but it is also a huge ask for many people, who don’t necessarily have the tools, the knowledge and the confidence needed to fundraise these up front costs. I don’t think you can expect to make profit from the album itself, through sales, you have to look at it from a different perspective–the benefits to you and your career for example, once you see it that way then it really feels worth the investment. There are also SO many logistics–deciding on your label, knowing how you visually want to represent yourself, figuring out your press team (I have an amazing press agent, Karen). I would say building and finding the right team is another big challenge, because an album needs momentum to get to live its full potential. I feel extremely lucky for all the people involved in this project, from my incredible producer Carl, to the photographer Clara Evens who shot all my album shots, to my dear friend Alexander Neef who wrote my programme notes, to my agent Izzy, the team at Orchid, and last but not least, my family.

OW: Talking about Schubert, which are some of your favorite pieces in this cycle?

RF: You know, the best part about this work is that you fall in love with it over and over again. And I notice new things every time I perform it–some days I am crazy about the really pretty songs like “Der Lindenbaum,” and “Fruhlingstraum.” Other days I feel strongly drawn to the more unassuming pieces like No. 12 “Einsamkeit” in b minor–a piece which guides us into a different realm in the context of the whole cycle. But if I had to choose, I would say the very last two pieces: “Die Nebensonnen,” and “Der Leiermann.”

OW: What are the challenges of this song cycle?

RF: For me, the challenge is in pacing. “Winterreise” is 70 minutes without a break, and I perform it completely from memory, as both the singer and pianist. It’s a total marathon! I’ve performed “Winterreise” as self-accompanied singer/pianist 16 times now in recital, and the thing I’ve learned most, is that you have to trust your body and go with the energy you are feeling the moment you get on stage. What I mean by this is that if I get on stage and feel the opening song “Gute Nacht” a little slower than usual, I need to trust that it’s okay.

Balance is always a tricky one, because when the piano part is huge and boisterous, the vocal line over top is legato and spinning and needs to feel really delicate. I often have to remind myself to be my own best accompanist!!!

OW: Are you planning another album of anything soon and would you like to tour this cycle the way you recorded it?

RF: Yes! Another album is already in the works, which will be a new song cycle written for me by the phenomenal Canadian composer Matthias McIntire. The cycle is for me to sing, play, and perform live electronics, and we’re already in post-production. It’s such a personal project for me, because the poetry is my own, and the song cycle is an expression towards the climate crisis–our love for nature and our fear of climate change.

I will be touring “Winterreise” all season–I started the season on the road, and have been touring Canada and Europe. Next week I will be in Helsinki and following that I will go to Brazil and London for recitals, all before Christmas! I have a second North American tour in 2025, as well as some really exciting Europe dates, including my recital debut at the Konzerthaus Berlin. It’s definitely a “pinch me” season!!!

The post Q & A: Rachel Fenlon on Her Debut Album ‘Winterreise’ & Accompanying Herself appeared first on OperaWire.

Soprano Ekaterina Bakanova is a Russian born opera and oratorio singer. Italian by adoption, she famously made her Royal Opera House debut in “La Traviata,” with just a few hours notice, after Sonya Yoncheva became ill in 2015. She has since performed in many of the renowned opera houses in the world. She is the winner of numerous important international and national competitions, awards and recognitions.

In this interview, OperaWire takes the opportunity to catch up with Bakanova at her home in Italy’s Venetian region.

OperaWire:
I Know you’re currently working hard on preparing for “Manon.” Manon is a complex character, rich in nuances. How did you prepare to delve into her psychology and bring such a controversial and fascinating figure to life?

Ekaterina Bakanova:
Since this production is inspired by the character of Brigitte Bardot, I started by watching her films, particularly La Vérité by Henri-Georges Clouzot, which the director Arnault used as a reference for shaping Manon’s personality. He drew inspiration directly from the character portrayed by Bardot. So, I did extensive research on her, and director Bernard Arnault shared many insights about Bardot’s personality. He told me about her strong and rebellious nature, how she is a fighter, which makes her similar to Manon.

OW:
What were the vocal challenges you encountered when portraying Manon, and how did you approach them?

EB:
First of all, the vocal tessitura. The role of Manon requires different registers within one vocal line. The singer has to manage a long and demanding role, where various vocal nuances are needed. It ranges from a lighter tessitura in the first aria, which is already quite narrative, to the second act, which becomes more lyrical and dramatic, introducing the first dramatic notes. The third act sits more centrally, while the fourth and fifth acts require a lower register. This escalation of tessiture is somewhat similar to what we find in “La Traviata,” but “Manon” has a more challenging writing for a soprano. For example, I am not a light lyric soprano, I am a lyric soprano with agility, and for me, the third act is the most challenging because it requires higher notes. I rely on technique to control my vocal production because it’s not my most comfortable register. To tackle the third act confidently, I need to manage the first and especially the second act well, conserving strength and vocal intensity for the entire performance.

OW:
Are there aspects of the character that you feel resonate with your personal experience or sensitivity?

EB:
I must say I feel quite close to Brigitte Bardot because she was born under the sign of Libra, and I am also a Libra. Actually, the director Bernard Arnault and the tenor Atalla Ayan are also Libras! So, we can say this production was created under the sign of Libra. I love this sign because it carries a strong sense of femininity and justice, which I also find in my personality. Manon lives on the edge, constantly challenging herself and taking huge risks to give her life meaning. While I don’t share her need for such extremes, I, like her, am a fighter and a rebel in a positive sense—rebel when justice and fairness are at stake, and I’m willing to fight for that, just as Manon does. Manon is also deeply loyal; she loves Des Grieux and only him until the end, and in this, I find a connection with my own nature.

OW:
Is there a particular moment in the opera that moves you the most or that you consider the heart of Manon’s drama? How do you prepare for that scene, both emotionally and vocally?

EB:
Thank you for asking. Often, conductor Evelino Pidò and director Bernard Arnault and I discuss our favorite moments in this opera. For me, I love the aria in the first act, but perhaps my favorite act is the second, with “Adieu notre petite table.” In this aria, Manon appears timid, introverted, and passionate at the same time. The tessitura requires a lower and more central register, which aligns perfectly with my vocality, allowing me to express and declaim the text more effectively. I worked a lot on pronunciation and phrasing, and I really liked how the director staged this scene. Manon sings this beautiful aria while peeling potatoes because she knows life goes on—she’s preparing dinner, she knows she’s lost the man she loves, but she knows life continues. This reminds us that the choices we make define our path, and she has accepted this, despite her tears. I find this a beautiful reminder to love life and to keep moving forward, even though the music is so tragic and hints at the end of her love and of Manon herself.

OW:
Manon is often seen as a female figure challenging the conventions of her time. How do you think modern audiences respond to her, and is there something universal about her journey that still resonates today?

EB:
Absolutely, it’s a character and an opera with great modern relevance. There are many young women today who behave like Manon, wanting quick results in life or relationships without the patience to nurture growth. Relationships often end prematurely because of this lack of effort. This makes us reflect on the importance of building self-awareness and a strong sense of self, as the decisions we make shape our lives. Manon tries to resist the societal expectations, the decisions made by men with more power, by Des Grieux’s father, and even by her own family, but she fails because she lacks a solid internal center. She’s carried away by others and by circumstances. The lesson we learn is that while we are all shaped by our parents and family, it’s up to us to build ourselves, and that’s what Manon tries to do, though ultimately she is unsuccessful, making choices that lead to her downfall.

OW:
I watched a recent recorded performance of you in Puccini’s “La Rondine.” This is an opera that is seldom performed, I find.

EB:
Yes, it’s awesome. I love that role very, very much. Now, I would approach it quite differently. I believe I could do it better today, as I’m more prepared technically, and I would shape the phrasing differently. It’s a gorgeous piece. Recently, it’s been performed a little more often, thanks in part to Puccini’s 100-year anniversary celebrations, which have brought renewed attention to some of his lesser-known works. “La Rondine” is a jewel, and I’m glad to see it finding more space on the stage.

OW:
Your approach to “La Rondine” seems reflective of your growth as an artist over time. How do you think your experiences in roles like Manon and Violetta have shaped your artistic journey?

EB:
This is very true. Each role leaves an imprint, and you grow with each performance. Manon has helped me refine my technique and deepen my interpretative skills, while Violetta taught me how to handle sudden challenges and push beyond my limits. Speaking of Violetta…

OW:
Let’s talk about your 2015 Royal Opera House performance of Violetta in “La Traviata.” You had to perform with only a few hours notice after the soprano fell ill. That must have been daunting?

EB:
Oh, that was quite an experience! It was around two o’clock in the afternoon, and we were in rehearsals for “La Bohème,” for which I had an official contract. I actually had a ticket for the evening’s performance of “La Traviata,” which was the last scheduled performance with Sonya Yoncheva. The show was sold out, and I had managed to get a standing ticket, and I was really looking forward to it. I was supposed to sing “Traviata” in 2021, but due to personal reasons—a family tragedy—it impacted many of my decisions and appearances at the time.

So, we were finishing the rehearsal, and someone from the artistic department came in and asked me if it was true that I had a ticket for that evening’s performance. I told them yes, and they responded by asking me to stay and actually sing the role! I was completely shocked, but they needed an answer immediately, so I agreed. I quickly called my agent, and before I knew it, I was back at the theater for a wig fitting, costume alterations, and then just 30 minutes of staging before the performance. The cast wasn’t there, and I had never seen the production, so the hardest part was the first act. The entire cast—Germont, Gastone, Baron, Marchese, Flora—entered the stage talking, and I had no idea who they were or from which direction they were coming! But I have a very good memory for these things, so I managed.

OW:
Well, you received fantastic reviews for a role that is known to be tough.

EB:
Yes, I love the role of Violetta. It’s difficult both to sing and to act. I think every artist brings something personal to it because we are all shaped by our experiences, memories, and feelings. You need to be generous and courageous to open yourself up to that level of vulnerability and share it with the audience.

OW:
What is your favorite repertoire to sing, and what roles would you like to perform in the future?

EB:
I have a deep love for the French repertoire. I really want to master the language one day, so I work a lot on it when preparing for French roles. I’d love to perform “Thaïs” and Massenet’s works. “Pelléas et Mélisande” is another one I’d love to tackle. I like roles that allow me to dive deep into the drama and give me a lot to work with during the preparation. Mozart is also a favorite, though very challenging. His music doesn’t allow for the same freedom as Massenet or Puccini, but there’s no denying he’s a genius!

OW:
What are your upcoming engagements and what should we look forward to from you in the near future?

EB:
After “Manon,” I will be performing in “Edgar” at the Opéra de Nice, as Fiordiligi in “Così fan tutte” at the Opéra Théâtre de Metz, and as the protagonist in “La voix humaine” at the Teatro Sociale di Rovigo, a monologue opera that will test my dramatic intensity. Additionally, my schedule includes major international engagements such as “Khovantchina” at the Grand Théâtre de Genève, “Carmen” at the Teatro dell’Opera di Roma, and a very important Christmas concert from the Duomo di Assisi, dedicated to peace.

The post Q & A: Ekaterina Bakanova on ‘Manon’ and Her Favorite Roles to Perform appeared first on OperaWire.

Having recently reviewed a marvelous production of “The Cunning Little Vixen” by the Slovak National Theatre Opera in Bratislava, OperaWire decided to take the opportunity to interview the vixen, played by soprano Adriana Kučerová.

One of the stars of the Slovak National Theatre Opera, Kučerová has an established international reputation and has performed widely in leading opera houses across the globe, including Buenos Aries, Milan’s La Scala, Paris, Vienna and the Salzburg Festival. Owing to family commitments, however, her appearances outside Slovakia are not as frequent as they once were, and she is now a regular at the country’s leading opera house.

Although it was a fascinating interview, in which she discussed her career and her role as the vixen, it rapidly moved into political matters and the turmoil that is affecting the Slovak National Theatre Opera, which, with the artists threatening strike action, almost led to the cancellation of the performance.

OperaWire: What was your pathway into becoming an opera singer?

Adriana Kučerová: I didn’t come from a musical background. I grew up in a small town in Slovakia in which there was no concert hall, not even a theatre, so I started very late. After finishing high school, I went to university, where I qualified as a primary school teacher. So, I was 22 years old and had had hardly anything to do with music.

I did like to sing. but not classical music, and I had no training. I saw my first opera when I was 22 years old. I can’t remember if it was “La Traviata” or “Eugene Onegin,” but I was fascinated. However, this still did not make me think about a professional career in singing.

One day, I was walking through the town, and I saw a music school for children, and I thought, well, if I don’t try now, I never will. I knocked on the door and asked if I could have some singing lessons even though I was too old for the school. The teacher asked me to sing for her, and she told me that I had talent and potential and agreed to work with me. Fortunately, it did have a department for teaching adults! She was really enthusiastic and gave me the courage to continue. One year later, I won a singing competition, and this led me to enrolling at the conservatory in Bratislava at the third level. I had no formal musical background; I couldn’t even recognize the opening of Beethoven’s fifth Symphony at this point.

I then spent two years studying at the conservatory and a further five years at the university. Everything went very well; after all, I was an adult; I was older than the other students. I knew I had to be the best because I was behind the other students, and I had to catch up and work hard. I was very self-critical, I wasn’t young; I wasn’t there for fun. I did a few roles at the Slovak National Theatre in Bratislava, such as Morgana in Handel’s “Alcina” in my last year at the university.

On the day I graduated, I was actually in Vienna for the Belvedere competition, in which I won five prizes, including first prize. It was a big surprise to me. This was my first ever competition, apart from the one I won at the beginning of my studies.

Winning catapulted me into the limelight, and I missed the many steps that most singers have to go through in order to establish themselves. My first role was as Serpetta in “La Finta Giardiniera” at the Salzburg festival, conducted by Ivor Bolton, in which Véronique Gens was also singing. It was a strange experience; I was so innocent at the time, and I didn’t know anybody at all.

My career then developed rapidly, and I found myself singing at the top opera houses across the world, such as Milan and Vienna. Then I realized I wanted to have a family, and everything changed. With the first child, I tried to combine both an international career and child-rearing. It was tough, so when the second child came along, I restricted my performances mainly to Bratislava, with only occasional performances elsewhere.

OW: How would you describe your voice?

AK: At the beginning, I was a typical lyric soprano with the possibility of coloratura, playing roles like Adina, Norina, Susanna, and some baroque parts. After having children, my voice didn’t change too much; it sounds a little more mature, more rounded, and a little less girlish, which has allowed me to think a bit more about dramatic roles. However, I do not consider myself to be a dramatic soprano.

OW: Do you have a favorite role?

AK: I know it sounds funny, but it’s always the role I’m singing. At the moment, I am singing the role of the vixen in Janáček’s “The Cunning Little Vixen,” so this is my favorite role. I always find that I fall in love with the role I am working on! However, I must say that the role of Gilda in “Rigoletto” is a particular favorite.

OW: What are your future plans?

AK: I want to return to an international career once my children are a bit older. I have a very special connection with Czech and slavic music and would therefore like to expand my repertoire in this area.

OW: I believe this is the third time you have performed the vixen. How does this presentation compare to previous productions?

AK: This is absolutely different from other productions. This is a production for adults. It is very dark. It is certainly not a fairy tale!

OW: What are your impressions of the vixen?

AK: For me, the vixen is fighting for her liberty. She loves her freedom. She is also a vixen searching for love, which she finds with Gold Stripe, who in this production is female, although I don’t know why. The love scene between them, whether it is two females, or a male and female doesn’t matter; it is very sensual. It is pure love. The vixen is also quite frightened because this is the first time she has experienced love; she has had many bad experiences before and therefore doesn’t trust anyone else. It is a representation of life.

OW: To what extent are the characters human in this production?

AK: It’s not important whether we’re looking at animals or humans; it is about character. Certainly, we’re not supposed to look at these animals as if they are from a zoo. It is not about the animal world. I don’t see a strict differentiation between the animal and the human. At times I move around the stage like an animal, then at other times like a human being. It’s all about character.

OW: How did you find the vocal challenges of singing the role?

AK: It is not like singing Mozart, Puccini or Verdi. There are very few long phrases. It is more about language and diction, and it is very important to get the pronunciation correct, and this can be challenging. In this production, it was particularly challenging because I had to move around a lot. Even before I started singing, I was jumping and running around the stage, which is quite tiring.

OW: What are your thoughts about the production’s director, Sláva Daubnerová?

AK: She is one of Slovakia’s most respected directors but works mainly abroad. In fact, this is her first production for the Slovak National Theatre Opera. She is a fantastic director. She is so precise in what she does; she looks at every detail. Everything is planned thoroughly. And her ability in dealing with the children was excellent. She gives them so much time and works very closely with them. She was very nice with them, but she treated them like adults, and the results were amazing. They looked so natural. It was a very good experience working with her.

OW: How do you rate last evening’s performance?

AK: I had been working very hard and looking forward to the production, but before the performance we decided to make a number of speeches, addressed to the audience, about the situation facing the arts, including the opera, in Slovakia, because of our government’s policies and attitudes. This made me very nervous as it was very personal; my partner, Matej Drlicka, who was the General Director, had invested so much energy, love and positivity into this theatre, but a few weeks ago was unfairly replaced. Having to speak about such personal things in front of the audience was very emotional, also because of what I can see happening to the theatre. Everything was going so well; the opera was successful and growing. Now, I am very worried.

Because of this, I found it difficult to stabilize myself for the first 10 to 15 minutes of the performance.

But it went very well. The atmosphere was beautiful.

We were actually thinking about cancelling the performance in a show of solidarity, but we went ahead with it. It was a good decision because the opera is about liberty and resistance. We said more by performing the opera than we could have by remaining silent.

OW: Is this a very serious problem affecting the opera?

AK: Yes, it is!

The minister of culture has been in her position for about nine months now and is destroying all the good work that has been done. It has been a disaster. Funding is being reduced and jobs are being cut. She is replacing senior people with others who are not as experienced or knowledgable. It is, of course, affecting the opera. Foreign singers have cancelled performances here in Slovakia as they want to demonstrate that they don’t want to cooperate with this type of administration.

I think there will be problems ahead. Actors tend to be very vocal and say what they feel about political events.

I feel as if we’re going backwards. It makes me feel very sad. We don’t seem to recognize what we have and that the Slovak National Theatre is something we need to take care of.

The post Q & A: Soprano Adriana Kučerová on Her Role as the Vixen and the Political Problems Facing Opera in Slovakia appeared first on OperaWire.

September 20 marked a special day for tenor Juan Diego Flórez.

For decades, the famed bel canto specialist has been almost exclusively releasing albums on Decca Classics, becoming one of the major operatic faces for the label throughout his career. He also worked with Sony Classical for a short period. But the tenor, who in recent years has opened up his repertory in new directions, released a solo album on his very own label, Flórez Records.

The album in question, “Zarzuela,” harkens back to the genre that Flórez championed early on in his career and has turned to intermittently throughout his career.

“I wanted to take my recording legacy into my own hands,” Flórez told OperaWire in a recent phone interview regarding his decision to open his own label, a move that numerous other opera artists have engaged with. Among the prominent artists to start their own labels are Marina Rebeka with her Prima Classic and Sonya Yoncheva with SY11 Productions.

“Nowadays many artists are doing this and I thought it was a good idea and a way to explore the different projects in my artistic life,” Flórez elaborated before noting the complexities of the process. “To succeed at this, I think you have to surround yourself with the right people first. Because, of course, you don’t really know even if you’ve recorded many albums, how it fully works. So you let yourself be helped. And the rest is to find to create projects and find the right repertory. Fortunately, my team is used to it. There are many fantastic professionals, sound engineers, people who take care of distribution. In the end, it’s a team effort. It’s a challenge, but we’re already quite well on our way and I’m happy.”

Sinfonia por el Perú

With “Zaruzela” being the first album, not only did Flórez want to make a mark with the repertory, but also with the ensemble that he worked with – Sinfonía por el Perú, which the tenor founded in 2011.

When he founded the ensemble, Flórez wanted to give opportunities for future generations of musicians to get major performance opportunities and grow. To this day, per the official website, over 30,000 students have benefitted from the project across 10 regions in Peru.

“I have been inspired by the Venezuelan model of orchestras and choirs, ‘El Sistema,’” the tenor explained. “I was able to do a concert with Gustavo Dudamel and I was so impressed that I wanted to do something similar for Peru. We have currently more than 6.000 beneficiaries. We have numerous centers with different programs: orchestras, choirs, bands, luthier workshops, among others.”

“Our students come from challenging backgrounds, so they don’t have the same opportunities that other children get. But music helps them grow and overcome all these challenges in their lives,” Flórez added.

At the core of the program is the Youth Orchestra where students that show an interest in musical careers, get a chance to delve deeper into the repertoire and go on tour. The organization already brought 30 students to Madrid to perform with the Escuela Superior de Música Reina Sofia, and in recent weeks Flórez took them on tour as an ensemble for the very first time, performing extensively in Madrid, Barcelona, Vienna, Geneva, and Paris.

“I remember during the last tour in Salzburg, they would walk the streets. They couldn’t believe where they were. It was an amazing experience for them, especially because they are very aware of how fortunate they are to have the opportunity to play in wonderful venues where the greatest orchestras in the world also play,” Flórez added.

Regarding the collaboration on “Zarzuela,” Flórez noted that he felt the ensemble was at the right level to tackle the repertory.

“I love performing with them. We’ve done many concerts and being able to do a recording together is a wonderful opportunity,” he continued. “We had a great time during the recording sessions.”

Another major factor in the success of the recording sessions for the album was the collaboration of conductor Guillermo García Calvo, who Flórez pronounced “a great specialist of Zarzuela.” García Calvo has been artistic director of the Teatro de la Zarzuela in Madrid.

“He had a lot of input and gave a lot of inspiration to the students,” Flórez added. “He was very focused and enthusiastic to work with them.”

The album even features a piece, the intermezzo from “La Boda de Luis Alonso,” that features the orchestra.

“They get a chance to shine without me,” Flórez remarked.

In addition to this album, the tenor mentioned that he had interest in doing audiovisual releases of opera productions through his label as well as an album with pianist and longtime collaborator Vincenzo Scalera.

“We have performed hundred of concerts together, but have yet to record those programs,” Flórez revealed. “So that is definitely something I would love to do in a future release.”

First Time

Among another of the tenor’s major upcoming projects is his role debut as Pollione in “Norma” at the Vienna State Opera in February 2025. He’s a champion of Elvino in “La Sonnambula” and Arturo in “I Puritani,” and also recorded other Bellini arias in some of his albums, but this is his first attempt at the hero of perhaps Bellini’s most celebrated work.

“He’s a bel canto tenor, but its challenges depend on how you approach it. There’s a verismo tradition, but you can also approach it from a more bel canto angle without cuts and doing ornaments. At his time, the dramatic tenor as we know it now didn’t really exist,” Flórez said about the challenges Pollione offers up before elaborating on the character. “It’s a role about a lover. A man in love. He might come off a bit weak in his character next to the two women, but it’s another exciting role to take on in a beautiful opera.”

The tenor also noted that as far as his future projects, he does hope to take on the title role of “Roberto Devereux,” but also hopes to get more opportunities to perform roles he has only interpreted once, including “Les Contes d’Hoffmann,” which he will be performing in November at the Royal Opera House Covent Garden.

“I’ve debuted so many roles lately,” he noted. “Some I’ve only gotten to do once. Like ‘Hoffman,’ I only did it once and I will be doing it again. And I would love to do it another time, instead of just adding more operas. I want to consolidate the roles I already have. To do something like ‘Hoffman’ again, is to rediscover it. A role only belongs to you when you’ve sung it multiple times and have had the time to discover all the colors and shades it has.”

The post A New Direction – Tenor Juan Diego Flórez on His New Record Label & Working With Sinfonía por el Perú appeared first on OperaWire.

Lise Lindstrom recently took time to converse with Benjamin Torbert for OperaWire. Lindstrom sings all three Brünnhildes in “Die Walküre,” “Siegfried,” and “Götterdämmerung” in the Dallas Symphony Orchestra’s very lightly staged concert presentation of Wagner’s “Der Ring Des Nibelungen,” on 13-20 October 2024. She already appeared with the Dallas Symphony Orchestra for two performances of “Walküre” in May 2024. After the Dallas “Ring Cycle,” she assays die Färberin in Strauss’ “Die Frau ohne Schatten” at the Metropolitan Opera, beginning 29 November.

OperaWire: So this is interesting because I’m interviewing you about what you’re about to do… one third of which I already got to see in the Spring.

Lise Lindstrom: So there’s not a lot of mystery, is that what you’re trying to tell me?

OW: I don’t about that — she’s mysterious in “Siegfried,” spends ninety percent of the opera sleeping. So you’ve been doing Brünnhilde since 2013. [Has] your approach to her changed or evolved, since you’ve got a decade of Brünnhilde under your belt?

LL: Of course it has. So my first was the “Walküre” Brünnhilde and I did that in a production with Graham Vick in Palermo and Pietari Inkinen conducted that. It was a fantastic group and I was so lucky. I was extremely lucky to have done my first Brünnhilde with Graham because he set the standard. He set the bar for how I could approach such a monster role. I was completely daunted. I was overwhelmed and one hundred percent sure I wasn’t worthy. I mean, I think that for singers… I don’t know if everyone feels this way… I felt like I wasn’t worthy of this material. It’s so legendary, so epic. And I thought, what is a girl from Sonora, California, doing singing Brünnhilde? How does she even deign to enter that arena? Because when you think about it, it’s quite an arena to enter.

Graham heard my insecurities, and he just politely rolled his eyes, and then he walked me through it, and helped me break it down into bite-sized chunks. And it was all about the words. It was like [coaching] a Shakespearean actor. Every day, we met at 9:00 AM for an hour with the pianist before the staging rehearsal started at 10:00 and we just sat with the pianist. We didn’t run the music. We listened to little bits and pieces, we talked about the meanings of the words and why Wagner chose that note progression, that phrasing for those words. What was the question mark about, what was the comma about? And particularly with Wotan, because those conversations are so intense and in Wotan’s monologue in the Second Act she’s a silent partner… She has to be [reacting] to him, and totally in on the words. So eventually, in 2016, when I came up to my first full Cycle, I brought all of [those concepts] of learning, integrating, personalizing with me and it was — really it was — because of Graham.

OW: From the audience, encountering the text again, you’re struck by these great moments, like the way she lawyers Wotan in “War es so schmälich,” and she takes his words, takes his music, breaks it into pieces, and builds it back into something else. It’s so good, every single time you see it…

LL: I agree. And yet, it’s also so honest because she is he and he is she. So she could be perceived as using him against himself. But the truth is, there is very, very little [in which] they are not exactly alike, which is why it’s so heartbreaking, ultimately, from a psychological point of view. The breakup of that relationship, of that entwined-ness, is heartbreaking. On the surface, it’s a father-daughter relationship, but from a philosophical point of view, it’s Wagner grappling with the Other of himself and how not to be dominated by the Other and to find his integrity. And that’s what they both do at the end of that third act.

OW: What do you love about performing Brünnhilde and her trajectory in the three music dramas?

LL: That she has the potential to be the most human character in the entire Cycle. [For] me, as a dramatic soprano, she’s the most human character that I get to portray because she has this extraordinary development from the naiveté and the innocence of youth, teenager-ness, and the idolization of her father. And just [this attitude that says,] “life is really good, come on, let’s go, you know, let’s do it.” And then she’s confronted almost immediately with his frailty, his capitulation in the face of Fricka, and the admittance, on his side, of what a major mess he’s created.

Then she meets Siegmund. And the tectonic shift within her is not conscious. It is visceral. That’s what’s so powerful about the Todesverkündigung, is that it’s a visceral shift. And if we’re clever as actors, on stage, in combination with that language, it’s not about telling the audience that it’s happening. It’s having the audience experience it as she does too. So it’s not the actual Erzälung (narrative) [telling you] “ohh, this is what I’m going through now, folks, so come along with me,” which some of the opera is, [admittedly]. But the Todesverkündigung is that moment where — I can still see Graham’s face — [Siegmund’s] like, “Ohh, what’s happening to me? Oh my God.”

“Ich sehe die Noth / die das Herz dir zernagt / ich fühle des Helden heiligen Harm” (I see the distress / that gnaws at your heart / I feel the hero’s holiest grief). [And then,] “Ich sehe, ich fühle” (I see, I feel) — and she’s like, “Oh my God, what is actually happening, wait, this is way beyond my previously understood skillset. I am actually now on a totally different journey. I have no choice.”

And of course it mirrors exactly where Wotan is. That’s why his monologue is so full of despair and gut-wrenching agony, it’s because he sees it, he feels it, he hears it within himself… Then she becomes the next messenger of that entire journey, which culminates in the unseen. I love that with Brünnhilde the arc is vast, and you have “Die Walküre,” you have this coming of age story with her, her independence. She’s going to be autonomous. She’s going to go out into the world. She’s making her decision. It ends the relationship with Wotan. She doesn’t quite understand that, [or why that’s necessary,] until the end of the of the third act…

Then you have this maiden that wakes up in “Siegfried.” She’s no longer a god, she’s completely bare and she’s with Siegfried. Well, she knew she was gonna be somehow, how that was gonna work out. Or did she? Then the true heartache of “Göttedämmerung,” the euphoria of “Zu neuen Thaten,” the infiltration of her happy place by Waltraute and all of this bad news. The false Gunther, the rape by false Gunther, or whatever happens there. And then the darkness of the Gibichung Hall. Again, it’s a human journey. You know, we’re talking dark night of the soul, and how to recover from all of that. And then the euphoria of delivering the ultimate release for everybody involved in “Starke Scheite.” It’s the coolest thing ever.

OW: So while musically they’re three different roles, dramatically, it’s one big, long episodic role.

LL: One hundred percent.

OW: I’m excited to see you in Atlanta next year, where you perform in a staged “Siegfried.” But to the audience, concert opera looks easier. You don’t have to climb around on anything crazy. You don’t have to remember blocking. Maybe there’s a little semi-staging like you guys are doing in Dallas. Is anything about concert opera actually low-key harder?

LL: Yeah, there is an aspect of it that is low key-harder, because it’s more exposed. There’s nowhere to hide. You know, one of the joys of being a singing actor in a production is you’ve got a set, a costume, a concept. And we’re in our little world up there, we’re creating a scene and then inviting the audience into it. And the concert stage requires a little bit more work to do the same thing, because we have to create the spell, we have to create the environment, the feeling that this thing is percolating around us. So I think it’s also why Maestro Luisi chose people who had time in these roles, who had legacy behind them already, and could bring all of that spell or energy of all of our past experiences with the roles [onto the stage]. Otherwise… it would be really hard to make your Brünnhilde debut doing this concert version. It would just be a totally different thing.

OW: This cast is bananas. It’s incredible how much experience a lot of y’all have. And there are some younger artists in the Valkyrie stable…

LL: …and Deniz Uzun, making her Fricka debut. [It] takes some major cojones to take that on, and she nailed it.

OW: So, about career trajectory, you studied with Blanche Thebom, and part of what’s interesting about you as this specialist in big Wagner, big Strauss, is that you’ve done this in the way that we were led in the twentieth century to believe it ought to go. The voice maturing in the middle of the career and only then assuming those roles. Everybody loves talking about how younger singers are getting pushed into heavy roles too soon. What did you take from Blanche Thebom about this heaviest German repertory?

LL: You know, Blanche was probably not the best teacher to start with. Because she was a technician, but not a technician that a 17-year-old needs. You know, 17-year-olds need to know nuts and bolts like, you put this thing here, and you take that thing off there, and… then you put this other thing over there. Blanche was such an extraordinary artist. And actually, I was just talking about this with a colleague last night. Now her wisdom is front in my head, all the time, so it’s about the journey. It’s about being completely committed to the moment, every moment, and then this moment, and then this moment. What are you creating now? What are you answering now? What are you saying to your colleague now? How is this feeling now? Not how you did it last week, or even yesterday, or even this morning. How are you doing this now? So that kind of wisdom is priceless.

But what was so crucial for me — people didn’t know what to do with my voice, even Blanche. The first aria I ever learned was “Einsam in trüben Tagen from “Lohengrin.” I sang that for two and a half years in her studio and I never got past page three. Because I could never sing it, really. And you know, even now I have, like, PTSD [with] that aria. But she was right. She heard the instrument amidst all of the underdevelopment of the technique. But it took years before everything got in alignment: my mentality about how to sing, my technique, my physicality about how to sing, and then the right repertoire.

The only thing that I did which was topsy turvy [was] I started my career with Turandot, whereas a lot of singers end their careers with Turandot. And everybody that was anybody that I coached that role with before I did my first one, told me it would ruin my voice. And I was like, well, okay, I’m coming from absolute obscurity. If I ruin my voice trying to do something, I guess that’s not such a disaster. The disaster would be not trying to do something. That would be the disaster. And lo and behold, it was the key. So through that role, I found a good teacher at the same time — that was great timing — and the combination of the teacher, the technique from that teacher, and the role really educated my mental, physical, technical self. [It taught me] how to do it.

Then after a couple hundred performances of that I thought, well, I’d really like to sing something else. So let’s try and get some German repertoire and slowly we started building Sentas and Salomes and things like that.

OW: How does your voice still sound so pliant after all those Turandots? I know part of the answer to that is technique…

LL: This is something I feel so strongly about with singers, and I think things are changing now in SingerLandia. Technique is a suggestion, but it’s not a one-way-or the-highway kind of idea. It is a road map. People can lead you to ideas about how your voice works, but at the end of the day we have to have that autonomy one hundred percent, and knowledge of the physicality. What does our body/voice need? I remember my turning point was with Turandot. I remember driving to a rehearsal, my first performance in my first production of “Turandot” and I thought, I don’t know how to sing this. I’m listening to Maria Callas, I’m listening to Birgit Nilsson, I’m listening to Inge Borkh and other recordings, and I’m like, I can’t do it like that. And I just thought, well, then you have to do it your own way. You have to figure out what your own way with this is and if it hurts, I guess that’s bad. So don’t do that.

And I was really smart/lucky. Lucky it never hurt. I could tell that I had a physical limitation, but that was an evolutionary thing that would change as I got older, and it has. I never pushed against that. I was like, well, this is the way it is now. I’m in my thirties. It shouldn’t be any different. Now I’m in my forties. It’s getting richer. It’s getting more pliant. I’m getting more colors. I’m getting more capacity. Cool. None of that is costing me my voice, my technique, my stamina.

Singers have to be so smart. But they also have to be incredibly strong. We’re being coached by lots of different people. We’re getting lots of input from other people about how we should sound, what repertoire we should sing. In the end, the buck stops here. It has to. My chemistry has to fit me. And you just have the have the balls to sing Brünnhilde how you want to sing it yourself. And not try and be anybody else.

And… I think that’s sort of the bottom line. I sing Elektra like I was a lyric soprano. There [are] times that I just blast the wall out and there are times when I’m incredibly lyric. I can do that. Not everybody can do that. But I like doing it. It saves my voice. It makes me have something to do. I like it.

OW: It makes “Elektra” prettier.

LL: It makes Elektra prettier. It makes her more me. It makes her more relatable, which I’m always much more interested in. In the end, I’m an actor who sings. I’m not a singer who acts. I like acting. I like portraying characters. I like sharing an emotional experience with the audience. I want to bring these characters to life, like the composer intended.

OW: We talk about Puccini, and like Turandot, this dramatic German repertory is often portrayed as a cul-de-sac, a destination for a singer, as though once you’re singing it, you can’t do other things. Do you have plans to keep Puccini in the mix? Listening to you as Brünnhilde — you’re from California — one can hear you as Minnie in “La Fanciulla del West.”

LL: I just got the score out! It’s literally on the stairs right behind me because I’m actually gonna program that into my future. I’m just gonna put it in the suitcase and carry it with me because I really, really want to [do it]. I am the girl from the Golden West. I grew up in the gold country. I grew up in a town named Sonora.

OW: “Laggiù nel Soledad.”

LL: Soledad! It’s right over there, [basically neighbors]! I would love to sing that role. Isolde and Minnie are the two things I have yet to do that I would love to do. I’m sure there are other things, I don’t know. “The Makropulos Affair” would probably be great for me. I’ve never done Czech, so it would be a real stretch for me. But easily “La Fanciulla del West,” you nailed it.

OW: When you talk about Elektra and dialing the voice back a bit and singing more lyrically, even though there are also all of those blowout moments: that’s Minnie [too].

LL: Do you have the recording of Eleanor Steber, the live one? Yeah. It’s just so… I mean, actually, it’s gonna make me cry. It’s so beautiful. The orchestra is so cool — Puccini gets such a bad rap. I mean, he is so diminished in so many people’s minds, and yet he is a genius. He was on a trajectory. I wish he hadn’t died when he did, or I wish he had finished “Turandot” sooner. Because the architecture of his composition is completely unique. Leoncavallo didn’t have it. Mascagni didn’t have it. They had their own versions, but at that time he just had his finger on a pulse, on a thread of energy, that I wish [he] had… expanded more, lived in [more].

OW: Let’s talk about Strauss — it’s exciting that you’ll be in New York in November, doing “Die Frau ohne Schatten,” and for my money, you’ve got the best of the three female roles in that opera.

LL: I agree.

OW: What’s your relationship to that opera and how does fit in with all these other roles you’ve done?

LL: “Die Frau ohne Schatten” is such a strange amalgamation of Straussian styles. I mean [my] role in particular: Färberin. She’s sort of a heroic Zerbinetta in a weird way. Those lines in the second act — the singer has to be able to be somewhat gymnastic in singing those lines, and yet have the force of an Elektra. You have to have the ability to get through the orchestra. Again, it’s a great challenge as an actor because it’s very easy to hate Färberin. Because she can be perceived as one-dimensional from the very beginning: but actually there’s an awful lot going on beneath the surface. Otherwise she wouldn’t be with Barak, there wouldn’t be any kind of relationship there, and she wouldn’t be as conflicted.

I did my first one in Hamburg with Linda Watson singing her first Amme and with the absolutely stunning, unforgettable, unparalleled Emily McGee singing the Kaiserin. And it was my first Färberin! And with those two powerhouses on stage, I was scared to death. But again, I just found my way: to do it my way, with my voice, perhaps more of a lyric sound than people [were] expecting, but still with enough power to get through the orchestra.

I remember saying to a very good friend, when I was learning it, how jealous I was of the Kaiserin… She has all this beautiful music, all night long, and the Färberin has to wait for those first three pages of the third act to have the beautiful soaring line. And I don’t feel jealous anymore — I wouldn’t ever want to sing any other role except the Färberin. I don’t imagine I will ever sing Amme. It wouldn’t be in my wheelhouse. Those aren’t my gifts. She’s more zwischy and she’s got to have real balls in the lower part of her register. And I mean, maybe in ten years I’ll have more of that, but my gift is still the top, and that’s why Färberin really suits me.

Now I love it and I love the journey. I’m still puzzled by the story. I still get confused. It’s so Hofmannsthal, it’s so mythological, it’s so fairy-tale. It’s so ‘swimmy’ in that third act, intentionally so. And I know the parallels between [it and] “The Magic Flute” are there. The journeys, the dark, the light, the redemption [arc], all of that, and I get it from that aspect. But as an actor, I just have to give myself completely over to it rather than… with all the other Strauss roles, I know the journey. There’s no prediction here. I’m not pre-programming anything for the audience. They have to take from it what they take. I’m just delivering the information.

OW: How do you pace yourself, singing a few roles that aren’t considered killer roles? How does one recover between Brünnhildes and Turandots?

LL: Well, it’s funny because I was just talking to Max Potter over at Lenny Studio. Max and I work on planning… my digital content on Instagram and Facebook, and I am an incredibly hesitant social media user, but I also am a very enthusiastic communicator. So with her help, we try to develop things that I feel okay about sharing. And she just said to me, “listen, some good ideas are how-to videos, or process videos, or day-in-the-life-of videos.” And I was like, “yeah, yeah, I’m terrible at getting that content up, but there’s probably interest in it and I should do that.” And [she said], “what do you do with your down time? You just disappear off social media during your downtime.” It’s like, well, yeah, because I’ve disappeared. I mean, in my mind, I’m no longer Lise Lindstrom the opera singer. I’m Lise Lindstrom, the girl from Sonora, who’s just trying to figure out what to cook for dinner, or I should really do the laundry today. Downtime is tricky. But what I’ve had to try and do is realize that downtime means that I put all these people that live in me, sort of in a cryogenic chamber, and they’re all just percolating, ready to come awake at any moment. And I feed myself, literally and figuratively, all the things that become resources for when I get to bring them out of their stasis again.

And by feeding myself, I keep my mind active, and when my mind’s not active, that’s the danger zone. That’s usually when I plummet into the depths of despair. “Oh, I’ll never sing again. No one’s ever gonna hire me, maybe it wasn’t all real after all.” You know that’s when all the ghoulies come out of the closet. And it’s all about momentum. So [I am] feeding myself, going for a walk, going to the museum, reading a book, having a conversation, learning a new role, reading some letters between Hofmannsthal and Strauss, or, you know, finally reading that great Wagner book. Because otherwise the momentum goes from light speed to zero, and that difference can be devastating.

I think we all have been conditioned to think that if we’re not at warp speed one hundred percent of the time we’re failing, which is utter BS. Honestly, it’s very American, and it’s so completely misaligned to the biological system that we live within, which actually needs time to digest and recover and resurface. So if we’re going full speed ahead all the time we’re, [first and foremost,] adrenaline junkies, and [also] never in a pose of recovery and rejuvenation.

So the ultimate thing is when you sing a Brünnhilde, after you’re done singing Brünnhilde, you need to put Brünnhilde to bed for a few days or weeks. And really, the best possible thing I know I need is two or three days where I don’t have to really get out of bed. And it may feel like being lazy, it may feel like I’ve dropped out of the human race, but that kind of deep level recovery is mandatory. Because if I don’t go that deep [into] recovery then I cannot resurface and be epic again or what I expect myself to be. So that’s the easy answer. It [is almost never] possible because of scheduling or travel. You know, the cruelest thing an opera singer has to do after an epic performance is get up the next morning, pack their suitcase and get on a plane. I mean, it is brutal and we’re all walking around airports, glassy eyed, and we’re like, how did I get here? Wasn’t I just doing [this]? Yeah, you were. But you still have to figure out where you’re going, how to get there. Rental car, hotel. I mean, it’s brutal to be ripped out of that deeply creative space and then function like a normal human being.

I’ll come back here [to California], change the suitcase, I’ll be here for about four days and then I’m going to fly to London to work with my Strauss coach for a week before we start rehearsals [for “Die Frau ohne Schatten”] in New York. So it’s insanity. But I also — this is getting back to the earlier part of the conversation — I need to be sure that I have given myself every possible chance of doing the job I expect myself to do, which means working with the people that I need to work with to prepare for the job that I want to do. Because if I don’t, then I’ll get to the job and that’s where the impostor syndrome will take you down. Because you have nothing to dilute it with. You cannot combat it. It’s like “you’re not really prepared for this.” Well, yes, I am, actually. I have just done this, this, this, and this to prepare. So I have learned that. Stack the deck as far as I possibly can in my own favor before I even get there.

The post Q & A: Lise Lindstrom discusses Wagner, Strauss, Puccini, & Life appeared first on OperaWire.

The 25-year-old Italian mezzo-soprano Emma Alessi Innocenti is still at the stage in her career in which she is attempting to establish herself as a known singer within the industry. Of course, at such a young age, she has had relatively few opportunities to perform in fully staged operas. But by sheer chance, OperaWire has reviewed a number of them and, in each case, was very impressed by her performances.

The first occasion was at Vicenza in Lirica’s production of Vivaldi’s “L’Olimpiade” in 2020, when Innocenti was a mere 21-years-old, yet it was her interpretation of Megacle that made her standout among the relatively inexperienced cast, with an expressive and intense performance. It was a more mature Innocenti that appeared in Händel’s cantata “Aci, Galatea e Polifemo” in 2023, in which she was cast in the role of Galatea, with OperaWire drawing attention to “the detail and subtlety with which she is able to furnish the vocal line” and describing the quality of expression as “breathtaking”.

As OperaWire was reviewing Luciano Chailly’s opera, “Procedura Penale” in Spoleto this summer, in which Innocenti was appearing, it seemed a good opportunity to find out more about this up-and-coming young singer.

OperaWire: What made you want to become an opera singer?

Emma Alessi Innocenti: What I find most interesting about singing, is that it gives you the opportunity to be someone else, someone completely different from yourself. This is what I really love about theatre, but I also love singing, so opera is the perfect combination. I believe that the act of singing is one of the most beautiful things a human being is able to do.

OW: What was your pathway into opera?

EAI: I was fascinated by theatre and singing from a young age. However, I didn’t come from a musical family, which had both positive and negative consequences. On the one hand, there was no pressure from my family, but I am very aware that coming from a musical family can have many advantages, even down to choosing the right place to study. I was fortunate that I came from a very supportive family, and they helped me a lot in making the right decisions.

I was born and still live in Florence. As I enjoyed singing, my parents enrolled me in a children’s choir when I was five or six-years-old. I was very lucky because the school provided the children’s choir for the Maggio Musicale, where I sang in “Carmen”, “Tosca” and other operas. It was a really beautiful experience because I had the opportunity to enjoy the theater and appear on stage at an early age, but with the innocence of a child.

I went to a high school that specialized in music, where I studied piano, which has been really useful for my musical education. When I played the piano, I used to get nervous, but when I’m singing, I don’t get nervous at all, even when I am under considerable pressure. I have always found it natural and comfortable, maybe it’s because of the experience I gained at a very young age.

After high school, I had singing lessons at the ‘Luigi Cherubini’ Conservatory in Florence, where I graduated in 2022. Then I spent a year doing concerts, competitions and small roles before I started attending an advanced course in voice at the Santa Cecilia Academy in Rome with Sara Mingardo. She is an excellent teacher. She is very encouraging and very precise, but can be severe; however, it is in a nice way as she wants you to become the best version of yourself. She’s always very positive.

OW: How would you describe your voice?

EAI: I like to think I have a very expressive voice that I can use to interpret the music. In my first years of studying, I used to have a lot of difficulty with my high notes, but I worked a lot on them and now it’s not a problem. My vocal range is quite wide; I can reach from a low G to high C fairly easily.

I think I have an agile voice, and although I sing passages of coloratura, I have to work on them; they’re not always easy, especially if I have not sung any coloratura for a while.

I don’t have a particularly big voice, but for my repertoire, which is mainly the baroque, Mozart and contemporary music, it is suitable. But it is probably too small for the late romantic repertoire. I will never sing Verdi, that is for sure.

OW: You are currently taking part in a training program offered by the Teatro Lirico Sperimentale in Spoleto. What does this involve, and how useful have you found it?

EAI: The Teatro Lirico Sperimentale of Spoleto provides one of the most prestigious advanced training courses for young opera singers in Italy. Many great Italian artists have started their careers there, such as Franco Corelli, Giuseppe Di Stefano, Renato Bruson, Anna Moffo, Anita Cerquetti, Leo Nucci, Mariella Devia, Maria Agresta, Eleonora Buratto, Daniela Barcellona, Sonia Ganassi, Roberto De Candia, Bruno De Simone and Riccardo Zanellato. I earned a place on the course after winning first prize in the 2024 “A. Belli” Competition.

All the winners are invited to move to Spoleto for five months from the end of April until October during a two-year period. In my case, this was for the years 2024 and 2025. So far, I have found the experience really useful for me. It provides a perfect balance between musical education and professional activity. During the first three months, I attended several masterclasses with great artists and teachers, such as Marina Comparato, Carmela Remigio, Nicola Ulivieri, Marco Boemi and Raffaele Cortesi. Moreover, we had daily lessons with piano accompanists, studying our repertoire and opera roles for the following season. The last two months were dedicated solely to the opera productions and concerts planned by the Sperimentale. I am playing the roles of Paola in the modern opera “Procedura penale” by L. Chailly and Eurilla in the baroque intermezzo “Eurilla e Beltramme” by D. Sarro.

It has been a very enriching experience; I have learned so much!

OW: What is the story of “Procedura Penale”, and what role are you playing?

EAI: A group of friends meet for an afternoon tea in the home of the Countess Mauritia Delormes. They all appear to be very close. Suddenly, however, the situation changes, and they accuse the countess of committing a murder. It is not a joke; they mean it, and she is forced to defend herself. The dining room becomes a courtroom. In the end, everything returns to normal, and they continue drinking their tea and eating their cake.

My character’s name is Paola. She is one of the countess’ friends.

OW: What challenges did you experience in bringing Paola to the stage?

EAI: My character is cruel, but she doesn’t appear to be on the surface. This is difficult to portray because even when she is drinking tea and chatting with her friends at the beginning of the opera, she is cruel, and I have to be able to show this while appearing to be friendly. I have to show that she is a false person and her relationship as a friend is false.

It is not a particularly difficult role to sing, but it is a modern work, so you have to keep an eye on rhythm and intonation. The role was originally written for contralto, but I have to say I feel comfortable singing the role. One reason is that the orchestra below the singing parts is not heavy, and so I don’t feel overwhelmed by it.

OW: How do you assess your performance?

EAI: I think I did a good job, especially in terms of character rendering. The role of Paola is not very demanding from a vocal perspective. What was hard for me was to convey to the audience the subtle cruelty of her character, especially as it is set against comedy episodes of the Theatre of the Absurd set-up.

The stage director, Bongiovanni, did a great job. He helped us a lot, insisting that all the singers paid attention to every single gesture and facial expression. Paola is also an overweight woman, so it has been interesting for me to deal with different body shapes, in which I have to step into someone else’s body!

OW: What have been the biggest challenges in your career so far?

EAI: I would say discovering my own boundaries, my own limitations, and then getting other people to understand and accept them.

Also, I know my repertoire is not as popular as say Puccini and Verdi, especially in Italy, so it is difficult for singers with voices like mine, such to find opportunities to perform.

OW: What are your goals for the next few years?

EAI: Obviously, to have more opportunities to sing in operas. I want to become established so that I can live and work with singing. Although I am not particularly interested in competitions, maybe over the next couple of years I will take part in more, which will help me in becoming better known if I’m successful in them. I think that this will be the best method for establishing myself as the theaters don’t seem to provide opportunities to unknown singers.

OW: If this interview were taking place 10 years in the future, what would you hope you would be saying about your career?

EAI: Maybe it sounds banal, but I would like to be saying that I have been appearing in beautiful opera productions with great conductors and stage directors at the best opera houses and festivals in Europe and around the world, such as the Salzburg Festival and Early Music Festival in Innsbruck.

The post Q & A: Mezzo-Soprano Emma Alessi Innocenti Talks About The Teatro Sperimentale & Her Role In ‘Procedura Penale’ appeared first on OperaWire.