the Restrictive measures gradually began to soften. But the Opera world continues to wait. How do you assess what is happening?
Piotr Beczala: the Situation is not the best. Almost every day, I talk with organizers of musical life in the world and find out about the cancellation of a festival or performance. To the last hoped that in the middle of June to sing in “Lohengrin” at the Zurich Opera and operetta give some concerts, but they announced the end of the season. The festival in Bayreuth cancelled. Fortunately, Salzburg has found the opportunity to hold the festival in a concise format as this year they celebrate their 100th anniversary, which is very carefully prepared and was to be held on a large scale. But it is obvious that full-fledged productions now on the festival will not, as long as the rehearsals could not begin. I have there single “Song about the earth” Mahler on August 15. There is a chamber version of the score created by Arnold Schoenberg. I was looking forward to his new York debut in the role of Radames in “Aida”, which was supposed to perform alongside Anna Netrebko, but new year at the Metropolitan Opera, unfortunately, it was canceled.
the Main question remains to all the time return to previous tempo of existence of industry of classical music.
Piotr Beczala: This brand new situation for all of us – actors, singers, instrumentalists, conductors, Directors, quartermasters. The launch of this mechanism will be very difficult, very hard will have to return to old habits after a forced pause. While everyone is trying to do something online. It is definitely a substitute for, but at least something. We were incredibly happy to be performing in a concert At Home, organized and conducted by Peter Hellbom and the Metropolitan Opera. The concert was fantastic! Each of us has experienced stress, because at any moment could be technical failures. But much more important was to give the public the opportunity again to stay with us for four hours of live broadcast. I, for example, is always very important to meet with the audience after each performance and concert. So I am very upset that I can’t be in any city for many years, as, for example, in Moscow, where I was not more than ten years. It was a concert in the Great hall of the Moscow Conservatory, dedicated to the 100th anniversary of Sergey Lemeshev. Conducted by Vladimir Fedoseyev.
And in 2010, the first time you’ve performed in the Concert hall of the Mariinsky theatre in a concert performance of “Lucia di Lammermoor” by Donizetti, with Natalie Dessay.
Piotr Beczala: I was very impressed from the concert hall. Maestro Valery Gergiev after the dress rehearsal told us about its acoustic merits. All��and already tired, frazzled because of a number of technical difficulties and organizational problems, but the result was a success. It was a fantastic experience. Almost all records have some history.
this year, along with the 250th anniversary of Beethoven is celebrated the 180th anniversary of Tchaikovsky. You sang Lensky and vaudémont, and Herman in Queen of spades you are not asked to sing?
Piotr Beczala: Of Herman and the Queen of spades I think all the time. I even have a lovely edition of this Opera which I bought many years ago in Moscow, and even discussed the production of this Opera in a big theater, but prefer to wait. It’s not a party that can sing somehow, in a moment. It takes time to become a great event in the life of the tenor. We are dear to my heart Maestro Mariss Jansons was talking about Herman five years ago, when in Munich he performed Verdi’s Requiem. Queen of spades – an incredible Opera, but it is only a question of maturation. It is important because nobody to sing – what is conductor and Director.
why do you think “Eugene Onegin” and “Queen of spades” became the most popular Russian operas in the world?
Piotr Beczala: First of all, thanks to the universality of these works. The tale of Iolanthe was not as popular as “Onegin”, but also made their “career”. The themes of these operas – good, evil, love, power. Plus higher quality music, based on fascinating stories. “Queen of spades” became popular after the success of “Eugene Onegin”. Pushkin wrote a phenomenal novel and the novel, Tchaikovsky’s brilliant music.
Polish singers are taking a more active role on the world Opera stage. Piotr Beczala, Alexander Kuzak, Mariusz Quechan, Arthur Rucinski and others. Who teaches you so well in Poland?
Piotr Beczala: what just a few of our singers were at one point on the international Opera scene, is an absolute accident, and there is no subtext here. I sing in the West since 18 years. It all started after the border opened in 1992, and I left Poland. But it cannot be considered as a result of the work of one educator. Each of us belongs to different generations of singers and learned from different teachers.
There is the concept of “Polish school of singing”?
Piotr Beczala: once was. For example, the tenor Ian Reschke was the predecessor to Caruso at the Metropolitan Opera and trained a whole group of very famous singers. One of his last pupils was bid saillant. Later great singing teacher were Adam Didur, who created in Lviv a whole school and raised a lot of singers, among whom was Andrzej Hilsky, who died in 2000-m to year: it probably could be called the successor of the Polish school of singing. I was in Katowice, and later took ku��Sy vocals Pavel Lisitsian in Weimar, which helped me a lot, participated in master classes of Professor of the Seine, Jurinac in Switzerland. My career started in Linz, where I met a teacher which still do: it’s pianist Dale Fundling. With him I actually were able to fully customize your vocal apparatus, creating a tool that serves me still.
do You feel the competition on the “market” Opera tenors?
Piotr Beczala: In my opinion, there are so many Opera houses that places should be enough for all voices, including tenors. I can only rejoice when there is a lot of good votes. The trouble is that today, due to a sharp acceleration in building careers, abruptly lost vocal quality. No one is able to do this quality tenor for two or three seasons, however, many aspire to it. Pavarotti was Pavarotti after fifteen years of work on stage as Domingo also did not immediately become Domingo. I often say that absolutely calm: I’m coming your way with the speed with which you can, sometimes noticing me ahead of some fast car. But after a few kilometers this car I see in the ditch or a tree. In Opera, after all, as on a freeway, everything has its limits and its meaning.
