If you want to just sound beautiful, save that mentality for the recording, but keep it away from the stage. Of course theres been very difficult moments in my career, but it was because of my past that I didnt fall apart completely. Known as haunted and focused Kristine Opolais brings a breath of fresh air to the operatic stage. The role is often noted as a mini-Butterfly, as both Angelica and the heroine of Puccinis Madama Butterfly are made to suffer for the love they have for their children and ultimately commit suicide. It had to be more internalized. You cannot be relaxed when you go on stage, if youre not afraid then theres something very wrong. If you want to just sound beautiful, save that mentality for the recording, but keep it away from the stage. When people ask me how it\s possible that I sang Aida or Tosca at that stage in my career, I have no idea. And to top things off, in her private life she just didnt feel she was able to give her fullest both artistically and as a mother for Adriana, who will turn seven at the end of December 2018. at the Bayerische Staatsoper. She needs to see her mother happy also. Her process comes down to immersing herself fully in a character and then just living the experience onstage, with warts and all. In this honest and humble interview with. I had just performed my debut in, and I got a call the following morning at 7.30am from Peter Gelb asking me to do. So 12 hours -- that's a lot!" Alagna told AFP in his dressing room at the New York opera house. An audition for the company\s new music director brought her debut as Musetta, fast-tracking her into solo roles and swiftly afterwards into leading roles including Li, Cio-Cio-San, Tosca, Tatyana, Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk, Senta. June 16, 2017. Then theres the fact that Adriana isnt really a big opera fan. When she laughed, she'd lean forward and create a triangle from her shoulder to her hand with her left arm, bending her wrist. Then came trauma for the couple when, at three months old, their baby needed life-saving surgery. He also holds a dual bachelors from Hofstra University in Film Production and Journalism. This kind of intense emotional approach comes with its risks for those that like things a bit more predictable, but it also allows the performer to be open to new possibilities onstage. I don\t act it, I live it, but I feel I cannot do it another way.\. October 2015 in People. Now her perspective has shifted somewhat on the role, as she feels that Cio-Cio Sans sacrifice comes with the understanding that her child will be in a better place without her. Some people say that when youre truly in love with someone youre not jealous, but Im the complete opposite. She was struggling with physical ailments that furthered the challenges of doing what she was advised to do. Shes very sensitive. (Laughs) Yes, I am very jealous! When I get home, I try to just be there for my daughter. All the cast sounded as if singing in different rooms. Select search scope, currently: catalog all catalog, articles, website, & more in one search; catalog books, media & more in the Stanford Libraries' collections; articles+ journal articles & other e-resources A few years ago, Opolais found her approach being increasingly questioned and a lot of advice was given to her to sit back, restrain her instincts, and "focus only on singing." She listened and adjusted. Its important because it lets us remember who we are and the things we can and cannot do, soprano Kristine Opolais told OperaWire in a recent interview. Follow my adventures on stage, behind the scenes & around the world! And shes not done yet with adding Puccini to her repertory. "It's madness. Nelsons will conduct while Opolais reprises Tchaikovsky's opus with the Boston Symphony Orchestra from April 21 through 23. When Im in love Im extremely jealous and when Im not, I couldnt care less. The couple's departure was only the latest blow to the "Tosca" production. When Rene said that to me it was an incredible moment because she is the best and most definitive Rusalka. Honig worked on channelling Opolais\s naturally dramatic instincts-roles she\d sung before now felt very different and Opolais\s gratitude to her teacher is immense. For her to live in suitcases and have no friends and no real home, its cruel. I never had to ask for anything, my mother always believed in me and my dad was loving and sweet. Biography[ edit] Opolais was born in Rzekne, Latvia, and studied at the Latvian Academy of Music. Eugene Onegin is one of my favorite operas. Opera Magazine Features People Kristne Opolais, Obsession. This kind of intense emotional approach comes with its risks for those that like things a bit more predictable, but it also allows the performer to be open to new possibilities onstage. As soon as you are limited and someone tries to put you in a box, it can kill you as an artist.. So to get that approval from Rene meant the world to me. All rights reserved. "I started to lose voice power, presence, colors, everything," she revealed. My decision to say yes that morning was an enormous catalyst in my career it changed everything. My adrenaline is so high when I finish Angelica that I am suffering because I feel like I just warmed up my voice and I want to keep going, she confessed. Kristine Opolais singt "Regina caeli laetare"-"Ineggiamo, il Signor non morto" - Osterchor und Gebet der Santuzza aus "Cavalleria Rusticana" von Pietro Mas. This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Can you pronounce this word better HOW DO YOU GET YOURSELF INTO THE PSYCHOLOGICAL SPACE TO GET THROUGH SOMETHING SO DAUNTING? I was born in that moment and from then the contracts came flying in. The other massive factor was that it was a live HD broadcast going out worldwide and it would be there forever. She had to do it her way. You have to go through the orchestra on the top notes, but you have to find a balance so that you dont push your voice too much up there with your body. By continuing to browse this site you are agreeing to our use of cookies. Such acting talent clearly appeals to directors and, while Opolais chooses her commitments carefully, she can also take risks, and is prepared to take over at short notice. Kristine Opolais's income source is mostly from being a successful . It\s fairly certain that Opolais will wow New York once again next spring when she and Jonas Kaufmann sing in Richard Eyre\s new production ofManon Lescaut, with Fabio Luisi conducting. Opolais admits that for better or worse, she has always been one to do things her own way. YOUVE MANAGED TO STEP IN FOR PERFORMANCES THAT VERY FEW SINGERS WOULD HAVE BEEN ABLE TO DO. Yet Opolais is an artist. The Latvian soprano spoke with Latinos Post in anticipation of her Met appearance and not only talked about the difficulty of singing the role, but also the challenge that her artistic vocation is for her emotionally. Im an actress first and the voice follows. Sometimes it has worked against me, but most of the time its my biggest strength. I only want to give my best, and I love my profession, but I also need silence. Achievements continued to stack up. During his time at Fordham, he studied abroad at the Jagiellonian University in Poland. She had to give her daughter a better life, but she also needed to go back to taking the artistic risks she always had. Together in Act 4 they generated musico-dramatic heat.\, Opolais\s instrument may not be perfect, as she would be the first to insist. Concert (Konzert), Various Concert/recital/oratorio. "It's madness. But the bigger challenge for the soprano is understanding Angelicas psychology and emotional challenge that comes with interpreting it. VAN: In Leipzig from May 18 to 21, you're singing a concert program with Andris Nelsons and the Gewandhausorchester. A few years ago, Opolais found her approach being increasingly questioned and a lot of advice was given to her to sit back, restrain her instincts, and focus only on singing., I started to lose voice power, presence, colors, everything, she revealed. They will not bolt their doors to my wife and mother and my little son. The refugee John Sorel in Menottis The Consul - now even more an opera for our time The Consul was premiered in Philadelphia #OTD in 1950. Home; Happiness; Motivation; Reading; Quoatable February 26, 2023 Motivation, Wisdom Her process comes down to immersing herself fully in a character and then just living the experience onstage, with warts and all. When Rene said that to me it was an incredible moment because she is the best and most definitive Rusalka. Then theres the fact that Adriana isnt really a big opera fan. Famously, in 2014 Opolais made history at the Met, making two role debuts within 18 hours. Website by Lenny's Studio. Kristine, when have you ever been so pragmatic? He sees that they might fare better if he could pawn her off on Geronte (capably sung by English bass Brindley Sherratt ), a wealthy geezer who can keep her in luxury. Obsession. Tosca is almost defined by her jealousy and she has every right to be. Vocally, the soprano has always noted that she takes time to warm up in a performance. In my mind, as strange as it sounds, Im performing to two big eyes looking at me. I had to roll around in water in a very thin nightdress, it was a challenge (laughs). Opolais instantly made up for lost time: she listened and learnt, staying on when the chorus wasn\t needed, absorbing everything. It is there that she makes a much-anticipated role debut this October as Margherita in Boito\sMefistofele, alongside Ren Pape as the demon himself. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. I can relate to every part of her role and I adore her. Teenage years in post-Soviet Latvia were not easy, her upbringing not straightforward-Kristne, an only child, learnt to fend for herself. NEW YORK It wasn't the first time he'd heard her sing. Rene Fleming has said that you represent a new style of singer, what did that mean to you? It shouldnt only be about that. Shes the classic representation of the role and she brought so much beauty to that character. Groggy-voiced, Opolais. Known as "haunted and focused" Kristine Opolais brings a breath of fresh air to the operatic stage. Certainly, difficult experiences, good and bad, gave me this opportunity to be strong, to not be afraid.\. Opolais, pure-toned and powerful, was affected too. Kristine Opolais has formidable competition in this atrociously difficult role which requires a voice of legato early on but once The Principessa appears (superbly sung by Lioba Braun) a new dramatic tone comes into force and Ms. Opolais is stupendous in the final scene her voice soaring over the orchestra and chorus conducted by Andris Nelsons. Even so, she tired quickly, singing the whole last act. A few years ago, Opolais found her approach being increasingly questioned and a lot of advice was given to her to sit back, restrain her instincts, and focus only on singing., I started to lose voice, presence, colors, everything, she revealed. She should die right there. She is from Latvia. I had to roll around in water in a very thin nightdress, it was a challenge (laughs). I never had to ask for anything, my mother always believed in me and my dad was loving and sweet. The 52-year-old said he spent two weeks working from nine in the morning until nine in the evening to learn the lead male role which he sings opposite Latvian soprano Kristine Opolais. Perceptions of her voice still vary, but the elements she brings to a performance, translating to both CD and DVD, are undeniable: natural bearing, a vibrant intensity, whether ecstatic or deranged, and the sheer physicality of her characterizations. When I was 26 and singing Aida, I was listening to Aprile Millo at the Met and it helped a lot. My process is that I imagine that everything is happening to me, Im not Kristine, Im Tosca through my eyes and I feel absolutely everything she has gone through. Kristne Opolais admits this is the only word to describe how, when she became a member of the chorus of Latvian National Opera at the age of 22, she found herself swept up in a new and intoxicating world, astonished by the power of opera to engage and move. I was kind of crazy, but this was obsession in a good way.\. People just wanted me to sing and thats it. You have to listen to yourself and trust your gut, its all about your intuition. She noted a desire to sing all three soprano roles across Il Trittico, adding that she feels most comfortable with Giorgetta from Il Tabarro.. Adriana recovered miraculously and is a bright, lively and healthy child, but such experiences imprint themselves in the maternal memory and since that crisisMadama Butterflyis an opera that has utterly different emotional significance for Opolais-nearly losing her child herself makes Cio-Cio-San\s sacrifice almost unbearable. When shes done right, shes an extremely sexy and sensitive heroine. A few drops of rain fell periodically. Copyright 2023 Kristine Opolais. WHAT HAPPENS IF YOU CANT RELATE TO A CHARACTER? It gives you a compass to go on and to measure a situation quickly. Opolais maintains this strong relationship with the Met, ever since her debut as Magda in La Rondine in 2013. This masterpiece, popular worldwide, inexplicably took 92 years to reach Metropolitan Opera, where the . Opera magazine And she is very talented, but she is also very shy.. Where does your head go when you perform? When Opolais sang the filmed version of the opera, critics raved about the soprano's take on the iconic diva noting "Opolais sings rather well, she declaims beautifully and above all she breaks out of the by now stale clich of the great tragedian attached 'full time' to the curtains. Its not something I can do when I am performing. I feel pain in my stomach during this moment. One might imagine that an international star like Opolais would be able to find a plethora of opportunities in Eastern Europe or specifically in Latvia to perform, but the soprano noted that it becomes increasingly difficult for her to dedicate herself to her art in her home country. 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