Tosca is almost defined by her jealousy and she has every right to be. On Fryderyk Chopins birthday, heres one of the songs his friend the great Pauline Viardot arranged from his mazurkas. When I was 26 and singing Aida, I was listening to Aprile Millo at the Met and it helped a lot. Concert (Konzert), Various Concert/recital/oratorio. And when excellence extends beyond the name at the top of the bill, we end up with a truly unforgettable performance like the one heard at the Metropolitan Opera Thursday night. Of course theres been very difficult moments in my career, but it was because of my past that I didnt fall apart completely. So for a better part of 2018, the soprano spent more time in Latvia to be with Adriana as she commenced her elementary school studies in Riga. It is a heavy role for the soprano. A few years ago, the soprano noted that when she first had Adriana, singing Butterfly was mortifying because she felt the loss of a child very intensely. She said, When you open your mouth, you immediately start to force: you are not singing with your own voice, you are singing with some very mature, experienced voice. Gradually, I started to be myself, and really it took me all these years to understand how to sing in a natural way, every word as clearly as speaking. Follow Opolais, pure-toned and powerful, was affected too. . Its not something I can do when I am performing. Then she went on tour with the Gewandhausorchester Leipzig, also under Nelsons. 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. Opolais instantly made up for lost time: she listened and learnt, staying on when the chorus wasn\t needed, absorbing everything. I then thought about the good reputation I had at The Met, which I had worked so hard to build. 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. At the end of Act 2, when everyone on stage is enjoying lavish parades, Opolais' Mimi struggles with her persistent cough, the lone dark spot on stage and a terrific dramatic gesture that reminds the viewer of the impending tragedy. You cannot be relaxed when you go on stage, if youre not afraid then theres something very wrong. Writing in opera about her performance inThe Queen of Spadesin Riga\s 2005 Opera Festival, Shirley Apthorp wrote: Kristne Opolais was a Lisa with the lithe beauty of a wild animal, fabulous passion and a melting, burnished, gripping sound.\ Significantly, the conductor, also much praised by Apthorp, was Andris Nelsons, the young music director who\d auditioned her, the man who would become her husband. I have built my career stepping in, but the most terrifying was at the Metropolitan Opera. And I knew that that was not good for her either. We talked over coffee and some tiny cakes. If I have to say something nasty with bad energy, then that cannot be beautiful. I think that what happens then is that she is losing her mind.. She needs to start her life.. She doesnt need poison. I tend to bring more pain in my interpretations of Rusalka I relate to her differently because of my life experiences. 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. She sang with conviction, acted truly and brought this manipulative yet annoyingly moving melodrama to a fervent emotional climax.\ Just hours later, Opolais would further endear herself to New York and a global audience by singing Mim in the afternoon\s live broadcast ofBohme. My decision to say yes that morning was an enormous catalyst in my career it changed everything. The Met's first new production of the Czech favorite since 1993, gives title honors to Latvian soprano Kristine Opolais; seen Saturday, Feb. 25. In 2008 she returned to Berlin and the Staatsoper as Polina in Prokofiev\sThe Gambler, with Daniel Barenboim conducting. I wouldnt have been able to bounce back if it went badly the stakes were too high. All rights reserved. The soprano chronicled how the challenge of taking on the opera for the first time made rehearsal period challenging. Unfortunately, what Ive learned from this career is that thinking logically will get you nowhere. Im an actress first and the voice follows. It feels like one big force watching me and keeping me safe. at the Bayerische Staatsoper. Pianist Mitsuko Uchida will play in four concerts in the second installment of her three-season Perspectives series. I found out about myself that I am not very ready for big publicity, because I think I already give so much on stage.\ She smiles wryly: It should be enough!\. To get a free copy of Opera Magazine, please follow this link and fill in the short form. The new music director Andris Nelsons auditioned her for the debut role of Musetta, quickly followed by solo roles including Li, Cio-Cio-San, Tosca, Tatyana, Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk, and Senta. Her voice has taken on a deeper, richer sheen and she always plays her romantic scenes to the hilt. But, at the end of each one, I could feel the vocal strain and I knew it was not good.\, It was her fellow Latvian Elna Garana\s suggestion that Opolais seek lessons from her own teacher, Margreet Honig. Known as "haunted and focused" Kristine Opolais brings a breath of fresh air to the operatic stage. RENE FLEMING HAS SAID THAT YOU REPRESENT A NEW STYLE OF SINGER, WHAT DID THAT MEAN TO YOU? When I put the phone down I spent the first minute thinking it was right to say no. 11,266 Im not saying that Im a killer (laughs), but I understand her passion and envy. 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. I was very nervous in the past, but today even though Im still nervous, Ive realised that those nerves are so important. But then it was like my mind started talking to me, saying Kristine, when have you ever been so pragmatic?. Follow my adventures on stage, behind the scenes & around the world! The Met released her (she would successfully make her debut there as Magda inLa rondinein March 2013) andRusalkawas acclaimed as a theatrical triumph. Known as "haunted and focused" Kristine Opolais brings a breath of fresh air to the operatic stage. I was 27 when I met Margreet, and she thought I was young enough to start again from the beginning. 17:55 Affaire conclue : la vie des objets. Kristine Opolais Sings Dvok's Rusalka, "Song to the Moon" Opolais fully immersed in the opera experience, absorbing everything in her path. 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. When I did Butterfly I sang with a Scotto voice-I could imagine her sound and I could produce it. That was after myRusalka at the Bayerische Staatsoper. A+ Quotes for All Occassions. And she\d be happy with more Puccini: there is talk ofIl tritticoand she would love to sing Minnie inLa fanciulla del West. You need two voices. I was kind of crazy, but this was obsession in a good way.\. Kristine Opolais was haunted and focused her suffering and transcendence were chillingly real, added the New York Times Zachary Woolfe. Today, I walk on stage and I completely transport into the character. 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. Teenage years in post-Soviet Latvia were not easy, her upbringing not straightforward-Kristne, an only child, learnt to fend for herself. In the first year I thought I should give up this profession. Im an actress first and the voice follows. I asked her why she didnt like it and she said, Because youre crying. She sees me suffering and it hurts her. Tosca is almost defined by her jealousy and she has every right to be. "It's madness. Kristine, when have you ever been so pragmatic? The soprano noted that when she ends the performance, she feels exhausted emotionally, but vocally she is ready to continue. Sometimes it has worked against me, but most of the time its my biggest strength. She is from Latvia. I stepped onto the stage, I opened my mouth and thankfully it came out. 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. But opting out of some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience. If I work at home, people tell me to take it easy. As the terrible news dawned on her, her body sank to the floor; we watched a woman break, wrote Bachtracks Robert Levine. These cookies do not store any personal information. [2] Opolais started her career as a member of the chorus with Latvian National Opera in 2001, and in 2003 became a soloist. YOUVE MANAGED TO STEP IN FOR PERFORMANCES THAT VERY FEW SINGERS WOULD HAVE BEEN ABLE TO DO. Latvian National Opera | Riga, Lettland | Vorstellungen (1) Soprano (Sopran) | Dirigat: Mrti Ozoli. Known as haunted and focused Kristine Opolais brings a breath of fresh air to the operatic stage. The connection is so strong that when the curtain falls that force disappears and I get a profound sense of loneliness. When I get home, I try to just be there for my daughter. It gives you a compass to go on and to measure a situation quickly. Website by Lenny's Studio. And now the . Sometimes it has worked against me, but most of the time its my biggest strength. Enter your email address below and well keep you up-to-date with the latest Opera news. You have to sing with everything for the reaction of your sons death, then you have the quiet Senza Mamma and then you have to sing with all your voice non-stop until the end. And I knew that that was not good for her either. Can you pronounce this word better The star tenor Jonas Kaufmann abruptly withdrew in March. Musically and emotionally-and, with Opolais, the two seem inextricably linked-it was a potent time. But the role she feels ready to do is Minnie from La Fanciulla del West, which she revealed she has always wanted to do. Covent Garden is one of the houses where her portrayals of three Puccini heroines-Cio-Cio-San, Tosca and Manon Lescaut-have met with much success, but Opolais\s base is Munich, strategically chosen for its relative proximity to her native Latvia and for the strong relationship she has with the Bayerische Staatsoper. The birth of their daughter Adriana that December marked another joyous milestone. 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. 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. 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. He also holds a dual bachelors from Hofstra University in Film Production and Journalism. I couldnt remember a single line of text before I went on, I was in complete shock that Id agreed to this. Kristine Opolais (n. 12 noiembrie 1979 , [1] Rzekne , Republica Sovietic Socialist Leton , URSS [2] ) [3] este o sopran de oper leton. Kristine Opolais (Tosca), Marcelo lvarez Mario (Cavaradossi), Marco Vratogna (Scarpia), Alexander Tsymbalyuk (Angelotti), Peter Rose (Il Sagrestano) Berliner Philharmoniker, Philharmonia Chor Wien & Cantus Juvenum Karlsruhe, Sir Simon Rattle. She had to do it her way. This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Kristine Opolais as Cio-Cio-San and Roberto Alagna as Pinkerton in Puccini's MADAMA BUTTERFLY. I couldnt focus my brain on the arts because of divorce, health problems, and also my daughter was going to school and I didnt really have time for my art. Later in the season it will be Halvy, when Opolais sings Rachel in Munich\sLa Juive, with the Met\s newManon Lescautin between. During Adrianas early years, the soprano had taken her daughter everywhere she could. Stanford Libraries' official online search tool for books, media, journals, databases, government documents and more. Shes very sensitive. I had to roll around in water in a very thin nightdress, it was a challenge (laughs). She had to do it her way. kristine.opolais Verified Follow 808 posts 38.5K followers 2,352 following KRISTINE OPOLAIS International Soprano. It was the beginning of a beautiful friendship. YOU ARE A DISRUPTOR ON THE OPERATIC STAGE, YOUR PERFORMANCES ARE UNAPOLOGETIC AND FULL OF FIRE. Kristine Opolais's income source is mostly from being a successful . She flinches at the notion of diva-dom. Copyright 2023 Kristine Opolais. Its hard to be so-so everywhere so I wanted to give myself time to recover psychologically.. I immediately said no, what crazy person would have said yes? I remember her face after the production. All women who are singers and mothers, I admire them tremendously because it is so challenging, almost impossible to do both at the same time really well.. The other massive factor was that it was a live HD broadcast going out worldwide and it would be there forever. Biography[ edit] Opolais was born in Rzekne, Latvia, and studied at the Latvian Academy of Music. "I started to lose voice, presence, colors, everything," she revealed. A second attempt went better, and she got a place at the Latvian Academy of Music. 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