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	<title>Étienne Dupuis Archives - Cultural Attaché</title>
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		<title>Opera Interview Highlights from 2022</title>
		<link>https://culturalattache.co/2022/12/30/opera-interview-highlights-from-2022/</link>
					<comments>https://culturalattache.co/2022/12/30/opera-interview-highlights-from-2022/#respond</comments>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Craig Byrd]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Fri, 30 Dec 2022 08:01:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[Featured]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Opera: Bravo]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[What's Hot]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Christian Reif]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Du Yun]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Elīna Garanča]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Étienne Dupuis]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Kevin Puts]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[opera]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://culturalattache.co/?p=17601</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[<p>Dupuis, Garanča,  Gordon, Puts, Reif and Du Yun</p>
<p>The post <a href="https://culturalattache.co/2022/12/30/opera-interview-highlights-from-2022/">Opera Interview Highlights from 2022</a> appeared first on <a href="https://culturalattache.co">Cultural Attaché</a>.</p>
]]></description>
										<content:encoded><![CDATA[
<p>We may be living in a golden age for opera. It certainly seems so in the discussions we had with composers and artists. Here are are opera interview highlights from 2022.</p>



<p>Composer <a href="https://culturalattache.co/2022/01/27/composer-ricky-ian-gordon-writes-his-italian-opera/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Ricky Ian Gordon</a> had two operas produced this year: <em>Intimate Apparel</em> at Lincoln Center and <em>The Garden of the Finzi-Continis</em> by New York City Opera. We focused on the latter when we spoke with him early this year. Because of some strong language, you&#8217;ll have to watch this one on our <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tsKo6Tk162w&amp;t=19s" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">YouTube channel</a> as it is age restricted.</p>



<p>Mezzo-soprano <a href="https://culturalattache.co/2022/03/11/mezzo-soprano-elina-garanca-believes-in-the-magic-of-opera/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Elīna Garanča</a> talked about her career and more with us in March. It has proven to be one of our most popular interviews.</p>



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<p>We spoke with baritone <a href="https://culturalattache.co/2022/03/23/baritone-etienne-dupuis-strives-for-perfection/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Etienne Dupuis</a> while he was performing the five-act French language original version of <em>Don Carlos</em> at the Metropolitan Opera.</p>



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<p>Pulitzer Prize-winning composer <a href="https://culturalattache.co/2022/04/12/composer-du-yun-explores-21st-century-manhood/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Du Yun</a> talked to us in advance of the world premiere of <em>In Our Daughter&#8217;s Eyes</em> in Los Angeles.</p>



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<p>The most eagerly-anticipated new opera this year was <em>The Hours</em> by composer <a href="https://culturalattache.co/2022/11/22/composer-kevin-puts-discusses-his-new-opera-the-hours/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Kevin Puts</a> and librettist Greg Pierce. We talked to Puts in advance of a concert performance of the work before it was fully staged at the Metropolitan Opera. </p>



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<p>Last week we published our interview with conductor/pianist <a href="https://culturalattache.co/2022/12/20/christian-reif-reworks-john-adamss-el-nino/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Christian Reif</a> about <em>El Niño: Nativity Reconsidered</em>. Reif, in collaboration with <a href="https://culturalattache.co/2022/11/02/soprano-julia-bullock-wants-to-rock-your-soul/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Julia Bullock</a> (his partner), truncated the John Adams opera <em>El Niño</em> into a one-hour work. We also discussed Bullock&#8217;s first album, <em>Walking in the Dark</em>, which finds Reif conducting and accompanying her and his very new role as a father.</p>



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<p>Those are just a few of our opera interview highlights from 2022. Please go to our <a href="https://www.youtube.com/@attache4culture/featured" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">YouTube channel</a> to see all of our interviews and to subscribe. </p>



<p>Photo: Elīna Garanča (©Sarah Katharina/Courtesy GM Art &amp; Music)</p>
<p>The post <a href="https://culturalattache.co/2022/12/30/opera-interview-highlights-from-2022/">Opera Interview Highlights from 2022</a> appeared first on <a href="https://culturalattache.co">Cultural Attaché</a>.</p>
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		<title>Baritone Etienne Dupuis Strives for Perfection&#8230;</title>
		<link>https://culturalattache.co/2022/03/23/baritone-etienne-dupuis-strives-for-perfection/</link>
					<comments>https://culturalattache.co/2022/03/23/baritone-etienne-dupuis-strives-for-perfection/#respond</comments>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Craig Byrd]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Wed, 23 Mar 2022 07:01:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[Featured]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Opera: Bravo]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[What's Hot]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Dead Man Walking]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Don Carlos]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Eric Owens]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Étienne Dupuis]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Giuseppe Verdi]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Jake Heggie]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Matthew Polenzani]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Met Opera Live in HD]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Metropolitan Opera]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Sonya Yoncheva]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://culturalattache.co/?p=16047</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[<p>"I think one of the hardest things to do is to strive for perfection and then have the humility to recognize that you did your best."</p>
<p>The post <a href="https://culturalattache.co/2022/03/23/baritone-etienne-dupuis-strives-for-perfection/">Baritone Etienne Dupuis Strives for Perfection&#8230;</a> appeared first on <a href="https://culturalattache.co">Cultural Attaché</a>.</p>
]]></description>
										<content:encoded><![CDATA[
<p>We think of long plays, concerts or operas as marathons. We wonder how is it possible that the people on stage can sustain their energy for as long as they do. For the cast of the Metropolitan Opera&#8217;s <em><a href="https://www.metopera.org/season/2021-22-season/don-carlos/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Don Carlos</a></em>, they not only have a long opera that runs 3-1/2 hours of pure stage time, Giuseppe Verdi&#8217;s opera is also being sung there for the first time in its original French language version. For baritone Etienne Dupuis, who plays the role of &#8220;Rodrigue,&#8221; it&#8217;s a blessing.</p>



<p>&#8220;I&#8217;ve always seen all those nuances and everything that&#8217;s written on the page and I&#8217;ve tried to do them as best I could. But then in French what&#8217;s amazing is that it just works,&#8221; he said during a recent Zoom call.  &#8220;It makes more sense. In Italian you had to make sense of it and in French it already makes sense. It makes it easier to sing, but it also makes it easier to understand, not just for us, for the audience. Things are clearer. The text is clear. The intentions are clearer.&#8221;</p>



<div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="alignleft size-medium"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="300" height="169" src="https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/Matthew-Polenzani-and-Etienne-Dupuis-in-22Don-Carlos22-Photo-by-Ken-Howard-Courtesy-Metropolitan-Opera-300x169.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-16051" srcset="https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/Matthew-Polenzani-and-Etienne-Dupuis-in-22Don-Carlos22-Photo-by-Ken-Howard-Courtesy-Metropolitan-Opera-300x169.jpg 300w, https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/Matthew-Polenzani-and-Etienne-Dupuis-in-22Don-Carlos22-Photo-by-Ken-Howard-Courtesy-Metropolitan-Opera-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/Matthew-Polenzani-and-Etienne-Dupuis-in-22Don-Carlos22-Photo-by-Ken-Howard-Courtesy-Metropolitan-Opera-768x432.jpg 768w, https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/Matthew-Polenzani-and-Etienne-Dupuis-in-22Don-Carlos22-Photo-by-Ken-Howard-Courtesy-Metropolitan-Opera-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/Matthew-Polenzani-and-Etienne-Dupuis-in-22Don-Carlos22-Photo-by-Ken-Howard-Courtesy-Metropolitan-Opera-696x392.jpg 696w, https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/Matthew-Polenzani-and-Etienne-Dupuis-in-22Don-Carlos22-Photo-by-Ken-Howard-Courtesy-Metropolitan-Opera-1068x601.jpg 1068w, https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/Matthew-Polenzani-and-Etienne-Dupuis-in-22Don-Carlos22-Photo-by-Ken-Howard-Courtesy-Metropolitan-Opera-747x420.jpg 747w, https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/Matthew-Polenzani-and-Etienne-Dupuis-in-22Don-Carlos22-Photo-by-Ken-Howard-Courtesy-Metropolitan-Opera.jpg 1920w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" /><figcaption>Matthew Polenzani and Etienne Dupuis in &#8220;Don Carlos&#8221; (Photo by Ken Howard/Courtesy Metropolitan Opera)</figcaption></figure></div>



<p>Verdi&#8217;s opera tells the story of Don Carlos of Spain (Matthew Polenzani) and Élisabeth de Valois (<a href="https://culturalattache.co/2021/03/25/soprano-sonya-yonchevas-10-year-rebirth/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Sonya Yoncheva</a>) who are betrothed to one another. They have never met. Don Carlos sneaks away to meet this unknown woman. They fall in love. However, their happiness is quickly ruined when Carlo’s father, Philippe II (Eric Owens), announces that he’s in love with her and she is to be his bride.</p>



<p>Even though she is now his stepmother, Don Carlos tries multiple times to woo Élisabeth away from his father. </p>



<p>With the Spanish Inquisition ongoing, the affairs of all three and the appearance of a mysterious monk lead to murder plots, revenge, unrequited love and thievery. </p>



<p>Verdi&#8217;s opera debuted in 1867 in Paris in French. Three months later it was performed in London in Italian. That version is the one most commonly performed.</p>



<p>This Saturday&#8217;s performance is the last opportunity for audiences to see Dupuis as Don Carlos&#8217; best friend, but it&#8217;s also the performance that is being made available around the world as part of <em><a href="https://www.metopera.org/season/in-cinemas/2021-22-season/don-carlos-live-in-hd/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Met Opera Live in HD</a></em> series.</p>



<p><em>Don Carlos</em> is Verdi&#8217;s longest opera, but Dupuis finds much to like in these lengthy works even though they might be a bit convoluted.</p>



<p>&#8220;I think that&#8217;s a little point, isn&#8217;t it? Let&#8217;s make this as long as complicated as we can,&#8221; he says rhetorically. &#8220;You have to understand it from going back in time when they were writing them. These people had nothing like we do to to change their minds and just turn on a machine in their living room. So when they finally got the time to dress up and go to the opera it was a six hour long business. Every opera needed to have a minimum of five acts and a ballet. The only problem when Verdi wrote it was that the opera was too long. The people would have to catch the last train. So you have to shorten it enough so that people had time to go and catch the last train. But he had written even longer than what we&#8217;re doing.&#8221;</p>



<p>Dupuis counts himself amongst those who are usually most comfortable when opera hues primarily to the way fans and audiences usually see them. But with <em>Don Carlos</em> he thinks there is a great argument for performing Verdi&#8217;s work in the original French language.</p>



<div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="alignleft size-medium"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="300" height="169" src="https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/Eric-Owens-and-Etienne-Dupuis-in-22Don-Carlos22-Photo-by-Ken-Howard-Courtesy-Metropolitan-Opera-300x169.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-16052" srcset="https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/Eric-Owens-and-Etienne-Dupuis-in-22Don-Carlos22-Photo-by-Ken-Howard-Courtesy-Metropolitan-Opera-300x169.jpg 300w, https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/Eric-Owens-and-Etienne-Dupuis-in-22Don-Carlos22-Photo-by-Ken-Howard-Courtesy-Metropolitan-Opera-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/Eric-Owens-and-Etienne-Dupuis-in-22Don-Carlos22-Photo-by-Ken-Howard-Courtesy-Metropolitan-Opera-768x432.jpg 768w, https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/Eric-Owens-and-Etienne-Dupuis-in-22Don-Carlos22-Photo-by-Ken-Howard-Courtesy-Metropolitan-Opera-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/Eric-Owens-and-Etienne-Dupuis-in-22Don-Carlos22-Photo-by-Ken-Howard-Courtesy-Metropolitan-Opera-696x392.jpg 696w, https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/Eric-Owens-and-Etienne-Dupuis-in-22Don-Carlos22-Photo-by-Ken-Howard-Courtesy-Metropolitan-Opera-1068x601.jpg 1068w, https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/Eric-Owens-and-Etienne-Dupuis-in-22Don-Carlos22-Photo-by-Ken-Howard-Courtesy-Metropolitan-Opera-747x420.jpg 747w, https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/Eric-Owens-and-Etienne-Dupuis-in-22Don-Carlos22-Photo-by-Ken-Howard-Courtesy-Metropolitan-Opera.jpg 1920w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" /><figcaption>Eric Owens and Etienne Dupuis in &#8220;Don Carlos&#8221; (Photo by Ken Howard/Courtesy Metropolitan Opera)</figcaption></figure></div>



<p>&#8220;We like things the way we know them,&#8221; he says. &#8220;It is assembled this way, conducted this way, stage like that. And so it&#8217;s really hard for anyone to come up with something new. What&#8217;s interesting is that in this case we&#8217;re not changing what Verdi wrote. We&#8217;re using what Verdi wrote. What the French triggers is perhaps the sense that you&#8217;re hearing it for the first time. It allows you to re-hear it for the first time to possibly re-experience that first-time experience of the initial moment you actually heard this. But I know it&#8217;s not easy for everybody to open up their mindset to that.&#8221;</p>



<p>To make his point he brings up an example of his first aria in the opera which he describes as being a bit on the boring side&#8230;until it is sung in French.</p>



<p>&#8220;My first aria can be very boring. It might still be, I don&#8217;t know, but it&#8217;s two verses of the same music. The entire goal of this aria is to convince the Queen to have a meeting with Don Carlos. That&#8217;s all I&#8217;m doing. But I never understood how every word is carefully chosen so that it would make sense for the Queen to accept this invitation. So it&#8217;s very interesting how I get to play with those words so much better in the French. Even though I do speak Italian, when I sing the Italian it&#8217;s an inversion of the lines. It&#8217;s so intricate to be fitting the music that I feel like I&#8217;m losing this sense that the whole time my character is talking on a second degree. That&#8217;s lost in the translation because they had to make every word fit the the musical line. Instead of fitting the music on the words it did the opposite and it didn&#8217;t allow them to have these layers of understanding.&#8221;</p>



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<iframe loading="lazy" title="Don Carlos: “Dieu, tu semas dans nos âmes”" width="696" height="392" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/NarBNcqT5tU?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>
</div></figure>



<p>One of the best known arias in <em>Don Carlo</em> is <em>Dieu, tu semas dans no ames</em>. To be performing an opera that features an aria about devotion to liberty at a time when the world is crisis adds additional meaning to <em>Don Carlo</em> for Dupuis.</p>



<p>&#8220;Every word that I say just made more sense. It already made sense in a generic context of war. But if you think of my character as this guy who is following the army. He goes to Flanders and he sees what the king and most importantly, the church, the Inquisition, he sees what they&#8217;re doing to those people because they&#8217;re not of the same religious belief. They&#8217;re Protestants and so the only response that they have is we kill everyone that doesn&#8217;t think like of us. And boom! Immediately we&#8217;re like, wait, is that what Putin was saying? This country right next to us they don&#8217;t think like me. Therefore, I must crush them like this. It seemed to me that that&#8217;s exactly what was happening.&#8221;</p>



<p>A different language and a new awareness are just two factors that allow Dupuis to try to achieve perfection in this production and in his art. Verdi said, &#8220;I have striven for perfection, it has always eluded me, but I surely had an obligation to make one more try.” Dupuis completely agrees with the composer.</p>



<div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="alignleft size-medium"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="300" height="169" src="https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/Matthew-Polenzani-Jamie-Barton-and-Etienne-Dupuis-in-22Don-Carlos22-Photo-by-Ken-Howard-Courtesy-Metropolitan-Opera-300x169.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-16053" srcset="https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/Matthew-Polenzani-Jamie-Barton-and-Etienne-Dupuis-in-22Don-Carlos22-Photo-by-Ken-Howard-Courtesy-Metropolitan-Opera-300x169.jpg 300w, https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/Matthew-Polenzani-Jamie-Barton-and-Etienne-Dupuis-in-22Don-Carlos22-Photo-by-Ken-Howard-Courtesy-Metropolitan-Opera-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/Matthew-Polenzani-Jamie-Barton-and-Etienne-Dupuis-in-22Don-Carlos22-Photo-by-Ken-Howard-Courtesy-Metropolitan-Opera-768x432.jpg 768w, https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/Matthew-Polenzani-Jamie-Barton-and-Etienne-Dupuis-in-22Don-Carlos22-Photo-by-Ken-Howard-Courtesy-Metropolitan-Opera-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/Matthew-Polenzani-Jamie-Barton-and-Etienne-Dupuis-in-22Don-Carlos22-Photo-by-Ken-Howard-Courtesy-Metropolitan-Opera-696x392.jpg 696w, https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/Matthew-Polenzani-Jamie-Barton-and-Etienne-Dupuis-in-22Don-Carlos22-Photo-by-Ken-Howard-Courtesy-Metropolitan-Opera-1068x601.jpg 1068w, https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/Matthew-Polenzani-Jamie-Barton-and-Etienne-Dupuis-in-22Don-Carlos22-Photo-by-Ken-Howard-Courtesy-Metropolitan-Opera-747x420.jpg 747w, https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/Matthew-Polenzani-Jamie-Barton-and-Etienne-Dupuis-in-22Don-Carlos22-Photo-by-Ken-Howard-Courtesy-Metropolitan-Opera.jpg 1920w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" /><figcaption>Matthew Polenzani, Jamie Barton and Etienne Dupuis in &#8220;Don Carlos&#8221; (Photo by Ken Howard/Courtesy Metropolitan Opera)</figcaption></figure></div>



<p>&#8220;I don&#8217;t think perfection is achievable, but I think it&#8217;s a great goal. I think the people that have obsessed a bit too much about it definitely either changed careers or drowned in their careers. I think one of the hardest things to do is to strive for perfection and then have the humility to recognize that you did your best.&#8221;</p>



<p>One of Dupuis&#8217; best attempts at that was in <a href="https://culturalattache.co/2015/03/04/jake-heggies-opera-dead-man-walking-comes-to-santa-monica/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Jake Heggie</a>&#8216;s opera <em>Dead Man Walking</em> in Montreal.</p>



<p>&#8220;It was by far the most successful show I&#8217;ve ever been in opera. Not one review, not one person had anything bad to say about it. But it wasn&#8217;t perfect and I know it wasn&#8217;t. What was great about it though is that there was emotion. People lived something. They experienced something. Did we go to the theater for a reason? Do we live something that made us interested in going back? I think that&#8217;s what we should strive for, but I don&#8217;t think perfection is attainable. And I think that&#8217;s OK.&#8221;</p>



<p><em>There is so much more to my conversation with Etienne Dupuis. To see the full interview, please go to our YouTube channel <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QlfIvxfJBwU" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">here</a>.</em></p>



<p>Main photo: Etienne Dupuis (Photo by Dario Acosta/Courtesy of the artist)</p>
<p>The post <a href="https://culturalattache.co/2022/03/23/baritone-etienne-dupuis-strives-for-perfection/">Baritone Etienne Dupuis Strives for Perfection&#8230;</a> appeared first on <a href="https://culturalattache.co">Cultural Attaché</a>.</p>
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		<title>Sara Jakubiak Conjures Her Second Tatyana in &#8220;Eugene Onegin&#8221;</title>
		<link>https://culturalattache.co/2021/08/06/sara-jakubiak-conjures-her-second-tatyana-in-eugene-onegin/</link>
					<comments>https://culturalattache.co/2021/08/06/sara-jakubiak-conjures-her-second-tatyana-in-eugene-onegin/#respond</comments>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Craig Byrd]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Fri, 06 Aug 2021 19:00:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[Featured]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Opera: Bravo]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[What's Hot]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Alessandro Talevi]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Étienne Dupuis]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Eugene Onegin]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Los Angeles Opera]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Lucas Meachem]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Nicole Car]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Oper Frankfurt]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[opera]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Richard Wagner]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Santa Fe Opera]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Sara Jakubiak]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Tannhaüser]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://culturalattache.co/?p=15013</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[<p>"I do believe that there is still beauty and there is beauty we don't even know about yet from this pandemic...it's only just creeping out of the ground right now."</p>
<p>The post <a href="https://culturalattache.co/2021/08/06/sara-jakubiak-conjures-her-second-tatyana-in-eugene-onegin/">Sara Jakubiak Conjures Her Second Tatyana in &#8220;Eugene Onegin&#8221;</a> appeared first on <a href="https://culturalattache.co">Cultural Attaché</a>.</p>
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<p>You can call it a homecoming for soprano Sara Jakubiak who is singing the role of Tatyana in Santa Fe Opera&#8217;s <em><a href="https://www.santafeopera.org/whats-on/eugene-onegin/#artists" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Eugene Onegin</a></em>. She was a young artist there in 2007 and the last-minute opportunity to return to be in Tchaikovsky&#8217;s opera was too good to be true and one that she actually put out into the universe that she wanted.</p>



<p>&#8220;I was having dinner with a friend of mine who is on the staff in Vienna the night before I got the call for this,&#8221; Jakubiak told me via Zoom last week. &#8220;He said, &#8216;Sara, what do you really want to sing if you could sing any role?&#8217; And I said I want to sing Tatyana. I literally got the call the next day.&#8221;</p>



<p>Nicole Car was originally announced to sing the part opposite her husband, Etienne Dupuis. Travel restrictions related to the pandemic made that impossible. Jakubiak and baritone <a href="https://culturalattache.co/2021/08/06/lucas-meachem-speaking-honestly-about-eugene-onegin/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Lucas Meachem</a> were tapped to assume the roles. </p>



<p>Jakubiak first sang the role of Tatyana at Oper Frankfurt. Her other roles have included Eva in <em>Der Meistersinger von Nürnberg</em>, Elsa in <em>Lohengrin</em> and Prima Donna in&nbsp;<em>Ariadne auf Naxos</em>. But it is with Tatyana at Frankfurt that we begin our conversation. What follows are excerpts from that interview that have been edited for length and clarity.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1024" height="576" src="https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/Sara-Jakubiak-in-22Eugene-Onegin22-Photo-by-Curtis-Brown-Courtesy-Santa-Fe-Opera-1024x576.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-15015" srcset="https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/Sara-Jakubiak-in-22Eugene-Onegin22-Photo-by-Curtis-Brown-Courtesy-Santa-Fe-Opera-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/Sara-Jakubiak-in-22Eugene-Onegin22-Photo-by-Curtis-Brown-Courtesy-Santa-Fe-Opera-300x169.jpg 300w, https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/Sara-Jakubiak-in-22Eugene-Onegin22-Photo-by-Curtis-Brown-Courtesy-Santa-Fe-Opera-768x432.jpg 768w, https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/Sara-Jakubiak-in-22Eugene-Onegin22-Photo-by-Curtis-Brown-Courtesy-Santa-Fe-Opera-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/Sara-Jakubiak-in-22Eugene-Onegin22-Photo-by-Curtis-Brown-Courtesy-Santa-Fe-Opera-696x392.jpg 696w, https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/Sara-Jakubiak-in-22Eugene-Onegin22-Photo-by-Curtis-Brown-Courtesy-Santa-Fe-Opera-1068x601.jpg 1068w, https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/Sara-Jakubiak-in-22Eugene-Onegin22-Photo-by-Curtis-Brown-Courtesy-Santa-Fe-Opera-747x420.jpg 747w, https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/Sara-Jakubiak-in-22Eugene-Onegin22-Photo-by-Curtis-Brown-Courtesy-Santa-Fe-Opera.jpg 1920w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /><figcaption>Sara Jakubiak in &#8220;Eugene Onegin&#8221; (Photo by Curtis Brown/Courtesy Santa Fe Opera)</figcaption></figure>



<p>How has your relationship to Tatyana evolved since you first sang it with Oper Frankfurt?</p>



<p><strong>I would say vocally I&#8217;ve evolved more in the last five years than anything. So there were new avenues to explore with her as far as expression goes in colors. The music team here and Alessandro </strong>[Taveli, the director] <strong>were really wonderful with me, with expressing this role in a language I don&#8217;t speak. You have to work very hard at your translation. It was very helpful to be in a place like Santa Fe because I think the piece, as Russian as it is, has all of these colors that you see around you here in the landscape and the set design.</strong></p>



<p>For an opera called <em>Eugene Onegin</em>, Tatyana has a very prominent role. Why do you think Tchaikovsky made her such an integral part of this story? If he had been able to be more open about his homosexuality do you think this opera might have been very different? </p>



<p><strong>Well she is out there all the time working! </strong>(She lets out a glorious laugh.) <strong>I know he fiddled with the idea of why did I call this Onegin when maybe I should have called it Tatyana.</strong> <strong>Thank God that Tchaikovsky was a composer and could express himself at least in this way. Thank God he had this outlet to write these characters the way he did to music that he wrote.  Some of the things she says in the letter scene go to a deep part of the soul that you rarely access. I think that was sort of his sexuality. It&#8217;s certainly a window into what he was feeling inside.</strong></p>



<p>You told <a href="https://operawire.com/q-covid-19/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Opera Wire</a> that &#8220;an effective vaccine should get us back to the old normal, but with the new awareness about life.&#8221; What are the most striking aspects of your new awareness about life both on and off the stage?</p>



<p><strong>My grandmother passed away at the age of 100 and she was born in 1919. She was really bookended by pandemics. The last conversation I had with her was on her birthday and I hadn&#8217;t seen her for six years. I made it to her party and saw her the next morning when I was going away. She said, &#8220;Where are you going to next?&#8221; I told her I was going to Norway. She just said, &#8220;You really have a great life.&#8221;</strong></p>



<p><strong>She didn&#8217;t really deal with pandemics, but several wars and she saw the massive changes of the 20th century with technology and everything. I keep playing this in my mind during these last sixteen months. I do believe that there is still beauty and there is beauty we don&#8217;t even know about yet from this pandemic. And it will continue to unfold. We&#8217;re going to see more beauty and it&#8217;s only just creeping out of the ground right now.</strong></p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1024" height="576" src="https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/Sara-Jakubiak-in-22Eugene-Onegin22-Photo-by-Curtis-Brown-Courtesy-Santa-Fe-Opera-1-1024x576.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-15016" srcset="https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/Sara-Jakubiak-in-22Eugene-Onegin22-Photo-by-Curtis-Brown-Courtesy-Santa-Fe-Opera-1-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/Sara-Jakubiak-in-22Eugene-Onegin22-Photo-by-Curtis-Brown-Courtesy-Santa-Fe-Opera-1-300x169.jpg 300w, https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/Sara-Jakubiak-in-22Eugene-Onegin22-Photo-by-Curtis-Brown-Courtesy-Santa-Fe-Opera-1-768x432.jpg 768w, https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/Sara-Jakubiak-in-22Eugene-Onegin22-Photo-by-Curtis-Brown-Courtesy-Santa-Fe-Opera-1-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/Sara-Jakubiak-in-22Eugene-Onegin22-Photo-by-Curtis-Brown-Courtesy-Santa-Fe-Opera-1-696x392.jpg 696w, https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/Sara-Jakubiak-in-22Eugene-Onegin22-Photo-by-Curtis-Brown-Courtesy-Santa-Fe-Opera-1-1068x601.jpg 1068w, https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/Sara-Jakubiak-in-22Eugene-Onegin22-Photo-by-Curtis-Brown-Courtesy-Santa-Fe-Opera-1-747x420.jpg 747w, https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/Sara-Jakubiak-in-22Eugene-Onegin22-Photo-by-Curtis-Brown-Courtesy-Santa-Fe-Opera-1.jpg 1920w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /><figcaption>Sara Jakubiak in &#8220;Eugene Onegin&#8221; (Photo by Curtis Brown/Courtesy Santa Fe Opera)</figcaption></figure>



<p>Lucas Meachem told me one of his biggest challenges is to stay honest at all times during a performance. </p>



<p><strong>Me, too. This role does have its corners that are a little tricky. It&#8217;s a bit of a lower role and sometimes you have to work hard to support that. Sometimes when you are doing really difficult roles you do have to micromanage things. I have to say sometimes just in the moment is not always the smart way to go. You could blow your voice out sometimes if you are really in the moment.</strong></p>



<p>You and Lucas will also be performing <em>Tannhäuser</em> this fall at <a href="https://www.laopera.org/performances/2122-season-page/tannhauser-3/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Los Angeles Opera</a>. How would you describe your chemistry and are you looking forward to moving on to another production with him?</p>



<p><strong>I was actually a little nervous coming in because we&#8217;ve been in different types of productions and he&#8217;s got a huge career. So I hope I can survive at the table with him. But you really have to push that stuff aside and just be in the moment. That&#8217;s what I like about Lucas. He&#8217;s a very in the moment person and I believe him on stage. It&#8217;s a wonderful feeling.</strong></p>



<p>Tchaikovsky said &#8220;Truly there would be reason to go made were it not for music.&#8221; Can you imagine your life without it?</p>



<p><strong>No I couldn&#8217;t. I grew up with rock music. I saw my first opera when I was like 20. It was rural around me. But I used to go on my swing set every day as a kid and sing. I don&#8217;t know why. You don&#8217;t always have to know the reason why it is inside of you. You figure it out later. Maybe this is why I ended up doing this and it&#8217;s something I need. You don&#8217;t do it because it&#8217;s an easy thing. But it&#8217;s something I have to do.</strong></p>



<p>For tickets to <em>Eugene Onegin</em>, please go <a href="https://www.santafeopera.org/whats-on/eugene-onegin/#artists" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">here</a>. There are performances on August 6th, 12th, 20th and 26th.</p>



<p>This is the last in a series of interviews with artists appearing this season at Santa Fe Opera.</p>



<p>Main photo: Lucas Meachem and Sara Jakubiak in <em>Eugene Onegin</em>. (Photo by Curtis Brown/Courtesy Santa Fe Opera) </p>
<p>The post <a href="https://culturalattache.co/2021/08/06/sara-jakubiak-conjures-her-second-tatyana-in-eugene-onegin/">Sara Jakubiak Conjures Her Second Tatyana in &#8220;Eugene Onegin&#8221;</a> appeared first on <a href="https://culturalattache.co">Cultural Attaché</a>.</p>
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		<title>Lucas Meachem Speaking Honestly About Eugene Onegin</title>
		<link>https://culturalattache.co/2021/08/06/lucas-meachem-speaking-honestly-about-eugene-onegin/</link>
					<comments>https://culturalattache.co/2021/08/06/lucas-meachem-speaking-honestly-about-eugene-onegin/#respond</comments>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Craig Byrd]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Fri, 06 Aug 2021 07:01:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[Featured]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Opera: Bravo]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[What's Hot]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Alessandro Talevi]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Étienne Dupuis]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Eugene Onegin]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Los Angeles Opera]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Lucas Meachem]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Nicole Car]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Richard Wagner]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[San Francisco Opera]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Santa Fe Opera]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Sara Jakubiak]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Tannhäuser]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[The Barber of Seville]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://culturalattache.co/?p=15004</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[<p>"I think people can see in art a reflection of themselves and of the moment that we live in. I think people will see in Onegin the difficulties we've been through in the last sixteen months."</p>
<p>The post <a href="https://culturalattache.co/2021/08/06/lucas-meachem-speaking-honestly-about-eugene-onegin/">Lucas Meachem Speaking Honestly About Eugene Onegin</a> appeared first on <a href="https://culturalattache.co">Cultural Attaché</a>.</p>
]]></description>
										<content:encoded><![CDATA[
<p>It&#8217;s a tale as old as time. The star gets sick and the understudy, with little or no notice, has to go on. That&#8217;s what happened when baritone Lucas Meachem first performed the title role in Tchaikovsky&#8217;s <em>Eugene Onegin</em>. </p>



<p>&#8220;I was a young artist at San Francisco Opera at the time. They gave me the cover assignment six months in advance. I was assigned the role of Onegin. I knew it was one of the signature baritone roles in the repertoire,&#8221; Meachem recalls. &#8220;I was eating spaghetti and meatballs at a little Italian place about a block-and-a-half from the opera. They called me around 6:30 for a 7:30 curtain. They said, &#8216;What do you need?&#8217; I need to fire the gun. I need to dance with Olga and I need John Churchwell, now head of music at San Francisco Opera, in my dressing room all night long.&#8221;</p>



<p>The rest, as they say, is history. Last week week I spoke with Meachem via Zoom to discuss another last-minute opportunity to sing what is now one of his <a href="https://www.santafeopera.org/whats-on/eugene-onegin/#artists" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">signature roles at Santa Fe Opera</a>. The previously announced Etienne Dupuis was unable to perform due to international travel restrictions (as was his wife, Nicole Car, who was set to sing Tatyana, creating an opportunity for soprano Sara Jakubiak.)</p>



<p>What follows are excerpts from our conversation that have been edited for length and clarity.</p>



<p>You&#8217;ve sung <em>Onegin</em> in other productions. When you embark on a new production, as you are here with director Alessandro Talevi, at what point do you know if the production is going to be a successful one?</p>



<p><strong>I&#8217;ve done traditional and non-traditional productions. I&#8217;ve only done one non-traditional production. For ten days to two weeks it was like banging my head against the wall. Ultimately I came to love it. It came to be, up until this one, my favorite production of <em>Onegin. </em>I had to buy in. If a director can have an artist buy into their vision, that&#8217;s the most important thing. I have to believe it. Because if I believe it I can make the audience believe it. I believe this production. I totally buy it.</strong></p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1024" height="576" src="https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/Lucas-Meachem-in-22Eugene-Onegin22-Photo-by-Curtis-Brown-Courtesy-Santa-Fe-Opera-1024x576.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-15008" srcset="https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/Lucas-Meachem-in-22Eugene-Onegin22-Photo-by-Curtis-Brown-Courtesy-Santa-Fe-Opera-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/Lucas-Meachem-in-22Eugene-Onegin22-Photo-by-Curtis-Brown-Courtesy-Santa-Fe-Opera-300x169.jpg 300w, https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/Lucas-Meachem-in-22Eugene-Onegin22-Photo-by-Curtis-Brown-Courtesy-Santa-Fe-Opera-768x432.jpg 768w, https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/Lucas-Meachem-in-22Eugene-Onegin22-Photo-by-Curtis-Brown-Courtesy-Santa-Fe-Opera-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/Lucas-Meachem-in-22Eugene-Onegin22-Photo-by-Curtis-Brown-Courtesy-Santa-Fe-Opera-696x392.jpg 696w, https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/Lucas-Meachem-in-22Eugene-Onegin22-Photo-by-Curtis-Brown-Courtesy-Santa-Fe-Opera-1068x601.jpg 1068w, https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/Lucas-Meachem-in-22Eugene-Onegin22-Photo-by-Curtis-Brown-Courtesy-Santa-Fe-Opera-747x420.jpg 747w, https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/Lucas-Meachem-in-22Eugene-Onegin22-Photo-by-Curtis-Brown-Courtesy-Santa-Fe-Opera.jpg 1920w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /><figcaption>Lucas Meachem in &#8220;Eugene Onegin&#8221; (Photo by Curtis Brown/Courtesy Santa Fe Opera)</figcaption></figure>



<p>Since you first took on this role in the early 2000s, how has your relationship with it evolved?</p>



<p><strong>The biggest thing that has evolved is my voice; my ability to handle the nuances of the role. What I mean is the arc of the character from beginning to end. That is something I didn&#8217;t grasp as a younger Onegin. Now that I&#8217;m older I&#8217;m able to see that this character needs to start feeling like he knows everything there is to know in the world, who has experienced everything and doesn&#8217;t expect that life is going to throw him any curveballs.</strong></p>



<p>On your website you call this your second favorite role to sing. What will need to happen for it to bump <em>The Barber of Seville</em> from the number one spot?</p>



<p><strong>I have so much respect for Figaro in <em>The Barber of Seville</em> because that character and that man have shown me the world as a young singer. I have now gotten to see so many places singing that signature role of mine. For <em>Onegin</em> to take over, I think it would have to show my son the world. Don&#8217;t get me wrong, it teeter-totters close to first very easily. It&#8217;s a beautiful role.</strong></p>



<p>Santa Fe Opera&#8217;s marketing materials say that this production centers on the opera&#8217;s &#8220;nostalgic theme of what was, what was not and what could have been.&#8221; How do you think Tchaikovsky&#8217;s career and perhaps his take on this opera might have been different had he been able to be open about his homosexuality?</p>



<p><strong>I think the relationship between Lensky and Onegin would be a lot more at the forefront of this piece and there might be more of a flirtatious loving vibe between them. There&#8217;s not much of that. I have to create that between him and me. I feel like he takes advantage of Lensky the whole time and the love he has for him only comes across in asides after we&#8217;ve gone too far to come back.</strong></p>



<p>That description I mentioned also sounds like a way of looking at life in the time of COVID.</p>



<p><strong>I think people can see in art a reflection of themselves and of the moment that we live in. Rather than art being just a plain snapshot of the moment, it is also a snapshot of the past and the future and would could have been. I think people will see in <em>Onegin </em>the difficulties we&#8217;ve been through in the last sixteen months.</strong></p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1024" height="576" src="https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/Lucas-Meachem-in-22Eugene-Onegin22-Photo-by-Curtis-Brown-Courtesy-Santa-Fe-Opera-1-1024x576.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-15009" srcset="https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/Lucas-Meachem-in-22Eugene-Onegin22-Photo-by-Curtis-Brown-Courtesy-Santa-Fe-Opera-1-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/Lucas-Meachem-in-22Eugene-Onegin22-Photo-by-Curtis-Brown-Courtesy-Santa-Fe-Opera-1-300x169.jpg 300w, https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/Lucas-Meachem-in-22Eugene-Onegin22-Photo-by-Curtis-Brown-Courtesy-Santa-Fe-Opera-1-768x432.jpg 768w, https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/Lucas-Meachem-in-22Eugene-Onegin22-Photo-by-Curtis-Brown-Courtesy-Santa-Fe-Opera-1-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/Lucas-Meachem-in-22Eugene-Onegin22-Photo-by-Curtis-Brown-Courtesy-Santa-Fe-Opera-1-696x392.jpg 696w, https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/Lucas-Meachem-in-22Eugene-Onegin22-Photo-by-Curtis-Brown-Courtesy-Santa-Fe-Opera-1-1068x601.jpg 1068w, https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/Lucas-Meachem-in-22Eugene-Onegin22-Photo-by-Curtis-Brown-Courtesy-Santa-Fe-Opera-1-747x420.jpg 747w, https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/Lucas-Meachem-in-22Eugene-Onegin22-Photo-by-Curtis-Brown-Courtesy-Santa-Fe-Opera-1.jpg 1920w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /><figcaption>Lucas Meachem in &#8220;Eugene Onegin&#8221; (Photo by Curtis Brown/Courtesy Santa Fe Opera)</figcaption></figure>



<p>You and Sara Jakubiak are not just appearing in <em>Eugene Onegin</em> at Santa Fe Opera, but will also be in a production of Wagner&#8217;s <em>Tannhäuser</em> at <a href="https://www.laopera.org/performances/2122-season-page/tannhauser-3/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Los Angeles Opera</a> in the fall. How would you describe the chemistry the two of you share when performing?</p>



<p><strong>I think Alessandro said it best on the first day that Sara rehearsed. We were rehearsing a scene where she doesn&#8217;t sing. It was right after her big aria and she&#8217;s just acting and her face &#8211; even with a mask &#8211; she&#8217;s acting and Alessandro said to her, &#8220;You could be a silent film actress.&#8221; Her voice is beautiful and amazing, but she is an amazing actress. Everything is in her eyes. We have a lot of chemistry on stage and I think the audience really felt that on our opening night.</strong></p>



<p>Tchaikovsky said &#8220;Music possesses much richer means of expression and it is  more subtle medium for translating the 1000 shifting moments of the feelings of the soul.&#8221; Do you agree with that description?</p>



<p><strong>I absolutely agree. I think when we talk about music we need to really speak about opera because it&#8217;s not the grandest of all art forms for no reason. You combine singing with the orchestra, with lighting, with sets and wigs and makeup, with all the many ingredients that it takes to make grand opera. It seems like an impossible endeavor just to start out with. All of a sudden you&#8217;re able to do it. That&#8217;s what keeps audience coming back to this centuries old art form. It speaks right to the heart.</strong></p>



<p><strong>The most important thing in art is that you are honest with your audience. This is probably the most difficult thing as an artist to achieve. Even in my career I still have moments where I say &#8220;don&#8217;t forget to be honest.&#8221; Those are the 1000 emotions that he&#8217;s speaking of &#8211; the honesty that speaks right to the heart of someone who is listening. The music that hits you in the heart is the music that is honest to you.</strong> <strong>That&#8217;s where people get their thousands of emotions from. It&#8217;s not just from music, but art itself. That&#8217;s what makes art so vital to a culture.</strong></p>



<p>For tickets to <em>Eugene Onegin</em> please go <a href="https://www.santafeopera.org/whats-on/eugene-onegin/#artists" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">here</a>. There are performances on August 6th, 12th, 20th and 26th at Santa Fe Opera.</p>



<p>This is the fifth in a series of interviews with artists performing this season at Santa Fe Opera. The sixth interview will be with <a href="https://culturalattache.co/2021/08/06/sara-jakubiak-conjures-her-second-tatyana-in-eugene-onegin/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Sara Jakubiak</a> on her role as Tatyana in <em>Eugene Onegin</em>. </p>



<p>Photo: Lucas Meachem and Sara Jakubiak in <em>Eugene Onegin</em>. (Photo by Curtis Brown/Courtesy Santa Fe Opera)</p>
<p>The post <a href="https://culturalattache.co/2021/08/06/lucas-meachem-speaking-honestly-about-eugene-onegin/">Lucas Meachem Speaking Honestly About Eugene Onegin</a> appeared first on <a href="https://culturalattache.co">Cultural Attaché</a>.</p>
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		<title>Vienna State Opera: April 27th &#8211; April 30th</title>
		<link>https://culturalattache.co/2021/04/26/vienna-state-opera-april-27th-april-30th/</link>
					<comments>https://culturalattache.co/2021/04/26/vienna-state-opera-april-27th-april-30th/#respond</comments>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Craig Byrd]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Tue, 27 Apr 2021 00:00:06 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[Featured]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Opera: Bravo]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Streaming]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Adam Fischer]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Adam Palka]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Albert Dohmen]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Anja Kempe]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Bertrand de Billy]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Charles Gounod]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[David McVicar]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Die Zauberflöte]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Étienne Dupuis]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Evgeny Nikitin]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Faust]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Frank Castorf]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Hill Fahima]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Iréne Theorin]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Jörg Schneider]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Juan Diego Flórez]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Klaus Florian Vogt]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Ludwig van Beethoven]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Moshe Leiser]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Nicole Car]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Olga Bezsmertna]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Otto Schenk]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Patrice Caurier]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Peter Schneider]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Peter Seiffert]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Petra Lang]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[René Pape]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Richard Wagner]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Stephen Milling]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Thomas Tatzl]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Tomas Konieczny]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Tristan und Isolde]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Valentina Nafornita]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Vienna State Opera]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Wiener Staatsoper]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://culturalattache.co/?p=14181</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[<p>Vienna State Opera Website<br />
<br />
April 27th - April 30th</p>
<p>The post <a href="https://culturalattache.co/2021/04/26/vienna-state-opera-april-27th-april-30th/">Vienna State Opera: April 27th &#8211; April 30th</a> appeared first on <a href="https://culturalattache.co">Cultural Attaché</a>.</p>
]]></description>
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<p>If you read my Best Bets for this just concluded weekend, you know that I&#8217;ve started added streaming productions from Wiener Staatsoper in Austria. As long as they continue to stream productions, I will now include a weekly listing of their productions. So let&#8217;s begin with Vienna State Opera: April 27th &#8211; April 30th.</p>



<p>There are four productions being made available this week and one of them will be performed live. All productions will be available for 24 hours for free. The archive films being shown become available at 1:00 PM EDT/10:00 AM PDT. The live performance on Thursday will take place at 12:00 PM EDT/9:00 AM PDT.</p>



<p>Each opera has a unique link taking you to its event page.</p>



<p>Here is the line-up for Vienna State Opera: April 27th &#8211; April 30th:</p>



<div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="alignleft size-medium"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="300" height="169" src="https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/Valentina-Nafornita-Stephen-Milling-and-Anja-Kempe-in-22Fidelio22-Courtesy-Wiener-Staatsoper-300x169.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-14185" srcset="https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/Valentina-Nafornita-Stephen-Milling-and-Anja-Kempe-in-22Fidelio22-Courtesy-Wiener-Staatsoper-300x169.jpg 300w, https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/Valentina-Nafornita-Stephen-Milling-and-Anja-Kempe-in-22Fidelio22-Courtesy-Wiener-Staatsoper-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/Valentina-Nafornita-Stephen-Milling-and-Anja-Kempe-in-22Fidelio22-Courtesy-Wiener-Staatsoper-768x432.jpg 768w, https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/Valentina-Nafornita-Stephen-Milling-and-Anja-Kempe-in-22Fidelio22-Courtesy-Wiener-Staatsoper-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/Valentina-Nafornita-Stephen-Milling-and-Anja-Kempe-in-22Fidelio22-Courtesy-Wiener-Staatsoper-696x392.jpg 696w, https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/Valentina-Nafornita-Stephen-Milling-and-Anja-Kempe-in-22Fidelio22-Courtesy-Wiener-Staatsoper-1068x601.jpg 1068w, https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/Valentina-Nafornita-Stephen-Milling-and-Anja-Kempe-in-22Fidelio22-Courtesy-Wiener-Staatsoper-747x420.jpg 747w, https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/Valentina-Nafornita-Stephen-Milling-and-Anja-Kempe-in-22Fidelio22-Courtesy-Wiener-Staatsoper.jpg 1920w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" /><figcaption>Valentina Nafornita, Stephen Milling and Anja Kempe in &#8220;Fidelio&#8221; (Courtesy Wiener Staatsoper)</figcaption></figure></div>



<p>Tuesday, April 27th: <a href="https://play.wiener-staatsoper.at/event/644728bd-3757-483e-8a73-c6a8cdcbc64f" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Beethoven&#8217;s <em><strong>Fidelio</strong></em></a></p>



<p>Conducted by Peter Schneider; starring Klaus Florian Vogt, Anja Kempe, Evgeny Nikitin, Stephen Milling and Valentina Nafornita. This Otto Schenk production is from the 2015-2016 season.</p>



<p>The only opera ever composed by Ludwig van Beethoven had its premiere in 1814 in Vienna. This was the third version of the opera. </p>



<p>Beethoven went through several librettists and made multiple changes until the opera we all know was finally presented to the world.</p>



<p>Leonore gets a job in a prison disguised as a man who goes by the name Fidelio. She’s there because her husband, Florestan, has been imprisoned by a political rival, Don Pizarro. Even with a burgeoning relationship with Rocco who runs the jail, Leonore might not have time enough to rescue her husband as Pizarro is set on executing Florestan just as an investigation into prison cruelty is launched.</p>



<div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="alignleft size-medium"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="300" height="169" src="https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/Albert-Dohmen-and-Bermudez-in-22Tristan-und-Isolde22-Courtesy-Wiener-Staatsoper-300x169.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-14186" srcset="https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/Albert-Dohmen-and-Bermudez-in-22Tristan-und-Isolde22-Courtesy-Wiener-Staatsoper-300x169.jpg 300w, https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/Albert-Dohmen-and-Bermudez-in-22Tristan-und-Isolde22-Courtesy-Wiener-Staatsoper-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/Albert-Dohmen-and-Bermudez-in-22Tristan-und-Isolde22-Courtesy-Wiener-Staatsoper-768x432.jpg 768w, https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/Albert-Dohmen-and-Bermudez-in-22Tristan-und-Isolde22-Courtesy-Wiener-Staatsoper-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/Albert-Dohmen-and-Bermudez-in-22Tristan-und-Isolde22-Courtesy-Wiener-Staatsoper-696x392.jpg 696w, https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/Albert-Dohmen-and-Bermudez-in-22Tristan-und-Isolde22-Courtesy-Wiener-Staatsoper-1068x601.jpg 1068w, https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/Albert-Dohmen-and-Bermudez-in-22Tristan-und-Isolde22-Courtesy-Wiener-Staatsoper-747x420.jpg 747w, https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/Albert-Dohmen-and-Bermudez-in-22Tristan-und-Isolde22-Courtesy-Wiener-Staatsoper.jpg 1920w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" /><figcaption>Albert Dohmen and Gabriel Bermúdez in &#8220;Tristan und Isolde&#8221; (Courtesy Wiener Staatsoper)</figcaption></figure></div>



<p>Wednesday, April 28th &#8211; <a href="https://play.wiener-staatsoper.at/event/4f0fe351-7e91-43a7-a3ae-f4c3325af967" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Wagner&#8217;s <em><strong>Tristan und Isolde</strong></em></a></p>



<p>Conducted by Peter Schneider; starring Peter Seiffert, Iréne Theorin, Albert Dohmen, Tomas Konieczny and Petra Lang. This David McVicar production is from the 2014-2015 season.</p>



<p>Richard Wagner wrote the music and the libretto for&nbsp;<em>Tristan and Isolde</em>. Gottfried von Strassburg’s novel,<em>&nbsp;Tristan</em>, from the 12th century, serves as his inspiration. The opera had its world premiere in Munich in 1865.</p>



<p>It is a bit of oversimplifying to say that the story in&nbsp;<em>Tristan und Isolde</em>&nbsp;is about two lovers whose passion for each other is so strong, it can only truly thrive in the afterlife. But frankly, in a nutshell, that’s the essential premise. But don’t be mistaken, this is pure drama and glorious music.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-embed-youtube wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
<iframe loading="lazy" title="Theorin - Tristan und Isolde" width="696" height="392" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/W9MUpbZXUHk?feature=oembed&#038;enablejsapi=1" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>
</div></figure>



<div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="alignleft size-medium"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="300" height="169" src="https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/Juan-Diego-Florez-Photo-©Gregor-Hohenberg-Courtesy-Sony-Classical-300x169.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-14187" srcset="https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/Juan-Diego-Florez-Photo-©Gregor-Hohenberg-Courtesy-Sony-Classical-300x169.jpg 300w, https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/Juan-Diego-Florez-Photo-©Gregor-Hohenberg-Courtesy-Sony-Classical-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/Juan-Diego-Florez-Photo-©Gregor-Hohenberg-Courtesy-Sony-Classical-768x432.jpg 768w, https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/Juan-Diego-Florez-Photo-©Gregor-Hohenberg-Courtesy-Sony-Classical-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/Juan-Diego-Florez-Photo-©Gregor-Hohenberg-Courtesy-Sony-Classical-696x392.jpg 696w, https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/Juan-Diego-Florez-Photo-©Gregor-Hohenberg-Courtesy-Sony-Classical-1068x601.jpg 1068w, https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/Juan-Diego-Florez-Photo-©Gregor-Hohenberg-Courtesy-Sony-Classical-747x420.jpg 747w, https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/Juan-Diego-Florez-Photo-©Gregor-Hohenberg-Courtesy-Sony-Classical.jpg 1920w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" /><figcaption>Juan Diego Flórez (©Gregor Hohenberg/Courtesy Sony Classical)</figcaption></figure></div>



<p>Thursday, April 29th &#8211; <a href="https://play.wiener-staatsoper.at/event/f7ddf19d-d7d6-40df-8a35-78c041270d0e" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Gounod&#8217;s <em><strong>Faust</strong></em><strong> &#8211; LIVE PERFORMANCE</strong></a> (starts one hour earlier)</p>



<p>Conducted by Bertrand de Billy; starring Juan Diego Flórez, Nicole Car, Adam Palka and Étienne Dupuis. This is a Frank Castorf production.</p>



<p>Charles Gounod’s&nbsp;<em>Faust</em>&nbsp;had its world premiere in Paris in 1859. The libretto was written by Jules Barbier&nbsp;and&nbsp;Michel Carré&nbsp;who used both Carré’s play&nbsp;<em>Faust et Marguerite</em>&nbsp;and Johann Wolfgang von Goethe’s&nbsp;<em>Faust, Part One</em>&nbsp;as inspiration.</p>



<p>This oft-told story is about a man who sacrifices his soul to the devil, Méphistophélès, in order to maintain his youth and the love of Marguerite.&nbsp;</p>



<p>But you know what happens when you make a deal with the devil…it’s not going to end well.</p>



<div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="alignleft size-medium"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="300" height="169" src="https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/Wiener-Staatsopers-2017-production-of-22Die-Zauberflote22-Courtesy-Wiener-Staatsoper-300x169.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-14188" srcset="https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/Wiener-Staatsopers-2017-production-of-22Die-Zauberflote22-Courtesy-Wiener-Staatsoper-300x169.jpg 300w, https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/Wiener-Staatsopers-2017-production-of-22Die-Zauberflote22-Courtesy-Wiener-Staatsoper-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/Wiener-Staatsopers-2017-production-of-22Die-Zauberflote22-Courtesy-Wiener-Staatsoper-768x432.jpg 768w, https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/Wiener-Staatsopers-2017-production-of-22Die-Zauberflote22-Courtesy-Wiener-Staatsoper-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/Wiener-Staatsopers-2017-production-of-22Die-Zauberflote22-Courtesy-Wiener-Staatsoper-696x392.jpg 696w, https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/Wiener-Staatsopers-2017-production-of-22Die-Zauberflote22-Courtesy-Wiener-Staatsoper-1068x601.jpg 1068w, https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/Wiener-Staatsopers-2017-production-of-22Die-Zauberflote22-Courtesy-Wiener-Staatsoper-747x420.jpg 747w, https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/Wiener-Staatsopers-2017-production-of-22Die-Zauberflote22-Courtesy-Wiener-Staatsoper.jpg 1920w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" /><figcaption>Wiener Staatsoper&#8217;s 2017-2018 production of &#8220;Die Zauberflöte (Photo courtesy of Wiener Staatsoper)</figcaption></figure></div>



<p>Friday, April 30th &#8211; <a href="https://play.wiener-staatsoper.at/event/3ef116b4-f7c0-48b4-a031-c1931af55a45" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Mozart&#8217;s <em><strong>DIE ZAUBERFLÖTE</strong></em></a></p>



<p>Conducted by Adam Fischer; starring Jörg Schneider, Olga Bezsmertna, Hill Fahima, Thomas Tatzl and René Pape. This Moshe Lesier and Patrice Caurier production is from the 2017-2018 season.</p>



<p>Mozart’s opera premiered in September 1791 in Vienna a mere two months before the composer died. It features a libretto by Emanuel Schikaneder.</p>



<p>Prince Tamino is asked by the Queen of the Night to free her daughter Pamina from Sarastro. Tamino, however, is impressed with Sarastro and the way his community lives in the world and wants to be a part of it. Both alone and together Tamino and Pamina endure multiple tests. If they succeed, what will happen to them? To the Queen of the Night?</p>



<p>I hope you enjoy Vienna State Opera: April 27th &#8211; April 30th</p>



<p>Photo: Peter Seiffert and Iréne Theorin in <em>Tristan und Isolde</em> (Photo Courtesy Wiener Staatsoper)</p>
<p>The post <a href="https://culturalattache.co/2021/04/26/vienna-state-opera-april-27th-april-30th/">Vienna State Opera: April 27th &#8211; April 30th</a> appeared first on <a href="https://culturalattache.co">Cultural Attaché</a>.</p>
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