Before the premiere
Novices for Bellini’s divine bel canto hit
Interview: The two world-class singers Asmik Grigorian and Aigul Akhmetshina are breaking new ground in "Norma" at the Theater an der Wien. The premiere is on Sunday.
"Krone": Let's start with the younger one. How is Aigul Akhmetshina, the novice Adalgisa, unknowingly falling in love with Norma's lover and father of her children?
Aigul Akhmetshina: This role is completely different from all my previous ones. I'm not talking about the singing, but the character. Because for me it's always about feeling a role, sensing it, otherwise I can't find my way into it. It is bel canto. I've just sung Elisabetta in Donizetti's "Maria Stuarda", and it's much more difficult.
The young rival
Aigul Ak hmetshina, who was born in the Republic of Bashkortostan in 1996, already wowed audiences at the State Opera at the beginning of the season with her Carmen. She is now making her debut as Adalgisa at the Theater an der Wien.
In the bel canto repertoire, she was celebrated as Bellini's Romeo in Salzburg and as Elisabetta in Donizetti's "Maria Stuart" in Amsterdam and Madrid.
She has no problem with high notes, as she began her studies as a soprano.
Asmisk Grigorian, how are you feeling just before your Norma debut? In the summer, you were still a little ...
Asmik Grigorian: I'm still very nervous!
Akhmetshina: She's doing great, it sounds very good!
Grigorian: It was a lot of work and I wish I had more time. But I hope that this is not my last production so that I can develop the role further. I feel that Norma is particularly suited to my voice.
You have a very special relationship with Norma because it was a signature role of your mother, the soprano Irena Milkevičiūtė.
Grigorian: That's why I managed to motivate myself for this premiere. Because I'm often tired at the moment and think to myself: Asmik, why do you always have to push yourself to the limit? Can't you just sing? And of course there's also the pressure of having two "Normas" in the same city at the same time. That's not easy for me. But when I listen to this music, I get very emotional. Through my interpretation, I want to show the world what a great Norma my mother was.
Is she coming to the premiere?
Yes.
Norma's mother
Even as a girl, Asmik Grigorian stood on the opera stage as one of Norma's children when her mother, Lithuanian soprano Irena Milkevičiūtė, sang this role - her signature role.
To this day, the mother with the knife in her hand gives her the creeps.
After her training, she sang the duet from the first act with her as Adalgisa at a concert.
Asmik Grigorian sees her interpretation of Norma as a homage to her mother.
In what period and setting is Vasily Barkhatov's production set?
Akhmetshina: In the 1950s or 1960s. We are factory workers. It's a commune or sect that has been infiltrated by another community.
Adalgisa is a young innocent girl, very naive, who doesn't yet know how real life works. She follows her instincts and falls in love with the man who is wooing her.
What kind of person is your Norma?
Grigorian: I never try to separate the character of a role from myself. I always bring my own experiences to a role. And Norma has all the facets I can imagine for a woman. There is great love, motherhood, deep, real pain. And when you feel real pain, you can also become very dangerous.
In her pain over Pollione's infidelity, Norma even wants to kill herself and her children. Can you imagine being that desperate?
Yes. Even if it's a little different today. I am a free woman. So whatever happens, I know I can survive. But if you lose everything, have no hope, I can imagine that.
As a singer, how much do you push yourself to the limit with the roles?
Grigorian: Norma is a very difficult role, but I think Wagner and Strauss are more demanding.
Akhmetshina: Bel canto forces you to be very disciplined. You can't hide behind a full orchestration, you're very naked on stage and have to take the audience completely with your singing.
Grigorian: With Verdi or Puccini, you have these waves from the orchestra that carry you and help you.
Akhmetshina: You can cheat, you can hide.
Will there possibly be more bel canto roles with Asmik Grigorian?
Grigorian: I'm not sure. I only know that I definitely want to continue singing Norma.
Akhmethsina: I think Donizetti's Maria Stuarda would be something for you. Many people have told me that too. It's very similar. And you love challenges! It's all about training your voice in a certain way. Besides, who has the right to tell us what we can sing? There is no right and wrong. Our job is to follow the notes, and there will always be people who like it or dislike it.
Grigorian: I often have to laugh when people think they know exactly how it works. This may sound a bit arrogant, but I will never try to be Salome or Turandot or Norma. I have no idea who they are. I interpret myself through their music. That's my way of understanding my own life.
This article has been automatically translated,
read the original article here.
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