Berlin, Tamino, next season…
Hi there, this week was an interesting one. I started to prepare for the roles I will be singing next season, went through the music of Don Giovanni, Lustige Witwe and Falstaff, only reading and getting to know the music scores. I must say that back in 2011-12 I was covering Don Ottavio in Stuttgart back when I was a member of the opera studio but I almost forgot complitely the role except for the arias. This week, I was able to go to Berlin to see 2 performances of opera, one at Staatsoper Berlin and one at Deutsche Oper. I saw Rigoletto and Lucia di Lammermoor. Rigoletto with Nadine Sierra and Francesco Demuro and Lucia at Deutsche Oper with Adela Zaharia and Javier Camarena. Both performances were really good. At the Staatsoper I was amazed how good the acoustic is, just almost too good. Deutsche Oper is not the same, that was more standard acoustic even a bit dry, nevertheless both Camarena and Zaharia were incredible and always really present.
As you may know from previews blogs I do really like Berlin and I hope I can live there at some point. Akiho and I went to our favorite spots and got so much from watching incredible artists on the stage this time.
The highlights besides the two performances were that we had the opportunity to see Javier after the performance and go for dinner at a Italian restaurant across the theater, with him and some other colleagues and a very nice old lady that flew from Spain just to see Javier at the stage singing Edgardo. The next day we had breakfast with Javier and got some eggs Beneditc that were really good. The last time I saw Javier Camarena was in Paris where I also saw him singing Edgardo and I wrote here around 2 months ago in one of my blogs all about it, if you are curious, just search through my blogs, for sure you will see where his name is written on the title so you will see right away.
Chatting with Javier is always so inspiring and somehow comforting, I do really admire him and appreciate what he does on stage and with his voice and that he does not only sings but communicates emotions as well as great high notes and incredibly solid. We talked about his quick stay in Mexico like 2 weeks ago, a concert he just had in Zagreb and his return to sing at Deutsche Oper and also up coming projects. During the dinner we had after his performance I gave him my score of Falstaff for him to sign it. I will sing Fenton next season and I remember I saw his Fenton in Salzburg Festival years ago and I thought it would fit to ask him to sign my music score and he did, thanks Mr. Camarena. We talked as well about technique, not because he brought the topic but because I was eager to asking further after our long chats in Paris. I was asking him about it because I am honestly curious about the way he approaches singing and also because I myself am in a continuous search for my improvement as a singer and artist. I know the more comfortable I am with my singing the more freedom I have to really express and share the emotions of the characters I sing on stage and interpret. Javier as always was really open, kind and honest and gave his opinion, for that I am forever grateful of his advice and kindness. So, Javier if by any chance you read this blog I thank you from the heart for your openess and friendliness.
After getting back from Berlin we had performance yesterday (Saturday) of Magic flute and I felt really motivated and was looking forward after a very honest chat with Javier. Today is my rest day because tomorrow we have our derniere of Lucia di Lammermoor. After not singing it for the last 3 weeks or so. I am looking forward to sing Edgardo again, and of course, a bit nervous about it. It is always really challenging but really rewarding to sing Edgardo, specially if I can sing well all the way until the end of the opera. For sure I will miss singing it, however next season comes again so I am already looking forward to it. Tamino yesterday went really well, now I think yesterday was my Tamino number 32 or 33 I am not sure, so now officially Tamino is the role I have sung the most in three different productions but I still have room to improve on how to interpret the role, besides that I can say every performance is different so I respect a lot the character and it is always challenging but yes, somethings are getting easier just because I have sung it for a while now, but I still keep practising and fixing corners where I feel do not sound right to me.
Anyways, always improving and looking for places where things can be better, and stay disciplined and constant, this is really important to me.
I hope you are well and we see us here next week.
