Schubert. Favorites come and go, but Verdi’s Falstaff is still up there. Do you tend to gravitate toward villain roles? I am attracted to the bad boy repertoire. But who doesn’t like playing the villain?
REPRISE
The story of the Flying Dutchman can be traced back to motifs from age-old sailor’s tales which can be heard all over the world, such as the ship of the dead, the ghost ship or the ship from hell. The core motif each time is the curse of eternal sailing for a captain who has done bad things … DER FLIEGENDE HOLLÄNDER (THE FLYING DUTCHMAN) by Richard Wagner, in the Wiener Staatsoper, started on November 17th. Conductor: Bertrand de Billy. Direction: Christine Mielitz. With Anja Kampe (Senta) and Bryn Terfel (Dutchman). wiener-staatsoper.at
Why do you sing so rarely in Vienna? Vienna was undoubtedly the place where I had some of my most cherished musical experiences – the Brahms Requiem at the Musikverein under Claudio Abbado and Don Giovanni with Riccardo Muti at the Staatsoper, to name a few. If I could, I would live in Vienna and perform every week. So I guess I wouldn’t put it that way. It has more to do with my schedule, which sets the pace.
You are now performing the role of the Dutchman at the Wiener Staatsoper, is it a difficult role?
The Dutchman? In a word: intense. What role would you like to perform in the near future? Dilemma. One day a new engagement might come along, a project that interests me a lot, or maybe I should just check out Hindemith’s Cardillac or Berg’s Wozzeck. Something I can really dig into. No rest for the wicked! When will you perform in Vienna again? As luck would have it, I’ll be back in 2022 with Jonas Kaufmann, Lise Davidsen and conductor Simone Young in Peter Grimes.
Which music do you listen to at home to relax? At home, poor Alexa must be confused. From Tom Jones to Michael Bublé to Franco Corelli, from Shirley Bassey to Cecilia Bartoli and Beyoncé. But when I can steal a moment for myself in my studio, Bach and Beethoven rule my world.
WELCOME VIENNA
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