JULIA KOCI

Current performance of “Medea” with Sandra Cervik and Joseph Lorenz at the Theater in der Josefstadt. Infos: josefstadt.org

An historical costume for a performance of “Medea”.

Right, above: Grillparzerhaus in Perchtoldsdorf 1930 – Grillparzer spent the summer of 1846 in Perchtoldsdorf, Wiener Gasse 9.

Right: the Imperial Archive, where Franz Grillparzer worked. performed today and certainly not only because Austrian theaters have an educational mandate to fulfil – it has long been impossible to release a playbill solely aimed at secondary school classes. Currently, for example, there is a very appealing production at the Theater an der Josefstadt directed by Elmar Goerden, with Sandra Cervik in the title role. Set in modern times without compromising Grillparzer’s writing and featuring a final surprise: suddenly everyone ends up as one big, happy family. Grillparzer’s extensive oeuvre revolves around themes that still need to be discussed today – in Medea, for example, it’s xenophobia, and Ottokar is about the hubris of those in power. It is also worth noting that young Franz was certainly not born into a career as a poet. “I was born in Vienna on the 15th of January, 1791. My father was a lawyer, quite strict, a man who took his own counsel. Since his career and his natural reticence did not allow for much time spent with his children, since he died before I was eighteen years old, and since in the last years of his life illness, the terrible years of the war and the deterioration of his domestic circumstances brought about by both only increased this reticence, I cannot give an account to myself or others of the inner workings of his character. His outward manner was somewhat cold and brusque, he avoided all company, yet he was a passionate friend of nature. He used to cultivate his own garden, later rented a larger plot and grew flowers of all kinds, which was practically his only source of amusement. Only on walks, during which, across incredible distances, he sometimes took the whole family, but often only me, still a child, did he become joyful and communicative,” wrote Grillparzer in his “autobiography”, published in an almanac. Not a very joyful family – both a younger brother of Grillparzer’s and his mother took their own lives. Grillparzer’s encounter with Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, the German prince poet, is legendary. He was dining at a separate table with others, and when Goethe invited him for a private conversation, he simply walked away – out of fear, or stubbornness? Either way, he simply left. In Vienna, Grillparzer is of course commemorated in the Burgtheater not only with the performance of his plays, but also with a bust on its façade. A pompous monument is also erected in the Volksgarten. The most important reminder of Grillparzer, however, is the Literature Museum of the Austrian National Library, which is housed in the so-called Grillparzerhaus: here – in the former Imperial Archives – the Viennese dramatist held sway as Director of the Archive until 1856. His original study has been preserved to this day and provides an insight into the everyday life of the imperial and royal official who was such a gifted writer. onb.ac.at/museen/literaturmuseum

YOU SING WITH YOUR WHOLE BODY

Julia Koci has been performing on stage for 20 years now. Baroque music suits her just as well as contemporary music. Now the versatile artist can be seen at the Volks oper Wien in a rare musical by Kurt Weill.

T E X T

URS U LA S CHEIDL

P H O T O S

A RMAN R ASTEGAR Julia Koci patiently poses for the photographer on the partly-assembled set. She is actually rather reserved, she says, but as a professional she knows what is expected of her. Born in Vienna but raised on Long Island and in New York City, an English accent sometimes comes through in this casual conversation in the canteen.

Early talent. Her grandfather – from Prague – was a pianist, her maternal grandfather a Viennese singer. Her mother worked as a designer and listened to opera at home. “She brought opera into the house, and I used to sing for her,” recalls Koci, who started ballet at the age of five. She was six when she first appeared on stage in Swan Lake. Her first musical was The Wizard of Oz. She wanted to do musicals, but her teacher thought her voice was “so classical”.

How did you get into musicals? JULIA KOCI: In America, it’s common for children to do musicals at school. I was in a musical class, but I later studied classical singing. After I graduated at 26, I also thought I would never do musicals again, but stick with early music, opera and concerts. As life will have it, though, along came “Hello Dolly” at the Volksoper in 2010. What role does the musical play in your repertoire? Having been engaged at this house for a long time, operetta and musicals already play a major role. I only perform one or two opera roles a year.

Which do you prefer: singing, dancing or acting? I can’t really say. In musicals and operettas, everything is equally important. Singing is still the easiest part for me.

How do you prepare yourself for your roles? First I read through the score and the story and try to grasp the character in historical context. Then I sit at the piano and play through every note. Text and language have to become fluent. I do struggle more with spoken text pieces like this, it really takes a lot of time; I memorize texts much easier with music.

What do you like about the musical “Lady in the Dark”? First and foremost Kurt Weill’s music. When he arrived in New York, his music changed a lot, influenced by Gershwin and jazz elements. The music in this piece is absolutely top notch, incredibly great. And each character plays differently when they appear in

Likes versatility. Julia Koci is an ensemble member at the Volksoper Wien and can really let o steam in musicals and operettas through dance and acting elements between the numerous text passages.

the dreams. Everyone plays different roles, which is exciting and challenging for the whole ensemble.

What attracts you to the character Liza Elliott? This woman has an insane number of facets. The play has no buffo couple, just Liza and three men. She’s up and down. She asks herself about the meaning of life and which desires she has not yet fulfi lled. Not only is she an executive in a newsroom, but she has doubts about everything right now. On the one hand there’s the desperate, angry, in love, super strong and glamorous Eliza, on the other she can be disarmingly fragile.

Your repertoire is very diverse, from early music to contemporary. Isn’t that exhausting? The most important thing is to keep boundaries; I wouldn’t sing a Verdi opera straight after a musical performance. My voice has to bend differently there. But with good support, healthy singing is possible LADY IN THE DARK

Musical in two acts, vocal lyrics by Ira Gershwin, music by Kurt Weill. A burnout upsets the life of successful businesswoman Liza Elliott, editor-in-chief of Allure magazine, and she seeks help from a psychoanalyst who recalls a song from her childhood.

Starts December 2021. volksoper.at

in any genre.

Wouldn’t it be easier to have a career in just one genre? I never sang to have a career, to become a star. I wanted to make music and to be on stage. Whenever I enjoyed something, I took it on; versatility is exciting for me. For a while I only did opera, but I got really out of shape.

What are the biggest challenges in your profession? You have to stay calm and carve out plenty of time for yourself, no matter what. It’s not a job where you can switch off completely. Sometimes I think to myself that it’s so nice, because I get to take my profession home with me. When I ride the underground, I go through the texts and think about what I could have done better in individual scenes. I also wake up suddenly in the night sometimes.

What do you enjoy most? Risk is always exciting. It’s never the same. It gives you a huge adrenaline rush. And the people you meet in the theatre, you get to know the world that way. That’s a truly beautiful thing!

How do you keep fi t? I’ve practiced yoga since I was sixteen. I do it online three, four times a week. And hiking – that’s the best. I love the outdoors!

Who would you like to spend an evening with? With Prince and Mozart, we would defi nitely have a ball (laughs).