When shes done right, shes an extremely sexy and sensitive heroine. If I work at home, people tell me to take it easy. As soon as you are limited and someone tries to put you in a box, it can kill you as an artist.. Ironically the nerves comfort me. Her capacity to inhabit a role, living and breathing the character she\s portraying, is remarkable: she captivates and holds her audience. Adriana was happy to see me at home with her, but I was depressed, Opolais noted. Ive done it in the past and I wont do it again, I can only bring myself to a role. She's currently starring . Follow my adventures on stage, behind the scenes & around the world! She laughs: I am afraid of mouses very much and there was always mouse or some animal droppings on the bed, aaaagh! Known as haunted and focused Kristine Opolais brings a breath of fresh air to the operatic stage. 5 - 6 Jan. 2023. Many would say that this is exactly what sets Opolais apart today. In my mind, as strange as it sounds, Im performing to two big eyes looking at me. Kristine Opolais is one of the most sought after sopranos on the international scene today, appearing at the Metropolitan Opera New York, Wiener Staatsoper, Deutsche Staatsoper Berlin, Bayerische Staatsoper, Teatro alla Scala and Royal Opera House Covent Garden. It shouldnt only be about that. "It's madness. 49,093, The bible of the industry, OPERA has been the worlds leading commentator on the lyric stage for over 70 years. Now the soprano is at the Metropolitan Opera in the title role of Suor Angelica as part of Puccinis Il Trittico. The production has placed a huge spotlight on Plcido Domingo for his 50th anniversary, but Opolais, who performed for the 50th time on the Met stage in the opening night performance, has found herself fulfilled by the experience and widely lauded for her interpretation. Kristine Opolais is one of the most sought after sopranos on the international scene today. If I have to say something nasty with bad energy, then that cannot be beautiful. That response is surely a clue to what has brought Opolais, at 35, to where she is today, in huge demand at some of the world\s biggest houses, feted for her singing of Puccini roles-most recently Manon Lescaut, with Jonas Kaufmann as Des Grieux. I went through a lot of things, but now I understand that I love my art the way that I do it, she enthused. kristine.opolais Verified Follow 808 posts 38.5K followers 2,352 following KRISTINE OPOLAIS International Soprano. Then she was woken by a 7.30am call from Peter Gelb at the Met with a desperate request: Anita Hartig was ill; would she consider stepping in? If you dont take risks, youll never drink champagne. Kristine Opolais "Ms. Opolais seemed to live with it, growing in stature as the evening went on and radiating the kind of aura - one that demands you watch her, and sympathize with her - that defines a star She is a performer with a tremendous future ahead of her. Sometimes it has worked against me, but most of the time it's my biggest strength.". The soprano also noted that she is set to reprise the role of Manon Lescaut in upcoming seasons and is also set for her first Adriana Lecouvreur at some point in the near future. It is, to be fair, a blessed moment for Kristine (pronounced Kristin-a) Opolais. A few years ago, the soprano noted that when she first had Adriana, singing Butterfly was mortifying because she felt the loss of a child very intensely. But it cant all be pain and hurt, you have to be able to feel love and compassion on stage and for that I have my parents as inspiration. Kristine Opolais Net Worth. At the Academy, frustrated by the apparent need to conform to a type, Opolais already sensed she wasn\t like everyone else. And now the . Earlier in my career I was extremely sensitive to the energy of the audience, which is great when its a good audience, but if its a tough crowd it can really affect your performance, so I had to fix that. Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. Ive definitely evolved. "I started to lose voice power, presence, colors, everything," she revealed. You are a disruptor on the operatic stage, your performances are unapologetic and full of fire. Where does your head go when you perform? We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. Some people say that when youre truly in love with someone youre not jealous, but Im the complete opposite. Hiroyuki Ito for The New York Times. Latvian Artist On Regaining Her Artistic Identity, Motherhood, & Puccini. Latvian National opera director Andrejs agars about Kristine Opolais "It's madness. Website by Lenny's Studio. All rights reserved. YOU ARE A DISRUPTOR ON THE OPERATIC STAGE, YOUR PERFORMANCES ARE UNAPOLOGETIC AND FULL OF FIRE. So the soprano decided that Adriana would remain in Riga to understand what it is to live in one place. But being so used to being on the move, Opolais struggled with not being able to perform regularly. A few years ago, Opolais found her approach being increasingly questioned and a lot of advice was given to her to sit back, restrain her instincts, and focus only on singing., I started to lose voice power, presence, colors, everything, she revealed. I need to be dedicated only to my art and at home I cant be because I have to be there for my daughter.. I then thought about the good reputation I had at The Met, which I had worked so hard to build. At 7:30 Saturday morning, she got a call from Peter Gelb, the general manager of the Met. Opolais noted that she felt this way because of her own personal experience of seeing her daughter living a better life despite the two being apart for some time periods. Her Mimi walks slowly, struggles in the effort and grows ever more lethargic as the evening unfolds. She had to do it her way. I had to roll around in water in a very thin nightdress, it was a challenge (laughs). 19:50 Mto 2. Then she went on tour with the Gewandhausorchester Leipzig, also under Nelsons. Opolais maintains this strong relationship with the Met, ever since her debut as Magda in La Rondine in 2013. Yet vanity doesn\t come into it-on stage Opolais looks as good or as bad as the drama demands. What happens if you cant relate to a character? It feels like one big force watching me and keeping me safe. I thought I would love to have some bed at the opera house not to waste time! Per Opolais, that recording was done in two days with minor preparation. Opolais\s interpretations draw primarily on her imagination, but sometimes on her own experience. Tosca is almost defined by her jealousy and she has every right to be. Sometimes it has worked against me, but most of the time its my biggest strength. Of course theres been very difficult moments in my career, but it was because of my past that I didnt fall apart completely. As the terrible news dawned on her, her body sank to the floor; we watched a woman break, wrote Bachtracks Robert Levine. Opolais admits that for better or worse, she has always been one to do things her own way. A few years ago, Opolais found her approach being increasingly questioned and a lot of advice was given to her to sit back, restrain her instincts, and focus only on singing., I started to lose voice, presence, colors, everything, she revealed. People just wanted me to sing and thats it. It was a turning point. It gives you a compass to go on and to measure a situation quickly. Tell us about your approach to building a character. . I had to roll around in water in a very thin nightdress, it was a challenge (laughs). I know what it means to give birth. I knew I needed to wait a while to be ready for it, she explained. Im an actress first and the voice follows. When she gets the news that her son is dead, she should probably die right there. One time I showed her a video a YouTube of me performing and she started to cry, Opolais revealed. Kristine Opolais (n. 12 noiembrie 1979 , [1] Rzekne , Republica Sovietic Socialist Leton , URSS [2] ) [3] este o sopran de oper leton. I found out about myself that I am not very ready for big publicity, because I think I already give so much on stage.\ She smiles wryly: It should be enough!\. My process is that I imagine that everything is happening to me, Im not Kristine, Im Tosca through my eyes and I feel absolutely everything she has gone through. A few years ago, Opolais found her approach being increasingly questioned and a lot of advice was given to her to sit back, restrain her instincts, and "focus only on singing." She listened and adjusted. I was very nervous in the past, but today even though Im still nervous, Ive realised that those nerves are so important. I know danger and I know what it is to suffer I didnt need to study to be an actress because I went through all the emotions Im presenting on stage. But then it was like my mind started talking to me, saying . The soprano noted that she had been struggling with some physical issues for years but had not paid much attention to it until this point. The Met's first new production of the Czech favorite since 1993, gives title honors to Latvian soprano Kristine Opolais; seen Saturday, Feb. 25. 19:10 N'oubliez pas les paroles. I know you should sing without being overcome by these feelings but, unfortunately, I am giving each performance more than 100 per cent. I am not afraid. Most importantly, Ive no interest in making beautiful sounds, my voice doesnt drive me in the slightest and its a small part of my expression. Opera gets no better than Antonn Dvok 's Czech-language "Rusalka" (water nymph). During Adrianas early years, the soprano had taken her daughter everywhere she could. If I only focus on singing a specific way, then I will lose out on opportunities of living the character and taking risks in the moment. kristineopolais.com Posts Reels Videos Tagged Show More Posts from kristine.opolais The soprano noted that this return to her own identity came during the performance of La Bohme at Tanglewood in August 2018 under the baton of her ex-husband Andris Nelsons. Are o deosebit pasiune pentru operele lui Puccini , iar rolurile principale din opere i-au adus o recunoatere pe scar larg la cele mai importante teatre de oper din lume. 18:35 N'oubliez pas les paroles. My singing is part of the complete package. London-based, the magazine has an unrivalled network of international correspondents, covering performances from around the globe. For her to live in suitcases and have no friends and no real home, its cruel. On Friday, April 4, Kristine Opolais will sing Puccini's "Madama Butterfly" at the Metropolitan Opera for the first time. The new music director Andris Nelsons auditioned her for the debut role of Musetta, quickly followed by solo roles including Li, Cio-Cio-San, Tosca, Tatyana, Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk, and Senta. A few drops of rain fell periodically. In 2008 she returned to Berlin and the Staatsoper as Polina in Prokofiev\sThe Gambler, with Daniel Barenboim conducting. When Rene said that to me it was an incredible moment because she is the best and most definitive Rusalka. This decision to unwind allowed the soprano to come to terms with a few aspects of her life. Prior to creating OperaWire, DAVID SALAZAR, (Editor-in-Chief) worked as a reporter for Latin Post where he interviewed major opera stars including Placido Domingo, Anna Netrebko, Vittorio Grigolo, Diana Damrau and Rolando Villazon among others. Opolais voice and commitment have grown considerably since her Mim and Butterfly here; happily placed at the front of the stage, her voice rose into the auditorium, the tone rounder than previously, her fraught demeanor a pity to behold. Opolais now looks back at those early years, asking herself how she did it and at what cost. And she is very talented, but she is also very shy.. This masterpiece, popular worldwide, inexplicably took 92 years to reach Metropolitan Opera, where the . Richard Eyre's elegant production, which sets the action in 1940s occupied France, was one of the highlights of the Met's 2015-16 season. She found herself increasingly trapped and other challenges were taking away from her being able to sort out her identity as an artist. I was born in that moment and from then the contracts came flying in. Rehearsals were minimal for all three operas, given that conductor Bertrand de Billy had to split up his own time with rehearsing three different scores, while the Met Operas own technical departments had to dedicated separate blocks to the three works individually. Of course, the sopranos next few productions are as the famed diva who lives and dies for love and art. Opolais has also been a rising name but has recently faced mixed reviews, with some critics hearing a thinning of her voice. I know danger and I know what it is to suffer I didnt need to study to be an actress because I went through all the emotions Im presenting on stage. At home, I am a mother, a daughter. I tend to bring more pain in my interpretations of Rusalka I relate to her differently because of my life experiences. In this honest and humble interview withFinal Note Magazine, Opolais talks jealousy, risk taking and redefining the idea of an operatic singer. Coming home from work, she knew immediately if the young Kristne had been singing that day-the hairspray can was no longer where she\d left it and, microphone in hand, Kristne would have been giving her best Madonna routine to an imaginary audience. Opera magazine I stepped onto the stage, I opened my mouth and thankfully it came out. When people ask me how it\s possible that I sang Aida or Tosca at that stage in my career, I have no idea. I am ready to give more than I have ever given, she stated. Her unapologetic performance style and ability to portray herself through her heroines has her comfortably placed as one of the most sought after international sopranos today. It was the beginning of a beautiful friendship. Today, I walk on stage and I completely transport into the character. My process doesnt allow me to work that way and I have to accept that. When it did happen I found that I just got lost in the staging, I was very unhappy and I couldnt make it work. My process doesnt allow me to work that way and I have to accept that. Kristine Opolais as Cio-Cio-San and Roberto Alagna as Pinkerton in Puccini's MADAMA BUTTERFLY. Its important because it lets us remember who we are and the things we can and cannot do, soprano Kristine Opolais told OperaWire in a recent interview. If you want to just sound beautiful, save that mentality for the recording, but keep it away from the stage. I stepped onto the stage, I opened my mouth and thankfully it came out. You have to listen to yourself and trust your gut, its all about your intuition. She said, When you open your mouth, you immediately start to force: you are not singing with your own voice, you are singing with some very mature, experienced voice. Gradually, I started to be myself, and really it took me all these years to understand how to sing in a natural way, every word as clearly as speaking. Tosca is almost defined by her jealousy and she has every right to be. ", (Laughs) Yes, I am very jealous! "Vocal cords start to tire after two hours. "Vocal cords start to tire after two hours. Her net worth has been growing significantly in 2021-2022. The Editor noted the electricity generated by the starry leads [] Here Covent Garden struck gold. Shes even struggled with physical ailments that had been bothering her for years and were now interfering with her ability to perform. Most importantly, Ive no interest in making beautiful sounds, my voice doesnt drive me in the slightest and its a small part of my expression. I have a survival instinct that I cant turn off. Citing a health crisis, though also under financial investigation, the veteran Sovrintendente of Florences @maggiomusicale Alexander Pereira has resigned. Together in Act 4 they generated musico-dramatic heat.\, Opolais\s instrument may not be perfect, as she would be the first to insist. Her unapologetic performance style and ability to portray herself through her heroines has her comfortably placed as one of the most sought after international sopranos today. When Im in love Im extremely jealous and when Im not, I couldnt care less. After that step in at The Met, my manager told me to always trust my gut over anyone else because everyone around me would have told me to say no. If I work at home, people tell me to take it easy. And Jenfa I have already said Not again!-her suffering and anguish is too terrible. How do you get yourself into the psychological space to get through something so daunting? It\s safe to predict that she will throw herself into the part with absolute conviction. A+ Quotes for All Occassions. Now Im strong enough to say no. Every artist needs to go through difficult times. 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