You have to play on the stage of suffering – if you suffer really, it will not address the audience / Article

At the maturity of the summer, the Latvian National Opera opens its doors to the audience again, inviting to the Gala concert “Summer of Opera Stars” on July 4 at 7 pm. It will be offered live by Latvian Radio 3 “Klasika”. One of the most outstanding tenors in the world, Peter Bečala (Piotr Beczała), who is visiting Latvia for the first time. Asked what the happiest moment is for the singer, he smiles sincerely: “Maybe applause! If you make a lot of mistakes on stage and you have the right role, be happy and happy all the time. I sing, I do what I like – what then more … ”

Inta Zēgnere: I am very happy about our meeting at the Opera! Are you visiting Riga for the first time?

Pjotr ​​Bečala: My relationship with Riga has developed in such a way that I have a lot of old friends from Latvia, but I am really here for the first time.

You mentioned old friends – does that mean that you agreed to go to Riga because you have a long friendship with our opera boss Egils Siliņš?

It was in Bayreuth two years ago when he invited me to Riga, and finally I had the opportunity to come. You have fantastic singers! Among them – Marina Rebeka, Elīna Garanča, Kristīne Opolais. Fantastic colleagues! We have talked a lot with them about Latvia, about life.

Vhave you been on stage with all these soloists?

Yes, we have known each other for many years. Marina Rebecca and I were at the Faust show in Madrid. Fantastic!

And with Kristīne Opolais and Elīna Garanča?

Kristine and I were together in Dvorak’s opera “Mermaid” in Munich, and with Elina in Masne’s production of “Vertera” in Paris.

A with Egils Siliņš? What is your collaboration on stage?

We talked about old friends, and Egils is just that – we have known each other for a very long time, since the days of the Zurich Opera, when we both participated in the performance “Demon” on stage. We have known each other for almost twenty years. We last met in Bayreuth, at the Loengrin show.

“Loengrin”, Wagner and Riga – it is also a special relationship, because in the end Wagner lived here, from here also escaped … Not far from the Opera is Wagner Street. What is your experience with Wagner? Will you continue this line? Because you were Loengrin – together with Anna Netrebko you participated in the Bayreuth festival as Elsa. Tas to you was a very sudden offer back then – every tenor dreamed of it …

My experience and adventure with Wagner is really crazy, because Christian Tīlemanis, this famous conductor, persuaded me to take part in this show … I wasn’t so sure at all,

I focus more on French, Italian music. But – at first I sang Loengrin in Dresden Semperoper, and then came 2018, Bayreuth. It was a fantastic adventure, but I can’t describe myself as a Wagner singer. However, it is more of an Italian and French territory, as well as a Slavic repertoire, including Czech and Polish operas. So my relationship with Wagner is weird. But I keep “Loengrin” in my sight. Of course, I have ideas about Wagner in the future. Next year will be my first “Parsifal” in Cleveland, it will be a concert show. Due to the coronavirus, a lot also changes, but I would love to sing some “Loengrins”.

You have heard compliments hundreds of timeswith a couple of itthat you have a wonderful voice and so nudien is the truth. But how you yourself you came up with the idea that you want to become a singers? You come from the Silesian Region in southern Poland …

It’s a complicated story, because there are no musicians in my family, but step by step I developed my desire – I just studied. At first I studied and sang in Katowice, then the first contracts appeared. So normal, step by step, I also developed my career.

In fact, there is no longer a specific recipe for becoming a great singer – as many singers, as well as advice and recipes. Some win competitions and then their careers develop rapidly. In my case, it was step by step – first singing in a choir, then in smaller operas.

This is also how my career developed, but it is a very safe path. And I’m happy about that.

I once interviewed Charles Kastronovo, and he said – you can’t understand what’s wrong with those Latvian singers that they can be so wonderful in a variety of voice groups! Because sometimes it is said that the best bass come from Bulgaria, the best tenors from Italy, but any voice is good from Latvia … He said – maybe you have something special in the water ?! What is your secret? It is not for nothing that you are told that you have excellent technique. But to get this technique, you have to work with it, you have to get it.

In fact, it is very complicated, because there is no single recipe here.

There are a lot of good voices in the world, but that does not mean that you will be a singer, because you need a very good school, a good education system, which is excellent in Latvia, but problematic in other countries.

Particularly good tenors no longer come from Italy, for example. Also from Spain. They are no longer developing their careers in this direction. I have studied my technique very slowly, gradually, trying different repertoires, because Mozart has to sing differently than bel canto or verism operas. Slavic operas also have a special style. Yes, perhaps it can be said that low voices are more typical of Bulgaria and Russia: perhaps the sound of languages ​​also affects it – that low voices are particularly suitable for this language.

Of course, the Italian language – we know that every second baker in Italy is a tenor. (laughs)

But still – there are no specific laws. For example, Americans have a good school, but at the same time, this school goes in the same direction, because all tenors who come from America sing alike. They lack different colors. Because different images need to be created using different voice colors. Italian, German and French music should sound different. Mastery is needed to highlight these differences.

But you discovered it yourself – how to make these differences?

At first I studied in Katowice, I sang a very serious repertoire. Everyone needed dramatic tenors, and I was ready for that, even though I knew it wasn’t right.

My first teacher, Sena Jurinača (Sena Jurinac), a very well – known mezzo – soprano, said – I had to leave Kavaradosi and turn to Mozart, and it was very difficult for my voice. However, I obeyed.

And then I found pianist-teacher Dale Foundling (Dale Foundling) no Zalcburgas Mozarteumwho started perfecting my voice. We worked together for 19 years. Of course, I also make my own conclusions and discoveries about my singing technique. But the technical support and advice came directly from him. I know that Elīna Garanča is also cooperating with her – two or three years ago she asked me about this teacher’s contacts, and later said – yes, that’s a good thing.

I have heard that a great deal of help in your career has come from your wife, Katarzina Bak-Beczala (ed.). You even have special abbreviations for both to communicate on technical things, such as during a trial. She tells you what to improve …

We have been married for 29 years, and she knows my voice very well, participates in all attempts. And it’s very important for everyone on stage – if there is someone in the audience you can count on and trust the critic. She can give me technical advice, because she has also been a singer herself, and with a good career.

So I don’t have much to explain to her – she only says a few words and I understand what that means. This is especially good when recording. Because Catherine sits next to the sound director, the producer, and just tells me if it was okay, can we continue, and I don’t have to run all the time to listen, as I recorded then.

But that means absolute trust.

Yes, although sometimes we argue! (..) But you have to take into account that when you sing, you don’t hear yourself like the listeners in the hall. And then it’s important that you trust someone who can give you advice.

What is the most recent entry you have made?

Three months ago we finished recording Tchaikovsky and Rachmaninoff’s album – Helmut Doich will be at the piano. It was his dream – he really likes the music of Tchaikovsky and Rachmaninoff, and it was very difficult for us to find only 32 songs, because at the beginning there were some sixty of them that we had to select. I think it will be a very nice album.

When can we wait for it to open?

Think at the end of the year. When a new disc comes out, I usually try to associate it with an opera production. When I released Vincero disc, a new “Bohemian” show was scheduled. Now next season I will sing Lenski for the last time, so it was important for me that this album would come out as well.

What does it mean – the last Lensky?

That means I won’t sing this party anymore.

Time to say goodbye to some roles. I have had fourteen different Lensky performances – I have been singing this party for about 30 years, now let my younger colleagues do it.

Three days ago I sang my last one at the Edgardo Verdio opera Lucia of Lammermoor. Of course, I can return to these roles, but I no longer include them in my calendar as performances.

I will not change the repertoire completely, but I will go more in the direction of verism and drama. So I have to leave some lyrical roles –

Romeo no longer sings, nor does Masne Degree. Now I’m looking for Puccini in Degry!

You especially like Verdi …

Indeed, I have sung a lot of Verdi – both “Mask Ball” and “Traviatu”. Now I will have my first “Troubadour” in Zurich in October, and Marina Rebecca will also take part in this show. Next year I will sing “Aida”.

This time has been very different for the singers, also very difficult. What was it like for you?

I lost a lot of shows … For example, at the opening of the Metropolitan Opera season, my first Radames had to sing in this opera house. It didn’t happen.

I have lost eighty percent of what was expected, however, thank God, twenty remained.

The problem is that you are preparing for a new production, there are seven performances, but there is only one, and without the audience. It’s hard … I’m really short of listeners. You sing as if to nothing, only to the cameras – like it was in Vienna. But slowly, slowly we return.

I was very glad to hear you last year on December 7, in Milan La Scala Season opening. You even sang twice in this star concert!

It was wonderful …

In fact, the singers are very flexible at the moment, we use every opportunity [uzstāties].

For example, my trip to Latvia … When Egils called me two months ago, I said I couldn’t because Zurich has Lucia of Lammermoor performances. Two weeks later, Zurich’s performances were canceled, and it turned out that I could still go to Riga! But then again Zurich announced that four performances would still take place, and since the last few days Lucia di Lammermoor show, I could still come to Riga. Yes, we need to be very flexible at this time, because everything is changing all the time.

You also sang in the new “Carmen” show at the Vienna State Opera!

Yes, there have been three performances, but I also sang in the previous production. This is a bit of a crazy production by Kalisto Bieito. I also sang on the opening night of the season, replacing the sick Charles Kastronovo. It was nice.

We are very happy that you will perform in Riga and also sing in a duet with Egils Siliņš in Bizet “Carmen”. You said that the singer does not hear his voice – the listeners enjoy it. But what is the happiest moment for the singer?

Probably applause. (laughs) If you don’t make many mistakes on stage and if you have the right role, be happy and happy all the time. I sing, I do what I like – what else … Yes, but

as some famous actors have said – you have to play on stage. If you suffer really, it will not address the audience. Suffering must be played out. That’s the best way.

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