“If I had been a footballer, I’d nonetheless be an excellent striker,” says Javier Camarena

With 20 years {of professional} profession, which ends in 2024, the Mexican tenor Javier Camarena (Xalapa, 1976), some of the necessary singers on the worldwide operatic degree, acknowledges that he’s in a transition stage in vocal and creative phrases.

I am 48 years outdated and I am already feeling my age.admits the acclaimed performer in a phone interview with The Day earlier than touring from England to Japan as a part of the tour by which the Royal Opera Home in London will current Rigoletto, by Giuseppe Verdi, on June 28 and 30. He’ll sing the function of the Duke of Mantua alongside soprano Nadine Sierra as Gilda and baritone Etienne Dupuis within the title function, beneath the baton of Antonio Pappano.

I’m very enthusiastic about these features, with every thing and the calls for of that function. It’s a title that I’ve sung a few occasions; In December I did it in Madrid for the Teatro Actual and now I am taking it up once more. Plus, I will do it for the beginning of subsequent season, in my debut on the Lyric Opera of Chicago.

Camarena, as revealed on June 8 in these pages, has an intense agenda for the closing of the 2023-2024 season, in addition to for the opening of the 2024-2025 season, throughout which he’ll debut on the aforementioned Chicago opera home. , between September and October; the Dallas Opera, within the second half of October, the place she is going to The Traviataby Verdi, alongside his compatriots, the director Iván López-Reynoso and the baritone Alfredo Daza, and the San Carlos Theater in Naples, in February 2025, the place the premiere of Romeo and Julietby Gounod.

–You might be celebrating 20 years as a singer, how do you attain them and what’s the state of your voice?

–I am superb, already altering my repertoire. I’m making operas which are slightly extra ‘dramatic’, with far more highly effective content material by way of emotion. Within the final two years I’ve been engaged on that adjustment, as a result of the situations of the voice are additionally altering. It isn’t the identical as after I debuted 20 years in the past and we additionally need to work primarily based on these changes which are inherent to nature.

It has been a time of a lot statement, analysis and recognition of my voice to work on it in the easiest way and transfer ahead with the commitments that come. This season is shaping what my repertoire may very well be within the subsequent 5 or seven years.

–Is there a peak stage for opera singers?

-Utterly. It does not seem to be it, as a result of singing, typically, it’s thought that anybody can do it, nevertheless it means giving your voice a use and, above all, within the case of an opera singer, giving a rare use to that instrument, which is a part of the physique; So, there are a collection of muscular and bodily mechanisms that one has to study to work, grasp, train, strengthen, as some other sport requires.

I’ve at all times mentioned that singing is a high-performance exercise, as a result of it’s, and, like several nice athlete, everybody has a peak after which comes the downhill slope. I do not know if I am already downhill, however I do know that situations change, you win in some methods and there are issues which are being suffered; Subsequently, it’s about readjusting the instrument to the brand new traits and dealing on it in the easiest way. If he had been a footballer, he would nonetheless be an excellent striker.

–What are your targets now?

–As a result of it’s a second of transition, issues change; At this race tempo, my agenda continues to be organized nicely upfront. There are commitments that need to be reconsidered; There are issues that 4 or 5 years in the past I signed for the following two years and are not inside that ultimate. What I’ve to do now, and set it as a objective, is one other sort of repertoire to supply, that’s acceptable at the moment to the traits of my voice, to proceed doing issues nicely and comfortably, however, above all, that leaves me glad. and happy and permits me to proceed giving every thing on stage.

One in all my foremost achievements and satisfactions is to stay present and lively, that theaters proceed to hunt my work for his or her seasons.

The Messis of the opera

–What’s your notion of the present Mexican actuality? What do you count on to occur within the nation?

–As an opera singer, I would love the work of so many colleagues who’re enjoying an necessary function within the worldwide enviornment to be slightly extra acknowledged; In lots of circumstances, they’re nice examples of battle, of life. In Mexico, the concept of ​​dedicating oneself to the humanities, to music, continues to be not likely thought of a occupation. That half is slightly unhappy.

“Mexico is without doubt one of the nations that has given probably the most tenors to the historical past of opera. At the moment the good trainer Ramón Vargas continues to be in power, there’s Arturo Chacón, there’s me, Rolando Villazón has been there; There’s a lengthy listing of nice singers who’ve been the Messis of opera for a lot of generations. It might be good to even have this a part of inspiration, an instance of battle.

“Away from political events, I feel it’s a nice achievement for our nation to now have a lady president. She talks about an necessary evolution as a society and that makes me very glad; No less than two six-year phrases in the past it was unthinkable. I want all of the success to Dr. Claudia Sheinbaum. Wishing her success is wishing our nation success.

I hope that the marketing campaign guarantees relating to help for tradition, and particularly schooling, are what make up your priorities, as a result of engaged on it’s fixing root issues and I consider it must be a long-term program. That’s what I hope, and that this actuality that’s skilled yr after yr of finances cuts for the cultural sector, nicely, let it not be like that.