Grazie mille, Chiara Isotton! The young soprano has agreed to become the godmother of “Pulsations” and to answer a few questions. Our warmest thanks for her talent and her kindness.
1. You triumphed at the Opéra de Lyon last February as Minnie in Puccini’s “La Fanciulla del West”. What are the challenges of that role, and what do you particularly love about this character, who seems to be a favourite of yours?
I am very happy to have had the opportunity to make my debut in La Fanciulla del West; it had been a long-held dream. It is a complex role, vocally as much as dramatically, but I am convinced it is so well written that the difficulties are smoothed away by the wisdom of Puccini’s writing. I love the fact that Minnie is a woman very close to my own character and personality!
2. Which conductor would you like to work with in the future, and how do you think a conductor’s role shapes the success of a work?
I would love to be conducted by Maestro Pappano… I hope it happens soon! The conductor’s role is fundamental to the success of a performance. It is thanks to the conductor that hundreds of people (sometimes) manage to become one. I have had the privilege of working with great conductors, and when that happens it is an immense joy. You do not even realise you have sung, so easily has the performance been approached, and the emotions that come from working with a good conductor are beyond price. I believe only great personalities can fill that role, but above all great lovers of the voice. They are the ones who make the orchestra “sing” and breathe with the singer on stage. A joy!
3. Which role do you consider the role of your life, the one you dream of singing one day?
I must say I am very happy with the roles I am singing at the moment. I have dreams tucked away in a drawer, but I do not reveal them, because otherwise they will no longer come true! Let us say that the path of my musical future is fairly clear. I do not think I shall do anything too “wild” in choosing my repertoire!
4. Which singer inspires you most, or whom do you most admire?
I would not want to sound predictable… but all the great singers of the past (and of the present) give me something. I would be lying if I did not admit that the figure of Callas has always been a myth for me. As I grew and trained, I came to love, and still love, other performers, but she will remain forever unique in history. Rarely, in my view, has anyone shown the same interpretive intensity.
Photo credit: John Romano
À lire aussi : Interview de la soprano Chiara Isotton
