“The young tenor, much talked about and the most sought after at the moment, is truly charming the crowds like crazy.”
(TRANSLATED FROM THE ORIGINAL GREEK)
BY TON KOLMABAO
PHOTOS BY NIKOS KOKKAS STYTINOS GIORGOS
Tenor Adam Smith and soprano Nicole Chevalier star in Jacques Offenbach's Tales of Hoffmann presented by the National Opera
In Offenbach's popular operetta The Tales of Hoffmann, an artist falls successively in love with a mechanical doll, a courtesan, a singer and a star of the stage. And his loves become an occasion for exploration. Thus into the dark aspects of the human soul, and for a bold philosophical view of human existence accompanied by the music, the voices of the singers, the vehicle by which we travel in this small and large world of expectations, passions, desires, disappointments, denials but also the dreams that everyone hides inside. In this case, the journey is "orchestrated" by the famous Polish director Krystof Walikowski, staging his eccentric and provocative "fairy tales" on the stage of the National Opera, while the musical direction is by Loukas Karytinos. And the leading roles of the loves are performed by two important operatic artists of the new generation, the tenor Adam Smith (Hoffman) and the treble Nicole Chevalier (Olympia, Juliet, Antonia and Stella, who shortly before the premiere speak to BHIMA about the challenges of of their roles and life.
The rising star British tenor, who is making his debut at the National Opera, has in recent years carved out an enviable international career performing major roles in the French and Italian repertoire. Don José from "Carmen" by Bizet, Mario Cavaradossi from "Tosca" by Puccini, and the Duke from " Rigoletto" by Verdi are some of them. But Hoffmann from "The Tales of Hoffmann" remains one of the most important and most beloved, a role in which he has found the perfect canvas to express all his musical and acting qualities.
A fine role, indeed, and he sings some of Offenbach's most beautiful melodies. At the end of the day, this Hoffmann is also a nice guy…
"Yes he is! He is unique at the same time. We meet him in four different periods of his life, each time changed. It's like we have the series of different men in one. We see him very young and frivolous, then a man who matures emotionally and has a more romantic mood, in another act more introverted and dark... He's like Faust in a way. His character and his heartbreaking ending. But it's a challenge and the act of Giulietta where Hoffman becomes a bad boy, he crumples and has to face a bad girl and a dark world."
As a role, vocally and acting wise, is it difficult?
“It's a role I know, I've sung it, it's mine. He is not easy, mainly because his music has a very high tessitura, but this works for my voice. Another difficulty is that while it starts lyrically, then it becomes quite dramatic, it needs attention and economy of voice to reach the end. But it is, I will repeat, a good role for voices like mine, for lyrical tenors who can also sing more dramatic roles, such as e.g. Cavarandossi in "Tosca". I love Hoffmann, because he is interesting both as a vocally and musically."
Apart from him, who are your other favorite roles?
"Surely Roméo, from Gounod's opera "Roméo et Juliette". A very strong role, just like Hoffman, with lyrical moments but also with shocking moments of dramatic intensity. My other favorite role I haven't sung yet: Des Grieux from Massenet's "Manon."
You are again referring to roles in the French repertoire, with which, if I am not mistaken, you have a special connection. You often sing French operas, maybe a little more often than you sing Italian operas?
“I know, I'm English, I'm European, (whatever my country has decided about its relationship with Europe, I feel European) as far as the way I sing is. As a child, I used to go to France very often. My mother quite loved the country, she spoke fluent French and alongside her I had learned to speak the language as well. I learned to love France and the French repertoire."
And your singing style has been called “old school” in Italian repertoire.
My big idols are two old tenors, Franco Corelli and Daniele Barioni, who recently passed away. I couldn't help but love the Italian repertoire! Whenever I get the chance, I sing it with great joy. At the moment I have yet to accept proposals to sing Calaf from Puccini's "Turadot" and Canio from Leoncavallo's "Pagliacci."
Why?
"Because I think that at the moment they are roles that are heavy enough for my voice. I prefer to wait a bit and catch them when I feel more ready. You know, it is important to me to be able to sing for a long time, I want to sing for many years. There are young singers who sing heavy repertoire very quickly because they are asked to. But when you sing Cavaradossi at 25, what will you say at 30 and what will you say at 40? I mean that the heavier repertoire can damage the voice, be a big trap. I try to avoid the pitfalls."
Who introduced you to the world of music?
"My mother always loved the music. I started playing the violin at the age of three and continued until I was nineteen. In fact, in a production of "Tales of Hoffmann" I played the violin on stage. Initially, I considered becoming a violinist, but then I became interested in opera and turned to the study of classical singing. We are a family with a great love of music. One of my brothers one is a violinist, the other a trumpeter, the younger a clarinetist and Saxophone player."
What is the life of an opera singer like today?
“Difficult (laughs)! Nothing is easy. When you are an opera singer trying to make an international career, things are quite complex. Now I'm in Athens, my wife, the American soprano Corinne Winters, is in Rome, then she's going to Valencia, but there are no direct flights from Athens to Valencia so it makes it more difficult to see her..I have to be very organized to make everything work properly. Since the pandemic and beyond, things became even more difficult, because transport became more difficult. Many airlines reduced their destinations, ticket prices increased...'
Where is home?
“If you mean where we have our clothes, in Washington DC. But we are rarely there. I think we'll end up in Rome. It is a city in which we spend a lot of time, we love it, it has begun to feel like our second home."
To go back to singing, you seem to have a specific and strong point of view about what you do on stage.
"As an artist you have to have an opinion about what you want to say. If you don't have anything to say, why go on stage?”
And what if what you want to say differs from what the director of each show wants to say?
"If I don't agree, I'm willing to discuss. I am willing to try. But I also have my own way of approaching things. I enjoy the moments when I make music together with the conductor, together with the director. Let's celebrate those moments. When that happens, it's great. And here, in Athens, we have a wonderful conductor, Loukas Karytinos. He is a very good musician and extremely supportive of the singers!"
How do you work every time you have a new role in front of you?
"I'm a musician, I always start with music. I'm interested in understanding what the music is saying. Then come the words. I learn the role, I study it with my coach and then with the conductor and the director, when we get to the stage of stage rehearsal."
How do you manage the stress of performing?
"You learn little by little. With experience, you manage to handle it so that it doesn't stop you from doing the best you can. I give everything to the show! I have great energy as a person and I love to channel it on stage. And my work is indeed tiring, as I am always called to give my best, but at the same time it is a great pleasure."
What else do you enjoy besides being on stage?
"I really like wine. Otherwise, I lead a rather measured life. I run a lot, exercise a lot, take care of my health, rest as much as I can the night before a show. But I always have all this energy that is boiling within me, and that I have to do something with it, I have to put it somewhere. Where else but on the stage?