La Forza del Destino Transmission Transcript
READ: Sierra Show Intro
NADINE SIERRA: Hello. I’m soprano Nadine Sierra. Welcome to Verdi’s thrilling La Forza del Destino with a fateful story of tormented lives across a war-torn landscape. With the world today facing its own uncertain destiny, Forza is a complicated but timeless story that could be happening now – at least that’s the way Mariusz Treliński, the creator of this powerful production, sees it. And his vision is faithfully carried out by a stellar cast under the direction of Met music director Yannik Nézet-Séguin.
Yes, this is a cast for the ages with one of the leading dramatic sopranos of recent history, Norwegian diva Lise Davidsen singing the role of Verdi’s embattled heroine Leonora. Her captivating voice embodies the forces of destiny. Lise is joined today by other vocal giants. American tenor Brian Jagde as Don Alvaro, whose forbidden love for Leonora sets the tragedy in motion; and Russian baritone Igor Golovatenko as Don Carlo, Leonora’s brother who relentlessly seeks revenge for the death of their father.
American bass, Soloman Howard plays the dual roles of their father, the Marquis of Calatrava, who dies an accidental but violent death at the hands of Don Alvaro, as well as the part of the father superior of the monastery, where Leonora seeks refuge. This is double casting with a dramatic purpose.
Maestro Nézet-Séguin, a master of Verdean style, is ready to conduct the propulsive score. Here is La Forza del Destino.
INTERVIEW: Sierra w/ Lise Davidsen
NADINE SIERRA: Hi, Lise.
LISE DAVIDSEN: Hi, Nadine.
NADINE SIERRA: What an incredible finale.
LISE DAVIDSEN: Thank you.
NADINE SIERRA: How are you doing, good?
LISE DAVIDSEN: I’m fine, I think.
NADINE SIERRA: Yes? You’ve gone from defiant daughter to religious supplicant in the space of two acts. Tell us about Leonora’s journey. What is that like for you?
LISE DAVIDSEN: Now, it’s a – I think it’s a different journey than, uh, some of the other operas I’ve done. It’s, um – we talked about the force of destiny and what is destiny for us today? It’s maybe different to – to relate to than other roles. But I think in this production it’s still about doing for love, you know?
NADINE SIERRA: Yeah.
LISE DAVIDSEN: She wants to be with her – her man.
NADINE SIERRA: Of course.
LISE DAVIDSEN: And she wants to – to be free and, um, whilst doing that, all these horrible things are happening and, uh, then she has to deal with that.
NADINE SIERRA: Yes.
LISE DAVIDSEN: So, it’s a turn of events or a force of destiny.
NADINE SIERRA: Yes. Yeah, absolutely. So, opera fans already know you for your thrilling performances of Wagner and Strauss. So, how does Verdi fit into your pantheon of composers?
LISE DAVIDSEN: Yeah, good question. I mean, he is definitely one of the more dramatic, uh, composers so I think I’ll put him in that light – somewhere in my way he’s there, but of course it took a while to – to think that I could do them and then ask if someone wanted me to do it. That’s also, you know, part of the industry to say, hey, I can do this too.
NADINE SIERRA: Yes.
LISE DAVIDSEN: But together with my agency and everything we, um, we found a way and now it’s, uh, it’s definitely part of my future, um, together with the German repertoire of course.
NADINE SIERRA: Beautiful, beautiful. So, how would you describe Verdi’s vocal writing for Leonora?
LISE DAVIDSEN: Well, she definitely has, uh, the lighter parts in this first half. It’s light in terms of a lighter way of writing. It’s, uh, very delicate, very elegant and has to be in com – combination with the dramatic really forces. This is really backstage work, isn’t it? (Laughs)
NADINE SIERRA: (Laughs) I know. I know.
LISE DAVIDSEN: All these things happening at the same time.
NADINE SIERRA: Ever ends, never ends.
LISE DAVIDSEN: Uh, but then towards, of course, the final – she reveals the full – full drama and, um, I think that – the lightness, the delicate parts are maybe the biggest difference for me and my voice.
NADINE SIERRA: Beautiful. So, two nights ago, I was singing Juliette on this stage with Yannick in the pit. I adore working with him and I wanted to ask you what has your collaboration been like with Yannick, with Maestro?
LISE DAVIDSEN: No, I completely agree with you. I adore working with him too.
NADINE SIERRA: Good.
LISE DAVIDSEN: He’s absolutely amazing. And he’s such a singer’s conductor.
NADINE SIERRA: Yes.
LISE DAVIDSEN: You know, he –
NADINE SIERRA: This is true.
LISE DAVIDSEN: He follows us – not just follow but he helps us, you know?
NADINE SIERRA: Yes, very supportive.
LISE DAVIDSEN: Yeah. He knows how to breathe, he knows how we breathe and when we do it and if we change, he’s also open for that.
NADINE SIERRA: Yeah, flexible.
LISE DAVIDSEN: Yeah, very flexible.
NADINE SIERRA: That’s always great. So, Leonora, she doesn’t appear in the next act but she will be back in full force for the finale. And since you won’t be singing for the next hour or so, what do you do? What do you do in your dressing room?
LISE DAVIDSEN: Well, now I’m going to get out of this nana costume and transform into something different for Act Four.
NADINE SIERRA: Yes.
LISE DAVIDSEN: But, yeah, I’ll be doing a little bit of nothing. And then I have to warm up again and get ready.
NADINE SIERRA: All right. Well, good. You get a chance to relax.
LISE DAVIDSEN: Absolutely.
NADINE SIERRA: So, Lise, it’s such a fabulous performance you’re giving today.
LISE DAVIDSEN: Thank you.
NADINE SIERRA: And it’s a pleasure to speak with you.
LISE DAVIDSEN: A pleasure to speak with you.
NADINE SIERRA: Thank you very much.
LISE DAVIDSEN: I have to say hi to my Norwegian friends. Hi. [SPEAKS NORWEGIAN]
NADINE SIERRA: I love that. Thank you, Lise.
LISE DAVIDSEN: Bye.
NADINE SIERRA: Bye.
READ: Throw to roll-in
NADINE SIERRA: The complicated story of Verdi’s La Forza del Destino was originally set in mid-18th century Spain and Italy. But as you’ve seen so far, our creative team had very different ideas. They recently sat down with us to explain their modern take on the action.
MARIUSZ TRELIŃSKI: I’m always, uh, saying about myself that I’m a movie director who just jumped to the opera and I’ve stayed in the opera now a lot of years. But still I have the feeling that I’m watching through the eye of the camera, and I feel myself like a moviemaker.
When I was listening to Forza the first time, I was trying to find the images, and the first image was the billiard ball. Because, you know, you have the one central, um, moment, accident, the killing of the father.
It’s a story about patricide and its consequences, and we can say that, you know, we see how the first element – uh, it’s like pushing the billiard ball, which from that moment is rolling passively all the time. And we see a mad rush of events. Things are happening without almost stopping, and we are watching consequences.
Three main heroes are, um, trapped in that situation because, you know, this traumatic relationship with the father makes the situation that they cannot just be free.
BORIS KUDLIČKA: In La Forza del Destino, uh, we knew that we wanted to build quite a cinematic space, quite a realistic space that represents our contemporary storytelling. Historical operas are, mmm, set in a certain time, in certain atmosphere – political, uh, religious – uh, which does not necessarily work today. So what we try to do is transform it into a contemporary world.
MARIUSZ TRELIŃSKI: You have the story about a very cruel, dominant father who has a very strong relationship with the daughter. And I think that we can say this is a story about three children who are trying to do something with emptiness, uh, which is, mmm, around them after the father died.
This interpretation is very psychological, it’s very realistic, it’s very contemporary, and it has nothing to do with the “fate,” let’s say, in a higher vision, but it’s real fate that’s written in our DNA, it’s written in our characters, and we are doing the things because we just cannot do different. Because it’s written here.
BORIS KUDLIČKA: It’s an ill-fated love and, um – and a family war or strife, which is the core of the story. Uh, but also it is a fate of events. We use the revolve as a – as a wheel, as a circle that is not stopping, in a way, and you have to jump in or out.
MARIUSZ TRELIŃSKI: It’s kind of a metaphor of human, um, condition, human life, because the pace, you cannot just stop it, you cannot go out of it, that you are in a permanent circle which is never stopping, in constant movement, and you’re watching just all this mad rush and events which we cannot stop.
BORIS KUDLIČKA: In terms of style and language, uh, I am using elements from beginning of the 20th century. Uh, then we are in the club, which is much more graphical. It could be late nineties. I’m not specifically setting, uh, the piece in one particular period, yeah? It’s a – it’s a mixture of spaces we find today. So, we are blending, let’s say, the techniques of the visual language between the stage design, video design, lighting design, all blending together to create intense and interesting, uh, visual, uh, contemporary language.
MARIUSZ TRELIŃSKI: Working with Boris from the very first moment, uh, we have the very serious context of war, and we’re thinking about it like suddenly, after the Ukrainian, mmm, war, after what’s happened very close from us, because we live in Poland – it’s just a few kilometers from us – we see a reality of war, a reality of murdering people, a reality of – and cruelty. Suddenly we realize that we have to do something different; we cannot just say on the stage what Preziosilla is saying, “The war is great, let’s attack.”
Suddenly, we realize that war is chaos. We realize that war is bloody. Uh, we understand that a soldier is not just cannon fodder. And suddenly, uh, we realize that it’s not opera; it’s something more, you know, because we are confronted with pure evil.
And I can say I have two duties. One duty is to be fair to the composer, but another duty is to be fair with contemporary times and to really speak with the audience about what they feel and expect from the opera. And I think this message about the cruelty of war, it’s – it’s something which is very fresh in that production and that can be a strong impact between the audience and – and the stage.
BORIS KUDLIČKA: We discover a world and it’s – it’s a kind of interesting discussion, intellectual discussion, how to transform La Forza into the contemporary world, and together with the – with the great and super professional team, it is really an interesting journey.
READ: Sierra Funding / Throw to break
NADINE SIERRA: With this resetting of La Forza del Destino, it’s good to hear from the director and designer. The Met’s Live in HD series is made possible thanks to its founding sponsor, the Neubauer Family Foundation. Digital support is provided by Bloomberg Philanthropies. The Met Live in HD series is supported by Rolex.
Today’s performance of La Forza del Destino is also being heard live over the Robert K. Johnson Foundation Metropolitan Opera International Radio Network. We’ll be back after a break.
INTERVIEW: Sierra w/ Maestro Yannik Nézet-Séguin
NADINE SIERRA: We are back. And now I have the distinct pleasure of speaking with the Met’s music director, Yannik Nézet-Séguin. Bonjour, Maestro.
YANNIK NÉZET-SÉGUIN: Bonjour, Nadine. Bonjour, Juliette.
NADINE SIERRA: Oh, merci. It has been almost 20 years since the Met last performed La Forza del Destino and about 30 since there was a new production. Why do you think there has been such a gap? What makes it challenging to put on this opera?
YANNIK NÉZET-SÉGUIN: I think there are two reasons.
NADINE SIERRA: Yeah.
YANNIK NÉZET-SÉGUIN: One of the reasons, you need to have outstanding voices. Voices that – you know, we always have the best voices on our stage at the Met but for this opera it’s very specific.
NADINE SIERRA: Oh, yes.
YANNIK NÉZET-SÉGUIN: This kind of dramatic, lyric, Italian soprano that Lise has and the tenor demands. It’s the greatest music I think that’s ever been written by Verdi for a tenor. I know it’s a bold statement but I – etc. So, I think this was one reason. But also, uh, the libretto is somewhat convoluted and I think to make it relevant to today’s audience –
NADINE SIERRA: Yes.
YANNIK NÉZET-SÉGUIN: 4 – we need a production like this. And I think it was worth the wait when we consider the quality of this production and the quality of our cast.
NADINE SIERRA: Yeah, absolutely. It may be a difficult piece to present but I know you love it so much and why – why is that?
YANNIK NÉZET-SÉGUIN: Well, I love Verdi. I love any, any Verdi, every one. But so far, my favorite piece, for example, was Don Carlo.
NADINE SIERRA: Oh.
YANNIK NÉZET-SÉGUIN: I feel like this one bridges Don Carlo but has a little bit more, um, forward momentum to the story. I feel that every scene is so – I mean, Verdi is the master of time.
NADINE SIERRA: Yes.
YANNIK NÉZET-SÉGUIN: But he masters it in a way the destiny and the fate is that it’s relentless.
NADINE SIERRA: Right.
YANNIK NÉZET-SÉGUIN: And I feel like each episode musically is so perfectly proportioned that this is why I really love it. And I could tell that the orchestra and the chorus, during all the – the period of rehearsals, really loved, uh, digging in. Because for most of them, it was new.
NADINE SIERRA: Yes. Well, and we can hear that, so that’s very nice. And I spoke to Lise Davidsen earlier and she’s just so extraordinary in this opera. What makes her great in Forza, and basically in everything that she sings?
YANNIK NÉZET-SÉGUIN: As – you know, I could say the same for you. You know, it’s not because you’re in front of me but, you know, I’m so happy. Lise Davidsen and Nadine Sierra – my life is great at the moment. Imagine how lucky I am. One night you, one night Lise.
NADINE SIERRA: Very nice.
YANNIK NÉZET-SÉGUIN: So, I think she – she is someone – of course she has an extraordinary instrument and very powerful. But she, first and foremost, thinks musically, meaning, that she wants to have a million colors in her voice.
NADINE SIERRA: Yes.
YANNIK NÉZET-SÉGUIN: And she approached that role thinking, I want to sound Italianate.
NADINE SIERRA: Yes. Mm hmm.
YANNIK NÉZET-SÉGUIN: I want to know what the Italian style is. So, she didn’t just bring her own talent; she brought also trying to really go with what the composer wanted. And I think that’s the mark of a true great artist.
NADINE SIERRA: Oh, I love that. So, Yannick, bravo on a gorgeous opera and I’ll see you back here next week for Roméo.
YANNIK NÉZET-SÉGUIN: Absolutely.
NADINE SIERRA: I can’t wait.
YANNIK NÉZET-SÉGUIN: I can’t wait.
NADINE SIERRA: I know.
YANNIK NÉZET-SÉGUIN: Thank you, Nadine.
NADINE SIERRA: Thank you, thank you.
INTERVIEW: Sierra w/ Brian Jagde
NADINE SIERRA: I’m joined now by the tenor of the hour, Don Alvaro himself, Brian Jagde. Hi, Brian.
BRIAN JAGDE: Hi, Nadine. Hi.
NADINE SIERRA: So, I understand Don Alvaro is one of your favorite roles, is that right?
BRIAN JAGDE: It is.
NADINE SIERRA: Why? What do you love about it?
BRIAN JAGDE: Well, out of all the Verdi roles I’ve gotten to sing, it really provides me with the most ability to give colors, different – different shapes of every phrase. Um, and really it just – it really fits my instrument, you know, and it’s a really – it’s like a gateway towards Othello, you know, some day.
NADINE SIERRA: Oh. Ooh, yeah. That would be nice.
BRIAN JAGDE: Yeah. Someday, you know? So, it’s really the role for me right now. And I just feel like I’m embodying it the best I can.
NADINE SIERRA: Oh, I love that. So, we’re looking forward to your famous aria at the beginning of the next act. You’ve been gone for a whole act and a lot has happened on the stage.
BRIAN JAGDE: Yes.
NADINE SIERRA: So, what is it like to sing that aria after such a long break? Do you feel like you have to warm up again?
BRIAN JAGDE: Yeah, you’re continuously warming up during the break. In fact, I’m sure Lise’s doing the same thing for the next two hours, before she sings her aria.
NADINE SIERRA: Probably. Yes. Yes.
BRIAN JAGDE: It’s part of the – the hardship of doing these roles because they are spread out over a long period of time. I sing ten minutes in the first act and then I wait –
NADINE SIERRA: It’s only ten minutes?
BRIAN JAGDE: Yeah. And then an hour and a half later, I come back.
NADINE SIERRA: Oh, I didn’t know that.
BRIAN JAGDE: So, yeah, it’s – it’s one of those things where you have to keep staying warm, make sure your voice is prepared to do the bulk of the role now.
NADINE SIERRA: Yes, yes.
BRIAN JAGDE: I mean, now I don’t – I almost don’t leave the stage. And I love that.
NADINE SIERRA: Oh, wow.
BRIAN JAGDE: I mean, it’s just so much fun to be in this part, in this role here in this new production. I mean, I’m just super excited.
NADINE SIERRA: Oh, that’s so cool. I’m so happy for you, Brian.
BRIAN JAGDE: Thank you.
NADINE SIERRA: This will be a big act for you in general.
BRIAN JAGDE: Yes.
NADINE SIERRA: Including two duets with the baritone. How does Don Alvaro evolve during the course of this story?
BRIAN JAGDE: Well, you know, at this point, he’s already been away for a long time since he killed the father by accident, right?
NADINE SIERRA: Right.
BRIAN JAGDE: So, now he’s miserable. He lost the love of his life, he – he has nothing to look forward to. And, of course, this is where you start to find out about his character. Because in this aria he talks about his parents and he talks about the choices and the – the way they were treated based on where their ethnic origins are, mixed race. And so it’s just a very – it’s a very interesting, uh, part of the story for him.
NADINE SIERRA: Yes.
BRIAN JAGDE: And then he makes friends with the guy who’s trying to kill him. I mean... (Laughs)
NADINE SIERRA: Yeah. It’s very operatic, isn’t it?
BRIAN JAGDE: Right? Only in opera.
NADINE SIERRA: I know.
BRIAN JAGDE: Only in opera, Nadine.
NADINE SIERRA: (Laughs) I love it.
BRIAN JAGDE: No, but, you know, we become friends until he finds out who I am.
NADINE SIERRA: Wow.
BRIAN JAGDE: And so, yeah, then we fight.
NADINE SIERRA: Yeah.
BRIAN JAGDE: So, yeah, it’s so much evolving, it’s so much love. And honestly you see almost more love, brotherly love in this opera for my character than you actually see with me and Lise.
NADINE SIERRA: Well, yeah.
BRIAN JAGDE: Because Leonora and I barely see each other. (Laughs)
NADINE SIERRA: Goodness. So, Brian, I know this is a big act for you and you have to get going.
BRIAN JAGDE: Yes. Of course.
NADINE SIERRA: So, thank you so much. Get into your position.
BRIAN JAGDE: Will do. Thank you.
NADINE SIERRA: And toi, toi, toi.
BRIAN JAGDE: Thank you, everybody, for coming out.
NADINE SIERRA: Yeah! (Laughs) Thank you.
BRIAN JAGDE: Thank you.
READ: Throw to Act III
NADINE SIERRA: At the end of the previous act, Leonora has renounced earthly pleasures and committed herself to a life of solitude and prayer. But the forces of destiny have other ideas for her and for the two men whose lives are inextricably entwined with hers. Here is Act Three.
READ: Sierra intro Donald Palumbo
NADINE SIERRA: As we’ve been hearing, the Met chorus plays a major role in La Forza del Destino. They are its voices of destiny. Our cameras followed the Met’s unparalleled chorus master, Donald Palumbo, as he prepared the great Met chorus for this epic work.
DONALD PALUMBO: Forza used to be a standard piece at the Met. It used to be performed every other year, and it’s been so long now since we’ve taken up Forza. It’s been a revelation for a lot of the choristers, saying, “I didn't even know this… I never knew this opera, I didn't realize how beautiful it is.” The solo writing but, in particular, the chorus writing is just – just very special and unique.
We have to change moods, change characters back and forth throughout the entire piece. The biggest contrast might be between the very first two scenes that we sing. The first scene in the opera takes place in an – in an inn and, uh, it’s pretty coarse, boisterous – uh, drinking, dancing. The first word we say is not even a word, it’s “Holà,” and that sort of sets the tone for the entire scene.
And the next time you see the chorus, the men are singing a hymn offstage in Latin. There’s an organ playing with the men as they sing this Latin chant. Uh, as Leonora arrives, she hears this sound and all of a sudden the opera takes a twist into a world of spirituality, of calm, of solace. The music changes completely at that moment in the opera.
And then the men appear onstage and sing the most beautiful chorus, I think, one of the most beautiful moments in all of opera, “La vergine degli angeli.” When we come onstage, the chorus becomes the organ in the scene. And we intone these beautiful chords over a simple harp arpeggio accompaniment. Just the men by themselves. It sounds almost a cappella, it really feels like an organ solo.
Each individual chorister has to listen constantly, not so much to their sound, but the collective that’s ringing around them.
The way to achieve this blended, uniform sound is to make sure that all of the vowels are consistent across all of the singers.
“It’s very good guys, but the word S-U-O has two syllables in it, and what I’m hearing is a one-syllable with a glide. So, any way we can get suo, suo. At this tempo, we hear every syllable. Yeah? Second phrase. Three and a four. Good, good.”
When you have 50 men, all of the vowels are going to have individual quirks to them. So we end up working on each chord, trying to get that uniform vowel color, but also uniform color from one vowel to the next. And that’s what we spend most of our time in List Hall working on – finding that blended sound with a collection of such diverse, strong voices.
“The long notes have to have the triplets in them. It’s all this angel wings fluttering. It’s almost there guys. We’ve got to knock their socks off with this. There’s no other chorus that can sing this as beautifully as you can, so we’ve got to nail this one.”
It’s absolutely blended, round, grounded, calm spirituality. This rich male chorus sounds like the earth, in a way, just shuddering underneath, while the harp is – is heaven, in a way. And Leonora stands in the middle of these two places. It’s an amazing moment, and to have a soprano like Lise Davidsen sailing over us is just one of the greatest thrills I’ve had here at the Met.
There’s a scene later on in the opera which is basically a camp scene. And people are trying to have a good time despite the fact that everything has been destroyed around them.
And then Preziosilla steps forward and she starts this “Rataplan,” which is a segment that is basically a cappella. There's a drum off-stage. The chorus is trying to be the drum as well with our “rataplan” with the text.
And it’s a very long segment. The first couple of times we rehearsed the piece, the chorus said at the end, “Oh my God, my lips are – I can't talk anymore. I’ve just sung three hundred rataplan, rata-plan-plan-plan.” And so it’s very difficult physically. The P-L is what – what does you in after a while. “That’s a short – that is not a quarter.” And it’s so much fun, so much fun to sing.
And for me and for a lot of the choristers, we all are just so, uh – so happy with the sound that we make together, and those List Hall rehearsals sometimes can be just as rewarding as a performance. But our goal is to take that musical work, that solidity, take it to the stage and share it with the audience so that they hear what we’ve worked on musically for so long. And the great thing about opera is that you can look at it on the page, but what the audience is going to see and hear is going to be different every time they come to the theater. And it’s our job to bring – bring the score alive to them in – in a different way every time we perform.
INTERVIEW: Sierra w/ Anton Rist (with clarinet)
NADINE SIERRA: I’m now in the pit, the home to the Met orchestra, considered by many, including its music director, as the finest opera orchestra in the world. I’m joined by principal clarinetist Anton Rist, whom we heard deliver that gorgeous solo in the last act. I>t was very beautiful.
ANTON RIST: Thank you so much.
NADINE SIERRA: So, Anton, it’s so cool to get the chance to visit you inside of the orchestra pit. This is my first time being in the pit actually.
ANTON RIST: Really?
NADINE SIERRA: Yes.
ANTON RIST: Wow.
NADINE SIERRA: And your playing is just so beautiful. Do you enjoy the way that Verdi writes for the clarinet?
ANTON RIST: Thank you so much. He writes so beautifully for the clarinet, um, and especially in this opera.
NADINE SIERRA: Yeah.
ANTON RIST: And it’s meaningful actually because it was written – this solo was written for, um, a friend of his, a clarinetist, and who is one of our sort of idols going back, who wrote etude books. So, it’s very, very well written for the instrument.
NADINE SIERRA: Oh, lovely. The Met orchestra is famous for its lockstep accompaniment of the singers on stage, even though the spatial distances in this large opera house, it’s pretty great. What does it take to follow a singer so closely as you did with the tenor in the aria when you have that kind of space between each other?
ANTON RIST: You know, it’s sort of like an intuition that you develop over time. So, it’s sort of like mind control. (Laughs)
NADINE SIERRA: Yeah. (Laughs)
ANTON RIST: You start to sense, okay, they’re going to – they’re changing the color slightly.
NADINE SIERRA: Yes.
ANTON RIST: Move now, you know?
NADINE SIERRA: Uh-huh.
ANTON RIST: And so it’s – it’s easy to start just waiting for each other and it gets slower and slower. So, it’s sort of a mix of just sort of playing just softly enough and being just aware enough that you can really sort of meld minds with –
NADINE SIERRA: Right, energetically feel things.
ANTON RIST: Exactly, exactly.
NADINE SIERRA: That makes a lot of sense. What is particularly satisfying about playing in the Met orchestra as opposed to a full-time symphony orchestra?
ANTON RIST: Well, the thing I love about playing in the Met and playing opera is you wear so many different hats. So, most of the time we’re accompaniment, and like we talked about, you’re really glued to what’s happening on the stage. Uh, sometimes you’re a soloist and you have to step forward and sort of, you know, go up there with the action and be very present and expressive. Um, and there’s everything in between. Your – you have to display so many characters, such a range of emotions, such a range of approaches and sort of roles you have to fill. So, it’s always exciting.
NADINE SIERRA: Oh, how fun.
ANTON RIST: It’s always really fun. Yeah.
NADINE SIERRA: That’s so nice. And you’re a native New Yorker. You were born and raised in the city.
ANTON RIST: That’s right.
NADINE SIERRA: Do you go to the – did you go to the Met when you were growing up, and did you ever think I want to play here someday? Was that the ultimate goal?
ANTON RIST: Absolutely. It was. I always wanted to play here. Everyone that I’ve – all the clarinetists I’ve idolized have played in this orchestra.
NADINE SIERRA: Yes.
ANTON RIST: So, it was always a dream of mine. And, yes, I did – I did grow up coming to the Met as a kid and through – through Juilliard.
NADINE SIERRA: And you did it.
ANTON RIST: Yes.
NADINE SIERRA: I love that. Anton, thank you so much for your beautiful work today and in bocca al lupo for the rest.
ANTON RIST: Thank you.
NADINE SIERRA: You’re very welcome.
READ: Sierra Neubauer / Throw to break
NADINE SIERRA: The Met’s Live in HD series is made possible thanks to its founding sponsor, the Neubauer Family Foundation. Digital support is provided by Bloomberg Philanthropies. The Met Life in HD series is supported by Rolex. We’ll be back after a break.
READ: Sierra intro Roméo et Juliette clip
NADINE SIERRA: Welcome back. The Met’s next cinema transmission, Roméo et Juliette, is two weeks from today and I have extra good reason to be excited about it since I get to sing the role of Juliette opposite fabulous French tenor Benjamin Bernheim as Roméo. Here’s an excerpt of Benjamin singing Roméo’s moving aria “Ah! Lève-toi, soleil” in rehearsal last week.
INTERVIEW: Sierra w/ Benjamin Bernheim
NADINE SIERRA: Benjamin Bernheim is with me now. Hi, Ben. My Romeo.
BENJAMIN BERNHEIM: Hi, Nadine.
NADINE SIERRA: So, I can’t tell you how much I love singing Juliette with you but how do you feel about playing Romeo?
BENJAMIN BERNHEIM: Well, it is one of my favorite, if not signature roles in the repertoire, especially in the French repertoire. And for me it is a great pleasure and a great honor also to bring it on the American stage here.
NADINE SIERRA: Yes.
BENJAMIN BERNHEIM: And to bring the – my French face, my French lines, my French way of singing it and bringing it to the American audience alongside with you.
NADINE SIERRA: Yeah.
BENJAMIN BERNHEIM: I have the very good feeling that we make each other, uh, better.
NADINE SIERRA: Yes, I agree with that.
BENJAMIN BERNHEIM: We are a very good couple on stage.
NADINE SIERRA: Yes.
BENJAMIN BERNHEIM: And we bring some – a lot of sparkles I think to the audience. I mean, the audience really loved it so far.
NADINE SIERRA: Yeah.
BENJAMIN BERNHEIM: So, I’m really, really excited to bring this to America, to bring this in New York and to have you.
NADINE SIERRA: Oh, thank you, Ben. That’s very sweet. And people talk about your great feel for the French style, speaking of French style. And I just want to know what does this French style mean to you? How would you describe that as being?
BENJAMIN BERNHEIM: Well, I think it is a very personal approach. We all have a very personal approach on how we want to sing a line. What is legato, what is the French, um, speaking, the French language in your tongue, in your mouth.
NADINE SIERRA: Mm hmm.
BENJAMIN BERNHEIM: And my way, what I prefer is to search, to aim for the elegance.
NADINE SIERRA: Yes.
BENJAMIN BERNHEIM: The most elegance possible. What I learned from [MATT DI-DOSAY?], Robert [DWAL-EN-YA?], Alan [RONSO?], [JOSH TILL?] – all these people had a taste for elegant line, which I think is what the French elegant vision way of singing is.
NADINE SIERRA: Yes.
BENJAMIN BERNHEIM: And for me, this is not something that you have. It is always something that you’re aiming to have.
NADINE SIERRA: Right, right.
BENJAMIN BERNHEIM: And you never really get it because you’re never really happy as a performer, as a singer, but you aim for something that is as elegant and tasteful as possible.
NADINE SIERRA: And you really do that, Ben. I’ve told you before, you really inspire me when we’re on stage together. And I’m actually listening out for when you’re singing in this French style you’re speaking of and it really inspires me to even aim higher and do better. So, I thank you. That was a side note – but thank you.
BENJAMIN BERNHEIM: Well, I do think that if we make each other better, it’s – it’s a great experience.
NADINE SIERRA: Yeah, I think so too. And so, this is your first time working with Maestro Nézet-Séguin or –
BENJAMIN BERNHEIM: It is the first time.
NADINE SIERRA: It is the first time?
BENJAMIN BERNHEIM: It’s the first time – I met him for the first time with you the other day at rehearsals.
NADINE SIERRA: Oh, I didn’t know that. And have you enjoyed working with him?
BENJAMIN BERNHEIM: Oh, so much. I have to say he is one of these people that, when he enters a room, brings such a good mood.
NADINE SIERRA: Yes.
BENJAMIN BERNHEIM: Positive vibes, positive thoughts.
NADINE SIERRA: I agree with that.
BENJAMIN BERNHEIM: You actually, as a singer, want to sing well for him.
NADINE SIERRA: Yes.
BENJAMIN BERNHEIM: Because he invites – he invites any singer to – to be really – to give the best.
NADINE SIERRA: Yes, and to engage as much as possible. It’s very important.
BENJAMIN BERNHEIM: Exactly, to engage. But you do not feel – you do not feel small, you do not feel like you’re afraid.
NADINE SIERRA: Yeah.
BENJAMIN BERNHEIM: I felt that with a lot of amazing famous conductors, but him, he is giving something with his smile, with his eyes, uh, an invitation of come, give me something. And I have to say it’s been a great pleasure so far.
NADINE SIERRA: Oh good. I agree with that. Ben, it has been a pleasure to speak with you and interview you. Thank you so much. I will see you tomorrow.
BENJAMIN BERNHEIM: Absolutely. See you tomorrow. Thank you very much, Nadine.
NADINE SIERRA: You’re very welcome. Thank you.
BENJAMIN BERNHEIM: Have a good one.
NADINE SIERRA: You too.
READ: PSA / Fundraising / Throw to HD Season Preview
NADINE SIERRA: Like Benjamin, I also made my Met debut in Verdi’s Rigoletto but my debut was back in 2015. I was in my mid-20s and I had grown up watching the Met’s Live in HD movie theatre presentations. The cinema broadcasts are an extraordinary introduction to opera and an amazing way to experience our art form.
But opera on screen is not the same as opera in the opera house. You simply have to be here to grasp the full power of a great singer soring over a remarkable orchestra. So, please come to the Met or visit your local opera company.
The Met’s cinema season has offered an astounding mix of repertoire. So far, we’ve heard opera sung in Italian, French, English and Spanish. We’ve heard music from Verdi and Bizet but also contemporary composers like Jake Heggie and Anthony Davis. As you can imagine, presenting this range of repertoire in both new productions and classic stagings – well, it’s expensive and ticket sales cover only a fraction of the cost.
The Met relies on opera lovers like you to help make up the difference. So, if you’re able to make a donation, please visit metopera.org/membership or call us at 1-800-MET-OPERA. You can also text HDLIVE to 44321 to make a contribution. Thank you for your support of the Met.
The Met has three more movie theatre presentations coming up this season. Here’s a preview.
INTERVIEW: Sierra w/ Igor Golovatenko
NADINE SIERRA: I’m joined now by our Don Carlo, baritone Igor Golovatenko. Hello, Igor.
IGOR GOLOVATENKO: Hi, Nadine. Thank you so much. Thank you.
NADINE SIERRA: Hi. Yeah, of course. So, I understand this is your role debut as Don Carlo?
IGOR GOLOVATENKO: Yeah, it is, it is.
NADINE SIERRA: Wow.
IGOR GOLOVATENKO: It’s world debut, yeah.
NADINE SIERRA: What has that been like to learn this part and then immerse that part in this new production?
IGOR GOLOVATENKO: Oh, it’s such a great experience, you know. And this is not only the role debut, this is my first Verdi at the Met actually.
NADINE SIERRA: Really?
IGOR GOLOVATENKO: Yeah.
NADINE SIERRA: Oh, wow.
IGOR GOLOVATENKO: Which is so exciting.
NADINE SIERRA: That is.
IGOR GOLOVATENKO: Yes. And the role is, of course, very difficult but it’s such beautiful music, you know. It’s fascinating. Yeah, it’s so great to do it here now.
NADINE SIERRA: Yeah, I can only imagine. Really. You’re doing such a great job.
IGOR GOLOVATENKO: Thank you.
NADINE SIERRA: And the director, Mariusz Trelińskio has compared Carlo to Shakespeare’s Hamlet. How do you see him?
IGOR GOLOVATENKO: Sort of, yeah, sort of. Because he – he’s kind of, you know, traveling between two sides of himself.
NADINE SIERRA: Yeah. Uh-huh.
IGOR GOLOVATENKO: So, first – first side is like, he’s – he’s a very – how to say, modest and shy person, you know.
NADINE SIERRA: Right. Mm hmm.
IGOR GOLOVATENKO: And the other side when he realized he has to kill his best friend, you know, and also kill his sister is – you know, I think this really ruins him. Especially –
NADINE SIERRA: Yeah. It would ruin anybody, yes.
IGOR GOLOVATENKO: Yeah, but I mean it’s drama. Drama is like this. This is one of the most fascinating dramas Verdi ever wrote.
NADINE SIERRA: Absolutely.
IGOR GOLOVATENKO: So, this is – yeah, this is – but it’s hard.
NADINE SIERRA: Yes.
IGOR GOLOVATENKO: It’s hard.
NADINE SIERRA: Yes, very.
IGOR GOLOVATENKO: And we were rehearsing very long (indiscernible) –
NADINE SIERRA: I can only imagine.
IGOR GOLOVATENKO: Like, six weeks.
NADINE SIERRA: Yes, especially with a new production and everything.
IGOR GOLOVATENKO: Oh, yes. Oh, yeah, yeah.
NADINE SIERRA: But what is the musical high point for Forza for you?
IGOR GOLOVATENKO: It’s, of course, the aria, “Una fatale.”
NADINE SIERRA: Yes.
IGOR GOLOVATENKO: Yeah, it’s one of the most famous highlights ever.
NADINE SIERRA: Yes.
IGOR GOLOVATENKO: But I also like, you know, the final duet in the third act with Brian.
NADINE SIERRA: Uh-huh, yeah.
IGOR GOLOVATENKO: Because they used to cut it, you know, many years ago.
NADINE SIERRA: Oh, I didn’t know that.
IGOR GOLOVATENKO: Now, they – they play everything. And this is – this is a very good duet over beautiful music also.
NADINE SIERRA: Yes.
IGOR GOLOVATENKO: Because – because everybody knows the final duet with Don Alvaro which is really very famous.
NADINE SIERRA: Exactly.
IGOR GOLOVATENKO: But that one is also now very – so, if you could pay attention to that duet too, you know, I would appreciate it.
NADINE SIERRA: Oh, lovely. So, you already have many Verdi roles in your repertoire now. What do you enjoy about singing his music? About singing Verdi music?
IGOR GOLOVATENKO: You k now, I love his, uh, mode of writing for the voice.
NADINE SIERRA: yes.
IGOR GOLOVATENKO: This is very wise. you know, he – he always spares your moments, you know? I mean, he – he don’t do – he doesn’t do the full energy in the first – first aria or first scene.
NADINE SIERRA: He allows you to pace yourself.
IGOR GOLOVATENKO: Yes, yes.
NADINE SIERRA: Yes.
IGOR GOLOVATENKO: He builds the role very, you know –
NADINE SIERRA: Very smart.
IGOR GOLOVATENKO: – like a very, very good dramaturge.
NADINE SIERRA: Yes. Yeah, that’s very important.
IGOR GOLOVATENKO: Yes, yes.
NADINE SIERRA: Especially for us. Well, Igor, we’ve heard such impressive singing from you today.
IGOR GOLOVATENKO: Thank you.
NADINE SIERRA: Thank you so much. The Met is fortunate to have you on its stage.
IGOR GOLOVATENKO: Thank you so much. Thank you so much.
NADINE SIERRA: And, yeah, thank you for speaking with me.
IGOR GOLOVATENKO: Thank you, Nadine. Thank you, thank you.
NADINE SIERRA: It was a pleasure. Thank you.
IGOR GOLOVATENKO: It was such a pleasure. Thank you so much.
NADINE SIERRA: Spasiba.
IGOR GOLOVATENKO: Spasiba.
READ: Throw to Act IV
NADINE SIERRA: An apocalyptic world in the not too distant future is the dystopian setting for the last act of La Forza del Destino. In a final twist of fate, our three long-suffering protagonists find out what is in store for them. Here is the powerful conclusion to La Forza del Destino.