In the beginning of May the Grand Théâtre de Genève presented the premieres of the “Cosi fan tutte” opera, featured with NOVAT’s prima donna Veronika Jioeva, the national artist of South and North Ossetia republics, who played one of the title roles – Fiordiligi. “Casting was done perfectly – wrote Swiss media on David Bösch’s production. The basis of Mozart’s opera, the story of two young officers, challenging their ladies’ fidelity was moved into the middle of XX century, as envisioned by the director. - There might have been not enough space in this role for Veronika Jioeva’s dramatic soprano, but their cooperation with warm and rich tone of Alexandra Kadurina (Dorabella) was a complete success. Each voice enhanced the beauty of another, keeping its own nature. Furthermore, both singers have shown perfect pronunciation.” Recently, NOVAT’s star Veronika Jioeva gave an interview for the Swiss edition “Nasha Gazeta”.
– Veronika, the upcoming performance in the local Grand Theatre is your debut in Geneva. Share with us your impressions of the city, the theatre, your colleagues.
- I fell in love with Geneva! And I also think, it’s impossible not to. I feel unexplainably great here; better than in Prague, which is currently my hometown. The weather is nice, the air is amazing. I guess it’s just some local atmosphere – you wake up in good mood, you always want to go out somewhere.
- It’s a pity we will perform in a temporary substitute theatre instead of the old historical building, although the acoustics is fine and my voice is big. My partners for this performance are amazing people: Alexandra Kadurina of the Bolshoi theatre plays Dorabella, Vittorio Prato (Guglielmo) is a great guy, and Steve Daveslim (Ferrando) and Monica Bocelli (Despina). We have obtained mutual understanding with the Swiss director David Bosch, and things are going well. I like calm directors, and this is David’s huge advantage. He never screams, lets the artists improvise, and he’s good at explaining. So, we are lucky.
- In Soviet period an artist usually stayed at the theatre he first entered. You are now a member of three theatres – the Novosibirsk one, the Bolshoi and the Mariinsky, and you tour abroad a lot. How difficult is that? What else is required to live such a busy artistic life?
- My employment book stays in Novosibirsk! (Laughing) My busy schedule doesn’t bother me: I get used to new conditions quite fast; I get on well with the change of climate or time zones. All I need is good sleep; I can even get along without melatonin. One day I’m on Cuba Island, in thirty six hours I sing Verdi’s aria. And it goes well. The singer’s discipline is hard, like in sports, you have to keep fit.
As for the industry in general, to my sorrow I mark how the theatres, the directors fear the big voices. We get pushed aside more and more, in favor of the “light” voices. For the record, Renata Tibaldi used to sing Mimi back in the day. And nowadays, in “La Traviata” the singers who used to perform Annina at maximum now sing Violetta. Things go off balance, opera has become a shallow genre, and nobody cares about the singer’s personality, casting is indiscriminate. The modern directors don’t like vivid personality. And a person with significant voice is probably going to have a specific temper. A less gifted singer is usually more flexible – he would comply with everything. As a result we get more bad performances, negative responses. It appears, that the singers are no longer important, our names are written on the billboards in smaller font and not on the first place anymore, only after the director and the conductor – check it out sometime. This is bad and upsetting, because I think the singers make things work and the audience come to listen to the voice of the singer!
I decided to trial the Turandot princess in Novosibirsk. If it works out well, I’m bringing it to the Bolshoi theatre in September. If it doesn’t – I’ll sing Liu.
- What is your opinion on unusual rendering of the classical opera plots?
- I think a really talented man deserves trust. I took part in three different productions of Dmitry Chernyakov, and they were all pretty much controversial. But is a talented person, and you should give him credit: he always knows the music, remembers all the details, he is familiar with the libretto. He knows what he wants. And the rest… We got used to it. Long time ago I’ve made peace with singing laying on the floor, or on the run. Times like these – you sit at home or you go and do it. Sometimes I happen to persuade the director. And I’m quite lucky – I never took part in completely insane performances.
– The Fiordiligi part must be special for you, for it was the first one you’ve sung in Moscow Music House 2006 (performance was conducted by maestro Teodor Currentzis), and which brought you the metropolitan recognition.
This is true! To go on with, it was my favorite Mozart’s opera, though I have sung the Countess in “The Marriage of Figaro” and Elvira in “Don Juan”. However, the Fiordiligi part suits me perfectly! For me, this part is easy to perform. People wonder, how I can sing both Fiordiligi and Tosca. I see no discord here. I’m a soprano and I sing the soprano parts, staying out of the other repertoire.
It was great working with Teodor Currentzis. Can you imagine how many rehearsals we’d had if the orchestra played by heart? He has his own approach to Mozart, no doubt – he likes it to be sung straight, “non vibrato”. I think it was easy for him to work with me, since I sing what I’ve been shown.
In fact, Mozart is a therapy for a singer; he freshens up your voice. I always advise the young singers to sing older music, Scarlatti, for example. This type of music extends our artistic years.
- The plot of “Cosi fan tutte” is pretty simple: two friends decide to challenge their ladies’ fidelity, and that decision causes all the troubles. Nowadays people treat relations easier: they get together then split up and so on. Do you believe in fidelity?
- Yes I do! I believe in fidelity, in love and in warm interpersonal attitude. If I didn’t I would have to change occupation. Anyway, this performance sets in a different time span, 1950s – 1960s. I believe the performance is quite spectacular; at least we are having fun getting it ready.
- Yes I do! I believe in fidelity, in love and in warm interpersonal attitude. If I didn’t I would have to change occupation. Anyway, this performance sets in a different time span, 1950s – 1960s. I believe the performance is quite spectacular; at least we are having fun getting it ready.
– Unfortunately, theatres stage all the same material. There’s a lot of unrighteously forgotten music. I’d like to sing some Taneev’s stuff – once I sang his cantata “At the Reading of a Psalm” for four voices and two choruses and that was a pure delight! And he has an opera – “Oresteia”. The early Verdi is rarely sung, though he is so good for the voice. But of course the theatres use the most popular pieces, this way it’s easier to sell the tickets and this determines the choice.
- There is a notion of a role specialization and you are quite a versatile artist: you take both the pure classic and the contemporary content. Why is it so – are you interested in everything?
- Exactly. I’m interested in everything. That’s my temper – I change my views pretty quickly, even in clothing. I bought something today, the next day I don’t like it anymore. I am attracted to diverse parts that can accent different sides of my voice, because the voice has a short life.
- Is there a part that you’ve never performed, but you’d wish to? And the conductor that you would like to work with?
- Of all the parts I’d probably choose Adriana Lecouvreur and Lady Macbeth. The conductor is Yury Hatuevich Temirkanov. It’s just my dream! The other day it almost got fulfilled, but the “Iolanta” opera was called off in Paris, which I regret deeply. And I hope I will have another opportunity!
- Your homeland, South Ossetia, recently suffered a lot. You are quite appreciated there – in 2014 you were called the National Artist of Ossetia and the Man of the Year of the South Ossetia Republic. We know you participate in the republic’s cultural life; tell us about the main events.
- My main project was the “Alania Star” festival. Two times it was held in Tskhinvali, and the third time will be in June 2017 at the Novosibirsk Opera and Ballet theatre.
- Why?
- Unfortunately, Ossetia has no opera traditions or any interest for the subject in the government, no professional hierarchy, no management capable of arranging a decent event. There’s even no place worthy of those people, who agreed to maintain my idea, and what’s important - for free. The festival was held at the music college building. The heat is raging, air conditioning is out of order. My colleagues are already taking a trip to a distant, unknown place, and they deserve to be received well. It’s possible in Novosibirsk. Too bad I can’t make my fellow citizens familiar with my favorite kind of art. And one more thing: when I sing in Madrid, the Queen Sofia is in the house, the same in Stockholm and Athens. And the people follow their government. In Ossetia the situation is completely opposite, regarding that the people are musically gifted mostly. I hope the situation will change soon; I’d love to work in Ossetia, arrange workshops, invite the stars…
Veronica Jioeva will play her favorite parts during the festival, which is to be held in the Novosibirsk Opera and Ballet theatre in the beginning of June. On 8th June she will perform Mimi in Puccini’s “La Boheme” opera; on 16th June she will play Aida in Verdi’s opera of the same name; on 30th June Veronika Jioeva will sing the Michaela part in Bizet’s “Carmen”.
Besides, prima donna is preparing a special gift for the Novosibirsk audience – she will make two significant debuts: on 23rd June she will sing the main part in Puccini’s “Turandot” and on 5th June the audience will witness Veronika performing Amelia in Verdi’s opera “Un Ballo in Maschera” for the first time.
The grand gala-concert featuring the guest stars of the world opera will set the final cord of the festival. Vasily Ladyuk, Yulia Matochkina, Liana Sass and the soloists of NOVAT’s opera company will take part in this concert. The performance will be conducted by Dmitry Korchak, the director is Vyacheslav Starodubtsev.
Tickets are available on the website and at the box office.