Monday, September 2, 2013

Jonas Kaufmann – No Limits

If he weren't the greatest tenor singing today, he’d sound arrogant. In this nearly-20-minute interview, Jonas Kaufmann talks about Verdi, Don Carlo, and Schiller, among others. Herr Kaufmann clearly has a good perspective on his career. He has brains as well as resonance; and he studies more than just the notes when he learns a role! 

JK also shares his thoughts about updated stagings (Verdi is pretty indestructible, while Puccini is much more tied to his original settings.) (Thanks to Intermezzo for drawing our attention to this fascinating interview.





And, the complete Don Carlo from Salzburg is back on the Tube of You...temporarily

13 comments:

  1. I'm curious--what did you find arrogant in this interview?

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  2. Oh, don't get me wrong I don't think he's at all arrogant. He is confident, and it's obvious he has his voice and career under control. And he has worked hard to get there.

    If one either didn't like him for some reason (hard to imagine!!) or one didn't know about his earlier vocal issues, and the time he took to correct them, then comments like, "there are no more limits...I can do all the big operas" and "my voice is pretty much capable of anything..." might be misunderstood as overly confident.

    But I happen to agree with him. In fact, on another post we were (seriously) considering him as Alwa in our fantasy cast of Lulu. I have to say I hate to see him take up Otello, but I think that's just because I am not a fan of the opera itself!

    By the way, thanks for writing. I just started reading your blog, and I am really enjoying it!

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  3. Ah OK, I see what you mean. And thanks for the comment about my blog! I need to get back to that...

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  4. JK describing how Verdi created "twenty six operas, and none of them really bad" - I loved this, for some reason.

    He doesn't seem arrogant - just straightforward and serious, without false modesty.

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    1. He's confident and self-assured; and well he should be!

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  5. His Otello with Harteros as Desdemona will really be something!

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    1. I guess I could set aside my aversion to Otello if JK and AH were starting in it. And maybe say... hmmm...Thomas Hampson or Luca Pisaroni as Iago.

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  6. To poach a phrase from Brian Blessed, "Form an orderly queue behind me." He was talking about a mission to Mars, but I'd be happy to settle for Otello with this casting. (But, sorry Rob, please not Hampson.)

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    1. OK, TH doesn't need to be in my fantasy Otello! I was just fishing! :)

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    2. Thank you! I'd be willing to give LP a shot, though :-)

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    3. Thanks! I am trying to think of who in my pool of favorite baritones would not risk shredding their voice with Iago. (that's an assumption, since I really don't know the opera ALL .that well.) Maybe Michael Volle, or .... hmmm.

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  7. Thanks for passing this on. Yay for a tenor who doesn't default to history for Don Carlos, even if he doesn't quite get around to explaining why not.

    Also curious that the discussion on productions is limited to period "updating". Makes for an awfully literal interpretation of the notion of directorial messing about.

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    1. I am not sure if he would have said more...maybe he DID say more. Of course, to some extent, the interview is directed by the interviewER. Oh, and you're welcome. It's always interesting to hear what JK has to say. I did like his comment about Carlos being in love with his mother. I had to stop and think for a minute., cause I didn't remember that part of the opera. Oh yeah!! his STEPmother!! Doh!

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