Gratuitous Luca Pisaroni Post – Kleine Zeitung Interview

This started out as a random gratuitous post, but then I came back across this July 3rd newspaper interview with Luca. There's not really any new news here, but it's always nice to have a quick overview of his career. 

Luca Pisaroni: 

Verdi Instead of Soccer

In your biography we read: "Born in Venezuela”

LUCA Pisaroni: This was rather a mistake, because my parents worked there for ten years. But in 1980 we returned to Europe. I grew up in Busseto, so I am a true Italian, even though I’ve lived in Vienna for seven years.

Your way to becoming a singer. . . ?

Pisaroni. . . was greatly influenced by my grandfather, who always played opera music at home. He had a bulging collection of Verdi arias. I always sang. I was not yet ten. And thought it would be "quite nice"to become an opera singer. At eleven, I was able to see "Aida" at the Arena di Verona. From there it was no longer just "pretty nice", but a must. Starting at twelve I did not go to Milan to watch football matches from Inter, but listened to master classes by Carlo Bergonzi.

What did he tell you?

Pisaroni: That I was too young, still had to wait. At 18, I began to study singing in Milan.

When were you allowed for the first time on stage?

Pisaroni: In March 2001 in Klagenfurt, as Figaro. That was my key role in over ten productions. I went at it very seriously, allowed myself no freedom, no quality time at the lake; I lived as an ascetic. But I was in good hands, in retrospect it was for me a wonderful time.

At that time you had already signed the first contract for Salzburg.

Pisaroni: Yes, I was allowed to sing for Nikolaus Harnoncourt in Zurich, and he asked: "Can you imagine singing Masetto in Don Giovanni in Salzburg in 2002?" Who could refuse? Harnoncourt changed all my ideas of music and my approach to them. For me, he is my mentor.

At what stage of your career you are in your opinion today?

Pisaroni: Back in 2002 in Salzburg colleagues said to me: "Now you've made it!" When I first sang at the Met, I heard the same thing. But I myself never feel that I have "made it". A singer’s life is like a long journey, and I'm only just beginning. The really big jobs are yet come. 

Interview: Ludwig Heinrich

Translation by Google translate, and tweaked by me.