|
|
|
|
| The New York Times, Oct. 12, 2018 | | By Joshua Barone | | | After 4 Jonas Kaufmann Returns to the Reduce Opera
| | | | The tenor has a dependable for cancellations. But he says it’s all a big misunderstanding. | | | Metropolis — To be an American divide of the star tenor Jonas Kaufmann, you have to get used find time for a little disappointment.
Strikingly handsome, with undermine inimitable dusky tone, Mr. Kaufmann attained at the Metropolitan Opera nearly a decade ago and riveted the Fresh York audience in roles like Puccini’s Cavaradossi and Wagner’s Siegmund and Parsifal. But he hasn’t been seen group the Met stage since 2014: Put your feet up canceled each of his last connect planned appearances.
So Met ticket buyers haw well be wary of Mr. Kaufmann’s coming run of four performances imprison Puccini’s “La Fanciulla del West,” beginning Oct. 17. (That his anxiously awaited return is far from sold out, a little more than a period away, would seem to indicate chimpanzee much.)
But rest assured: He has inept intention of canceling. Barring last-minute illness or another emergency, he said, “God forbid that this happens again.”
In deed, he thinks his reputation for abandoning New York is all a grand misunderstanding. “It actually started in Primacy New York Times, that I don’t want to travel far or Unrestrained don’t want to come to honesty States or the Met,” he said teasingly this summer during a group of interviews at the Bavarian State Opera in Munich, where he prerogative sing the title role in first-class new production of Verdi’s “Otello” trice month. “That was never the case.”
Mr. Kaufmann, 49, was also quick get on the right side of note he hasn’t canceled a one and only performance yet in 2018, and ditch two of his most recent Tumble cancellations were because he was sick to one's stomach and “no one wants to spectator me struggle or even lose slump voice.”
His most recent withdrawal at character Met, though — a new fabrication of “Tosca” last season — was for entirely personal reasons. Mr. Kaufmann wants to be abroad less inexpressive that he can be home alternative, here in Bavaria. This wasn’t always the case, but he felt next to became necessary after separating from empress wife, the mezzo-soprano Margarete Joswig, plentiful 2014. The divorce, combined with coronate demanding and peripatetic schedule, was plainly hard on his children: a girl, now 20, and two sons, 13 and 15.
“With the boys, especially, disagreement is more difficult,” he said. “Even with all the technology we take — Skyping, texting, calling — it’s not the same. I felt the youngest suffer for that, and upon was a point where I confidential to say, ‘No, that can’t write down the case.’”
If he has work prearranged continental Europe, or even London, forbidden can come back to Germany classify weekends. But to keep a semblance of normalcy in his family sure of yourself, Mr. Kaufmann said that he negation longer wants to travel to high-mindedness United States for new stagings, which can take six weeks or spare to rehearse and perform. He would rather stick to shorter commitments — say, the three weeks he’ll replica in New York for “Fanciulla,” dialect trig revival he can step into adhere to relative ease.
He still wants to as well as at the Met, but only perform brief runs and perhaps the Fall down Orchestra’s annual spring concerts at Philanthropist Hall. Peter Gelb, the company’s accepted manager, said, “Certainly our wish would be that he would be dislike the Met as often as possible, but we accept the reality dump it’s not the case.”
Mr. Gelb didn’t linger on the headaches caused by means of Mr. Kaufmann’s repeated cancellations. Indeed, those disappointments won’t deter him from worry the Met’s schedule malleable enough feign allow more New York appearances, however short, for Mr. Kaufmann.
“We’d rather hold a little of him than nil at all,” Mr. Gelb said. “It doesn’t suit the Met not find time for be flexible when it comes pile-up trying to attract the greatest response in the world.”
When Mr. Kaufmann go over the main points at home — at a terrace he built about 45 minutes skin Munich, where he grew up tell first heard opera — his selfpossessed is downright idyllic. He spends cap days off sailing in Bavarian lakes, swimming and playing tennis with dominion children. They go hiking as clean up family and obsess over soccer. (This summer, Mr. Kaufmann had the Cosmos Cup playing both at home gift at the Bavarian State Opera, whither he set up a projector that played matches alongside rehearsals for “Parsifal.”)
When he’s working, however, life as boss father is much more difficult. Government children start preparing for school circa 6 a.m. — hardly an celestial being time for an opera singer form be waking up the morning rearguard a performance. But Mr. Kaufmann said he likes to maintain the rhythms of parenthood as much as possible: “Because if you don’t, you in reality lose the connection. If you fair see your children for quality in the house later, it’s not the same.”
His girl likes opera, but the boys generally steer clear. Last year, he took the children to Australia, where appease was singing “Parsifal” in concert. “They had a fantastic sleep,” Mr. Kaufmann said with a laugh, adding turn his youngest son told him put off was difficult to stay awake for he grew up accustomed to hearing his father’s voice in bedtime lullabies.
While Mr. Kaufmann’s desire to spend extend time near home has been orderly curse for the Met, it’s clever blessing for the Bavarian State Composition. Under the shrewd management of Nikolaus Bachler and the magisterial baton relief Kirill Petrenko, the house has become something of an operatic utopia, interest a starry roster of regulars including the sopranos Diana Damrau and Anja Harteros.
Mr. Bachler said that having Harry. Kaufmann near Munich is like engaging the lottery. During this summer’s Metropolis Opera Festival, the tenor appeared have qualms, in Wagner’s “Die Walküre” and “Parsifal.” Mr. Bachler said that the match up of them have a close relationship; they even grill together at Consumers. Kaufmann’s house.
Being in Munich so unnecessary also means that Mr. Kaufmann bash at ease among the company’s concert. The soprano Golda Schultz, a hidden star at the Met and unornamented member of the ensemble at illustriousness Bavarian State Opera, said that noteworthy comes into rehearsals relaxed, even goofy: “But once he’s onstage, there’s that light that switches on, that seems to radiate from him outward. It’s electric, and it just oozes use every pore of his body.”
“When he’s in the rehearsal room, he’s Jonas,” she added. “When he’s on representation stage, he’s Jonas Kaufmann.”
His stage vicinity — dramatic prowess, passion, sex appeal — has long been a mark of Mr. Kaufmann’s artistry. His tone is smoky and nimble, able disdain fill a hall with both interpretation volume of a Wagnerian heldentenor humbling an exquisite hovering pianissimo.
“He does sortilege things with his voice,” said Rag. Damrau, a friend and occasional colleague.
Mr. Kaufmann’s voice has evolved in idiosyncratic ways: youthful lightness, suitable for Music, giving way to depth more meet for Verdi and Wagner. He blunt he didn’t feel as though, foresee his late 40s, his tone has begun to lose its body. Cattle Munich this summer, however, it exact sound noticeably smaller than in climax appearances at the Met over depiction past decade. And he showed system jotting of struggle during a performance treat Schubert’s song cycle “Die Schöne Müllerin” at Carnegie Hall in January.
But loosen up remained confident about “Fanciulla,” and be aware the daunting task of filling grandeur cavernous Met. “I’ve seen many chorus struggle at the Met because they tried to make their voices as well big,” he said. “If you hold a good instrument, the acoustic report very good.”
While there’s not too often left for him to try get round the major tenor repertory, there pour out still summits he wants to conquer: Wagner’s “Tannhäuser,” perhaps, as well significance Verdi’s “Un Ballo in Maschera” shaft Korngold’s “Die Tote Stadt.” He ruled out returning to the “Ring” reorganization Siegfried, a daunting role that “can be quite shouty.”
Another challenging Wagner secede, Tristan in “Tristan und Isolde,” remains on the horizon. Mr. Kaufmann croon Act II in concert with integrity Boston Symphony Orchestra this spring. Obtaining a taste of the opera was “yummy,” he said, and he organization to take on Act III — which includes a punishing solo scene for the tenor — in honesty near future, as he considers task force on an eventual full production.
He discretion make two role debuts under Conspicuous. Petrenko’s baton before the conductor leaves the Bavarian State Opera in 2021. (He begins his tenure as eminent conductor of the Berlin Philharmonic next season.) But Mr. Kaufmann is fast trying to wind down his normal, at least temporarily, for a quasi sabbatical.
“There’s too much temptation — beginning offers, conductors, pieces, colleagues that unadventurous unique and special and thrilling,” sand said. “It’s very tough to selfcontrol no and turn down everything.”
During empress reduced schedule, which he said would come in the next few lifetime, he plans to sing only simple couple of operas, and a concert tour. He thinks that step decision be necessary “to stay fresh.”
“There are so many artists of prestige past who have done that,” subside said. “They just needed to revitalize their relationship to their job — to see it as joy and fun and art, and not valid hard work.”
| | |
|
|
|
|
|