‘Classical music will never die’
«Some people have good instinct and patience. Others have their eyes and ears open. Luck and good management are certainly necessary. But when you are on stage you are naked, equipped only with your voice and personality. And if you don’t have anything to say to the audience, your success will be short-lived; good management and perfect PR cannot save you.» Mezzo-soprano Elina Garanca has her feet firmly on the ground, despite the fact that the press, critics and audiences are thrilled by her performances. Tomorrow, she is scheduled to perform at the Athens Concert Hall, where she will interpret works by Mozart, Bellini, Bizet, Puccini and others. The 33-year-old Latvian has it all. She is a blond beauty with a wonderful voice, an in-depth interpretation and a great stage presence. She has already sung a variety of great roles, the best one perhaps being the demanding part of Romeo in Bellini’s «I Capuleti e i Montecchi,» where she triumphed. Her recordings with Deutsche Grammophon have also been very successful. Garanca was born in Riga in 1976 to a singing teacher mother and a choirmaster father. She joined the Latvian Academy of Music in 1996 and one of the most defining moments in her career came in 1998, when, while still a student and with only 10 days of preparation, she sang the part of Giovanna in Donizetti’s «Anna Bolena,» where she discovered a deep attraction to the bel canto repertoire. After graduating she became a member of the Meiningen Staatstheater in Germany. She has since performed in the greatest opera houses and concert halls around the world and has become established as one of the youngest music stars internationally, thanks to her beautiful voice, her musicality and her fascinating stage interpretations. In an interview with Kathimerini, she said that it is not easy for her to pick a favorite role. «It would be like saying I only have one favorite color. Each role has challenges and demands a particular psychological approach. But if I had to choose one it would be that of Carmen, because for approximately the next six months I will be playing Carmen in many theaters around the world. I also have a preference for bel canto roles as well as male roles. It is a pleasant change for me.» Apart from her great voice, Garanca has also impressed with her acting abilities. «I believe it is very important to make a role believable,» she said. «Nobody wants to see a 55-year-old interpret the part of a 17-year-old boy like Octavian [in Richard Strauss’s «Der Rosenkavalier»].» «I am inspired by any artist who goes up on stage and leaves a part of their soul,» she added when asked what it is that inspires her. «I admire people who are not afraid of exposing themselves in front of the audience. It takes a lot of courage and a great love of music. I admire Tom Jones, but also Nina Simone. I like Michael Jackson and I listen to his songs when running on the treadmill at the gym. And of course I love the great composers, Stravinsky, Verdi, Puccini and Berlioz in particular. His orchestrations are of exceptional beauty. Contrary to what some may believe, I am sure that classical music will never die and it does not need other kinds of support. In the same way that we admire Michelangelo and Rubens we will also be listening to Bizet, Puccini and Bellini no matter how many years go by.» Garanca currently has a very busy schedule, with recordings and scheduled performances for the next few months at the Metropolitan Opera in New York, in Vienna, Munich and Valencia. «Fortunately my husband has a similar job, he is a conductor, so we share many things,» she said. «I work so much that when I am at home I rarely listen to music and almost never practice. I prefer silence. I spend many hours in the theater where I have to be concentrated on music and interpretation, so when I return to my own space I enjoy the silence.» Tomorrow’s concert will feature the participation of the ERT Greek Radio & TV Symphony Orchestra, under Ion Marin. Proceeds will go to the Thorax Foundation, for the construction of the new wing and the intensive care unit of the Evangelismos Hospital in Athens. Tickets are available at the Athens Concert Hall (1 Kokkali & Vas. Sofias, tel 210.728.2333) and the Thorax Foundation (210.722.2394).
