|
“How do I get this
honor?” Veronika Waldner asks, when we are meeting for this interview
appointment. It's almost appearing, the sympathetic mezzo-soprano is
surprised about the public interest. During the discussion it is clear,
that the in Carinthia borned singer and since 2003 in Lübeck engaged mezzo-soprano is not suffer from the
inflated. On the contrary! She don´t seem to have noticed that she has
developed to a juvel of an ensemble shining above Lübeck, there is offers already more than ordinary
theater-level.
After studying in Graz
and other early engagement at the Vienna State Opera Veronika Waldner was
coming 1989 to Germany. Two seasons, she was engaged in Ulm, then a decade
in Wuppertal. The cooperation with Pina Bausch, led to performances at the
Opéra Garnier in Paris, at the Teatro Carlo Felice in Genoa, the Saitama
Arts Theatre in Tokyo, the Opera in Rome and Turin and numerous German
theaters.
Among others, from
Josef Loibl, Sena Jurinac and Hanna Schwarz teached singer, interpreted the
classical pants-roles, before she is changing in the dramatic mezzo-area. 2004 her Brangäne stimulates in
Lübeck, in the same year also in Hannover, spectacular, because she is
going into the center as acting and singing performer. In Hannover she was singing and playing all the international
singers on the wall! “World-class" attested her critics and talked
from a "Theater-wonder" and prognosticated a great future as new Wagner-singer.
“As Fricka with wonderful sounding, sharp characteristic
Mezzo-soprano" (Orpheus) she contributed in “Rheingold” to the end of
2007 on the successful start of the
“Ring” in Lübeck.
Veronika Waldner has
been nominated twice to the “singer of the year”, that could repeat by her
recent detour into italian fold certainly. Because the Azucena, she have
giving never belonged colors and found to a refined-independent
Interpretation away from Cliché.
Was the Azucena at the
end of 2007 after so much german repertoire you have sung for the first
time, just one kind of “balloon used in an experiment”?
Yes, and with the
success i hadn't expected. Just before it was the Verdi “Requiem" my first
big challenge in the italian fold. And I said: "Oh God, that is an
opera!”
|
In a
solid engagement you have only little influence on the repertory and this
appears inescapably that versatility. I had
often the happiness that the leaders had with vision the right roles for me
in sight. I owe in Wuppertal therefore Holk Freytag, Friedrich
Meyer-Oertel, Dr. Peter Gülke and Ludwig Baum much for my continuous
development of roles from Cherubino until Octavian. The same applies
now in Lübeck Roman Brogli-Sacher and Marc Adam for their confidence in my
dramatic skills.
Apropos
borders: I will tell you something I have never said. I have from the
outset always to me skeptical and thought that I was not created for this
profession. I was young and I had extreme problems with my spine. And what
you need when you sing? You need a straight air column. For me everything
was wrong. It was one reason for my constant uncertainty, even the best
reviewers could not otherwise me convince. Especially if i had
challenges, in which i thought, "that cask i never!" i have seen
very wild crashes, right depressions. I could two or three months not even
singing "Alle meine Entlein”. At beginning it was terrible, but I have
making the great experience that
this so hard world of theater has shown understanding. I only heard how
reactions, "let your time! Do not think on the Theatre!"
Meanwhile, I can handle it and I think that I am not the only, who has that
experienced. The most believe, however, be better to remain silent, because
it is not fiting in the opera-company.
Is that also the
reason that you are singing still in Lübeck, although you have the
potential, to make career freelanced also in the largest opera houses?
So here I am protected
and grateful that I have made the change in dramatical area, under so
optimum conditions in so wonderful
productions with so good
directors like Didier v. Orlowsky,
Anthony Pilavachi and Jakob Peters-Messer under the musical
direction of Roman Brogli Sacher, who never put me under pressure and a
public that carrying our ensemble on their hands. Also on basis of my
family roots I am an ensemble-type. I would not feel good if I only be in
the world and have contact with my husband and my ten-year old son only by
phone.
You will assume a role
better, because the type of academic interest, the person, whom you
interpret, or because you get it musically in the throat, and it is fiting
to you.
Both, but I must above all
know that I can really represent it. And it depends of course strongly by
the stage produktion. We take the “Tristan” in Lübeck in the direction of
Didier of Orlowsky. It was great for me! Hanover also has given me fun to
work with Joachim Schlömer, because the personal staging was so strong. In
a third production the staging was going manny miles away from my soul,
that my voice was losing. I had me pretty pleased, I knew the Brangäne and
told me “'Wow, this is certainly good!"
But we singers were so isolated, everyone
for themselves. I felt like on a wrong planet. And then I have said:
"Sing but simply and forget about the trimmings.
”But so what I can´ t,
if the scene doesn't help me, to
open my voice. Mood depends of voice, at me certainly!
Your calendar, as you say,
especially by the fixtures of opera in Lübeck. What to expect there?
I know that the next autumn
is very exhausting. After my Venus-debut in Eutin I sing in Lübeck first
Fricka and Waltraute in "Walküre", the title-role in
"Penthesilea" by Othmar Schoeck (“oh Schreck”, once again a
border-role!) and the Herodias. Strauss-roles stimulates me all! Composer
and Octavian, I have sung. So now the Herodias is deceptive, but not so
long that I can hopefully "crack” it.
Orpheus-International,
Journal 5 + 6 2008 106
|
