Q & A: Carmela Remigio On ‘Rinaldo,’ Martina Franca & Luciano Pavarotti

By Alan Neilson

OperaWire was lucky enough to catch up with the wonderfully talented soprano Carmela Remigio, during the Festival della Valle d’Itria in Martina Franca, where she sang Armida in Handel’s “Rinaldo.” Known as “Madame Mozart” in Italy, owing to her close association with Mozart’s operas, and especially “Don Giovanni,” her repertoire is, in fact, far wider. In 2019, she is scheduled to sing operas by Donizetti (Giovanna Seymour), Verdi (Desdemona), Puccini (Liù), Spontini (Amazily) and, of course, Mozart (Vitellia, Donna Elvira).

Remigio shot to fame in 1992, winning “The Pavarotti Prize” in Philadelphia, at the age of 18, and made her opera debut the following year as the lead role in Testoni’s opera, “Alice.” Since then she has continued on an upward path and is now one of Italy’s more established singers. For all her success, the soprano remains a remarkably unassuming person and made a delightful interview with the soprano.

OperaWire: When and why did you want to become an opera singer?

Carmela Remigio: It was a complete accident. When I was five-years-old, I started learning the violin. One day my music teacher said to me that I should take some singing lessons as this would help me improve my violin playing – this was when I was 15 – and they realized that I would make a good singer. Things moved very quickly, and at 18, I entered “The Pavarotti Competition” in Philadelphia, which I was fortunate enough to win. I was then offered engagements. Pavarotti was very helpful, he became almost a mentor, and encouraged me a lot. We sang more than 70 concerts together.

OW: I was going to ask you if it was difficult to establish yourself, but obviously, after winning “The Pavarotti Competition” it was not difficult at all.

CR: No! It is true that winning “The Pavarotti Competition” opened up many opportunities for me, but the opera world is very competitive and an intense one, and trying to maintain or improve your position is very difficult. At some point, you are no longer a new singer after 10 years, you are no longer so young, and there are always new stars on the rise. Therefore, it is important that I practice, learn new repertoire and keep in good shape.

OW: What advice would you offer to young singers who are just starting their careers?

CR: Obviously, it is necessary to work hard and keep your voice in good shape, but I think it is also important to keep your mind healthy and your body fit. I do yoga, and I would highly recommend this as a way of keeping yourself, and your voice in good shape.

OW: I was reading that you have sung Donna Elvira and Donna Anna more than 400 times in total. With some singers who have sung a role so often, you get the impression that they know a role too well, and they lack spontaneity, and may even look bored. This is not true in your case. How do you keep your performances so fresh?

CR: Actually, I had sung the opera 400 times by 2016. My performance at the Salzburg Festival in that year was a record 400th performance in “Don Giovanni,” and since then I have continued to sing them, so the total is much higher now. It is true, that it is possible to become too familiar with a role, but I guard against this, because you must remember that you have a responsibility to the public who has paid, sometimes a lot of money, to come and watch you sing. It is important to remember this. So, I treat each performance as if it is the first time. If you are responsive to the production then this makes it easier, as you are forced to re-evaluate your interpretation, and by this, I also mean the way you sing the role.

OW: Has your voice changed over the years?

CR: No, it has stayed more or less the same, but the way I interpret roles has changed, as has the way I approach new roles, which is much more mature now.

OW: The Festival della Valle d’Itria has a friendly, almost family, atmosphere about it. What were your impressions of it, and did you find you had more time to relax here than at a normal theatre?

CR: It was my first time at the festival and, yes I liked it, I enjoyed the experience. But, I certainly didn’t have more time to relax. In fact, there was less time to relax! Rehearsals would last ten hours a day. But it was a good atmosphere, and the town is very beautiful.

OW: You played the role of the witch, Armida, in Handel’s “Rinaldo.” Would you like to say something about “Rinaldo” and the character of Armida?

CR: The version of “Rinaldo” we did at the festival was the one rewritten for Naples, which was put together by Leonardo Leo in 1718. It was very interesting to compare it to the original version which Handel wrote for London, and which I will be singing in 2020 in Florence. In this production, the cast was dressed as pop celebrities. I played my part as Cher. It was really great fun, and I enjoyed it a lot. The audience also seemed to like it. Some people may see Armida simply as a negative character, whose behavior is evil. She is a witch, she is therefore wicked. But this is not true for me. I love Armida because she is a real woman, she is passionate, she is strong and courageous, she is in love and is prepared to fight for the man she loves. This is how I play her.

OW: Every time I see you on stage you always appear to be happy, always smiling, as if you are really enjoying yourself. Is that a fair assessment?

CR: Yes. I have to admit, that for me, being an opera singer is not like having a job. I love the work. So yes, when I am on stage I really am enjoying myself. But you should also remember that you can smile for many different reasons. As Armida, for example, I might be smiling a wicked smile.

OW: This November you will be singing Amelia in “Il Castello di Kenilworth” at the Donizetti Festival in Bergamo. Have you had a chance to have a look at the role? Is there anything you can say about it?

CR: To be honest, I am very busy at the moment. I have looked at the role and I know it suits my voice well, but I have not yet started studying the part. First, I had to concentrate on the performances as Armida and now I must prepare for Rossini’s “Petite Messe Solennelle” in Pesaro.

OW: What are your ambitions for the future?

CR: That is an interesting question. I have sung in many of the world’s most important opera houses, and I have also sung many of the well-known roles that are particularly well suited to my voice. So now I like to involve myself in new projects, for example in 2016, I sang Miranda in Alfredo Casella’s opera, “La Donna Serpente.” It was a very difficult part to sing and I spent months with my pianist trying to get it right, and then I sang only four performances. Also, I know that I probably won’t sing the part again, but it doesn’t matter. It also helps to keep my singing fresh. This is what I enjoy doing. This is why I did this “Rinaldo,” which was the first time that this version was heard for 300 years.

My longer-term ambition, however, is to involve myself in education, but not necessarily in the usual ways. I want to help promote music and singing in schools. Unfortunately, in Italy, schools do not always receive the necessary resources or the time for the teaching of music. I think it is very important to encourage music among young people, and I want to help children from poorer backgrounds, to gain a good experience in music, which is not always available to them but is really good for their development.

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