(Photo Credit: Emma Kruch)

Acclaimed mezzo-soprano recently debuted an expanded version of Thomas Adès’ “America: A Prophecy” with The Gewandhaus Orchestra under Andris Nelsons. Her other performances this season include Verdi’s “Requiem”and Anna in Berlioz’s monumental “Les Troyens”. OperaWire was glad for this opportunity to discuss with the mezzo-soprano both the modern and the classical roles in her repertoire.

 OperaWire: Hi Kelley — and thank you so much for making time for this OperaWire interview. To start, can you share with us the ways that Thomas Adès’ “America: A Prophecy” has been extended? What did you find new, or even challenging, with the expanded work?

Kelley O’Connor: Originally, the work was two movements, but Adés has added a third movement which is for mezzo and full chorus. The challenging part for me in this third movement was that it is much more tranquil. After the prophetic and chaotic first two movements it was hard to slow my heart down and sing with grace! I embraced the choice for some straight tone in the first two movements to convey the message. I really leaned into the drama with an acquisitory, pointed tone. It is always good to challenge oneself, and I really leaned into exploring the extremes of my range and technique.

OW: Were there moments in performing it that you felt that the tone and message of the piece has changed, perhaps even grown more powerful?

O’Connor: Yes, I do believe that it is important to give that feeling of hope at the end of a piece to leave the audience feeling motivated. We should explore our mistakes, but truly hope we can move on from the past.  This gives the feeling of eternal renewal and not just the end of time.

OW: As you perform this new version, do you see the piece balancing both the ‘prophecy’ of dire events and yet, somehow – always – hope?

O’Connor: Now with the third movement, there is a feeling that maybe we can begin again. We can’t forget the past, but we can move past it. Life goes on, and we must as well.

OW: And you have, of course, performed other major, modern works…such as “The Gospel According to the Other Mary,” written for you by John Adams. How do you find creating a role for a modern premiere adds to the excitement of singing a major work?

O’Connor: For me, it is the most liberating form of music-making. There are sometimes known interpretations of a piece that can hinder your own creative ideas, but with new pieces you don’t have that issue. You are free to be in the moment and make choices without the pressure of what has come before.

OW: You have also sung in many of the most – for me – richly expressive and gripping pieces in the traditional repertoire, such as Mahler’s “2^nd Symphony”, Verdi’s “Requiem” (not to mention his final gem, “Falstaff”) and of course Beethoven’s “9^th Symphony.” In addition to reflecting your remarkable range, what is it like for you – emotionally and personally – to sing in such powerful pieces? And do they each have their own unique musical and performance demands for you?

O’Connor: Each of these pieces has its own fulfilling moments. Mahler is my guy. I feel like he truly embraced the alto voice, and explored the many nuances and colors that come with that range. It is difficult to capture the hope for humanity in five minutes, but he is able to do that in the transformative “Urlicht” in Mahler 2. I performed my first Verdi “Requiem” this season, and it is one of the most fulfilling pieces I have done. Very challenging, but completely rewarding. Beethoven 9 has been in my life the longest, and is always a joy to perform. It never ceases to bring the audience hope, and that is irreplaceable in the times we live in.

OW: With such a range of roles and performances, an impossible question perhaps: what are a few of your own favorite opera roles or favorite choral/vocal pieces?

O’Connor: As I said, Mahler is my mainstay. I love all of his works, from song cycles to symphonies, and they really fit my personality and voice. An opera role I truly treasured was Lucretia in “The Rape of Lucretia.” She is such a beautifully loyal and true woman who has to decide how to live once she is brutally taken advantage of. It is a trying journey, but one I truly loved working for.

OW: I also noted that you will sing Anna in Berlioz’s “Les Troyens,” a massive, even monumental opera – and a true rarity. Have you started working on that… and how are you enjoying and exploring that key role and its integral part in so much of the masterpiece?

O’Connor: This is a pleasure to work on as this huge work is rarely done. The cast is exquisite, and the music is a joy to sing. I enjoy playing the roles of supportive characters who really contribute to the drama as Anna does. Her relationship with Didon is, in a way, more telling than hers with Aeneas. And J’nai Bridges is a wonderful colleague.

OW: And speaking of Berlioz…in a very different vein – with you having sung in “Beatrice et Benedict,” with its amazing duet – do you find emotional similarities with, for example, the duet Anna has with Dido in Act Three of “Les Troyens”?

O’Connor: I sang Ursule with Opera Boston. The two have similarities, but in “Beatrice et Benedict” the duet is a true moment of stillness in an otherwise very busy opera. Hero and her maid Ursule are relishing in the beauty of the night. It is a memorable moment in the opera. Our duet in “Les Troyens” is full of drama as I am trying to encourage Didon to embrace love again after the death of her husband. She is very reluctant, but under my encouragement she does open her heart – only for it to be her demise.

OW: And a few last questions about “America: A Prophecy.” With the piece now expanded and performed in various locations in the musical world, do you feel that today’s audiences are more open to new music, often with strong messages and relevant stories to tell?

O’Connor: Now is the time. It is incredible that this piece could have had such a strong message 20 years ago, but it was still timely then. The world seems so polarized now. The “other” is scary and not embraced. Sometimes reflection on our own errors can help us move forward in a different direction.

OW: Lastly, what do you hope the audience took away from your  performances of the newly expanded piece?

O’Connor: I hope there is a feeling that no matter what place we come to in life, there is always a chance for a new beginning. The cycle of life continues.

And thank you so much!