BY ALISON PARIS, LEAD WRITER (CHILDREN AND EARLY LEARNING)
Opera Queensland’s production of Tosca is set in the politically tense 1970s Italy. Opera singer Tosca (Rachelle Durkin) and her lover Cavaradossi (Angus Wood) must fight to protect one another from Scarpia (José Carbó), the chief of police.
We spoke to local cast member Sam Hartley on his role as Angelotti in Puccini’s Tosca (his second-ever main stage role!), and how he feels about performing in what is often hailed as the greatest opera ever written.
You must be incredibly excited to perform with Opera Queensland in one of the most famous operas! How have you found your journey to this stage in your career?
Like all journeys, it has been filled with ups and downs. It has taken me to different countries and cities all over the world. Being able to perform this opera, which I think is possibly the greatest ever written, in my hometown of Brisbane with Opera Queensland – the company that gave me my start in this business – is a particularly special moment!
Tell us about your character Angelotti. What do you bring to this role, and from where did you draw inspiration?
Angelotti is important not only because he is the first character we see and hear in the opera, but also because he is the reason that the villain of the opera (Scarpia) can justify his treatment of Tosca’s lover Cavaradossi.
I can’t say I have ever been in a position like this in real life, so I have turned to history. Unfortunately, it is not hard to find examples of people being persecuted simply for their political beliefs.
What are some of the biggest challenges you’ve been feeling ahead of this reimagined production of Tosca?
Like all new productions, a lot of the design and setting is still conceptual at the beginning of the rehearsal process. As the first person to create that role in that setting, it is a great responsibility to become fully aware of the world that the director and designer are trying to create. It is a tremendous opportunity to be able to go on a journey like that.
How has your creative team supported you as you come up to almost a decade with the company?
I have always considered Opera Queensland to be my home opera company. They gave me my first professional opera role and, even though I may have left to live in different cities and countries and a lot of the people that work there have changed, I will always be grateful for the opportunities they gave me to develop as a singer and performer.
Beyond this, and more broadly in the Tosca production, what is it like working alongside artists such as Rachelle Durkin and José Carbó?
I have worked with Rachelle and José in previous productions both at Opera Queensland and other companies, and I have greatly enjoyed watching both their careers develop. To join them as they take on their roles in Tosca for the first time is a great honour!
I must also mention the rest of the production’s cast, made up of local Brisbane singers, including Shaun Brown, David Hibbard, and even a former vocal teacher of mine when I was at university, Greg Massingham. We have such a wealth of talent in this city, and it is important we never overlook that!
Tosca is an incredibly dark and political production. How do you feel about the way its themes are being handled under the vision of director Patrick Nolan?
From the very first day of production, it was obvious to me that Patrick is very much aware of the issues, both politically and socially, that our world is dealing with on a daily basis. By setting this production in the 1970s, he has been able to both modernise a traditional opera and inject it with commentary that an audience will be able to connect with, yet not fall into the cliché of modelling characters on whatever the current news cycle is throwing at us. I think it is a clever way to ensure that the production will live on.
Lastly, any words of wisdom for upcoming artists hoping to someday be in the position you’re now in?
If I could say one thing to new artists, it would be that the voice you sing with must be your own voice – that is what will be your success. You mustn’t compare your voice to other artists, as they are working with a whole different set of tools than you are.
You also mustn’t assign your self-worth based on the size of your contribution to a production. Roles will come and go, and they will always differ each time. Your mental health is an important thing in this business, and every year I am glad to see that mental health in the arts is becoming more and more of a public issue.
Take care of yourself and your fellow artists, and you will find your own success.
See Sam Hartley sing in Tosca with Opera Queensland, 13-22 June in the Lyric Theatre, QPAC.
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