BY STEPHANIE ESLAKE
I can never resist a European accent.
Though I can only hear his voice, Roberto Alagna exudes an overwhelming charm and, through our phone interview, speaks with a smile. Sheer delight. It’s 10.24pm – “not so late” in his time, and he’s eager to chat.
Known as the superstar of the operatic world, Roberto was discovered by Pavarotti in his early 20s. He’s since sold millions of albums and performed in more than 60 operatic roles. The New York Times dubbed him ‘King’ of the New York Metropolitan Opera, and earlier this year he met with royalty when he performed at Buckingham Palace for Prince Charles and 12,000 others.
This July he visits us for his first ever tour of Australia. Joining him on stage for a few songs will be our own budding star Siobhan Stagg, who we also had a chat with recently.
But even those like Roberto who find themselves face to face with Pavarotti have to start somewhere – and for Roberto, it was in a pizzeria in Paris.
“It was funny, you know? Because I sang when I was very, very young with my family but I was very shy to sing in front of people,” Roberto begins with a chuckle.
“I remember I was singing with a friend of mine and he told me: ‘In this pizzeria, there are Latino American singers and maybe you can come too, because the owner would be very happy to have you’.
“So I went there and sang a song. I was very shy, so for me it was a big challenge to do that.”
Whether Roberto’s shyness added to his appeal, or wasn’t apparent at all to the humble diner/listener, it certainly didn’t hold him back. The pizzeria’s owner was thrilled with Roberto and invited him to sing for customers during weekends.
“I said, ‘Oh my god, I don’t know if my parents will be agree!’ because I was 14 years old.”
Keeping it a secret from the folks, he started his journey into wowing audiences – though small at first – and sang at the pizzeria for two years, alone with his guitar. Gradually, fans grew familiar with his name and sound, and he was invited to sing in cabarets. By 16, he went “professional” and spent eight years singing on the cabaret stages of Paris between sets from dancers, magicians, strip tease girls, and everyone in between.
Fittingly, it was in this city of romance that Roberto continued to develop his love of song. At 17 he met his first teacher, a Cuban contrabassist Rafael Ruiz.
“He was an old man. He asked me to come to him to study and he was the first one who said: ‘You are a tenor’. I was very pleased and started to learn opera with him.”
Having so far used his guitar as a shield for his shyness, Roberto would develop quickly from here and at 20 sang his first opera. Though he recalls being turned away from the conservatories for being too old or poor, Roberto continued his private lessons and at 22, entered the Luciano Pavarotti International Competition. It was through “destiny” that he met Pavarotti, who was visiting Paris for publicity when Roberto approached him.
“It was amazing because I met Pavarotti in a store, and he invited me to sing. I thought at the time it was just to sing something for him – but in fact it was in the competition!
“I was surprised. Everybody sang two arias and he said: ‘Yes’, ‘No’, ‘You are qualified’ and everything.
“When I sang just a bar – it was maybe five seconds – he stopped me and said ‘Ok, bye-bye, thank you’.”
Disappointed that he’d ruined his chances with the world famous tenor, Roberto went to a nearby bar to drown his sorrows in whisky (rather theatrically, he compares himself to the classic Dean Martin in this moment). But a woman came up to him and exclaimed ‘Bravo!’.
“I thought she was laughing at me. I said, ‘How could you say that?’ and she said, ‘No, you are qualified’.
“So I asked, ‘But who are you, Madame?’. And she was Mrs Pavarotti!”
Pavarotti’s wife told the young singer that her husband enjoyed the performance, and then brought over the legend himself. Roberto confesses he was only there to find a teacher and not compete with the rest of the singers – but Pavarotti told him: ‘No, stay with your teacher. He is very good for you’.
“When I told my teacher, he started to cry – it was a wonderful moment,” Roberto remembers.
Roberto’s teacher, his family who sang in the home, and even Pavarotti himself are of the many influences who have shaped Roberto’s life – and he nurtures them as equals, treating every moment as serendipitous.
“It’s very strange with the singing. Everything is about destiny; about nature. Even when I start, I try to do something else all the time. But destiny took my hand, and take me in the right way.”
He’s coming our way next, bringing us operatic arias and love songs chosen with the goal of moving us; having a strong emotional impact on his audiences is something that drives him as a singer. Roberto speaks in his most serious tone: “For me, the most important thing is to give emotion to the people”.
“The music is like this: it’s something you give, and you must share with people. You must share happiness – also, sometimes, sadness. It’s about emotion. This is what I expect with this tour.”
Some of the works include O’ Sole Mio (‘It’s Now Or Never’); Torna o Surriento (‘Surrender’); and Dicitencello Vuie (‘Just Say I Love Her’) made famous by Dean Martin.
“In this tour, the repertoire will be the most beautiful repertoire in the world. Beautiful, very difficult melodies with top notes – dramatic moments, comical moments, theatrical moments. And I think this is repertoire to share with the most amount of people I can.”
But how can he really be himself in front of thousands of people?
“You can’t be false with people in that moment. You must be sincere, generous, and give everything of yourself. This is important because otherwise it can’t work. Even when you are not in good shape or form, you must give everything. Because with people, this moment can be unique – a miracle.”
So what moves Roberto?
“Sometimes you don’t have to think a lot. You must give to people and people must receive. Because after that, they will give you back every emotion. Your own music, it’s like a prayer. And we must pray together to be in communion with the audience, musician, orchestra, singers, everybody. This is, in fact, a ceremony. I have a lot of respect about music and audience and I would like to share those emotions with them.”
You’d think someone like Roberto would be filled with words of wisdom for budding singers and performers. I have a surprise for you. The only advice the singer will give is this: don’t rely on anyone’s advice.
“It is difficult to give advice and I’ll explain why: because you can destroy a voice with advice,” he warns.
“It is very dangerous to give advice. Because it can put trouble in the mind and the singer can’t sing. It’s like a computer – if you have a bug, the computer can’t work. And this is the same. I think opera singers receive a program from God – I don’t know from who – but we are meant to know how to sing.
“For this, you must have meditation, to work on yourself, to understand your strength very well. This is very personal. You must find inside of you the way to sing, and find the technique. This is not easy when somebody else starts to give you advice. You can make this bug and destroy everything.”
Roberto has certainly found himself, overcoming his shyness as he performs across the world. Well, he looks entirely confident – though with a smile in his voice, he claims otherwise.
“Even today, I’m very shy. Not on stage, but in real life I’m a little bit shy. Singing was therapy for me.
“I ask nothing in my life and I receive a lot – more than I expect. And I think I was lucky for that.”
Roberto Alagna will perform in Sydney on July 21, Melbourne July 27, and Brisbane July 30. For your chance to win a free double pass to see Roberto with young singer Siobhan Stagg in your city, tell us your favourite love song using the form below. Don’t forget to let us know your name and email address. The winners will be notified via email by July 5.
Image supplied. Credit Jean-Baptiste Millot.
