>>PREVIEW
ADRIANNE PIECZONKA
Thursday, October 5
Eckhardt-Grammatté Concert Hall (Rozsa Centre, U of C)
Jetting from Barcelona to New York and playing sold-out shows around the world and here at home, soprano Adrianne Pieczonka has been carving out a career over the last 18 years that would be the envy of any performer.
Working with esteemed conductors in wide-ranging roles, the 43 year old has the kind of good-natured disposition that is certain to ensure her continued success on the stages of the world. In a telephone interview from the Toronto home she shares with her partner, mezzo soprano Laura Tucker, and their 11-month-old daughter, her voice is crisp and fast-moving. Precisely how a famed opera diva should sound on the phone, but with a friendly, almost giddy way of conversing. Her recital at the University of Calgary's Rozsa Centre is her first in Calgary, and she's excited to gauge the audience’s reaction.
"Canadian audiences are becoming much more vocal. There are more bravos than ever before. I'm very encouraged with this trend," she says.
Still, she notes European audiences are more comfortable attending classical venues and younger attendees across the pond are more likely to show up dressed in funky threads than a tuxedo or formal gown.
"In Europe, it's quite normal to attend the opera, it's more integrated. I would love to see someone show up in jeans and a T-shirt here. In fact, I would welcome it."
Pieczonka's recital in Calgary is fresh on the heels of her performance in Richard Wagner's Ring Cycle in Toronto. Directed by none other than Atom Egoyan, the show had many in the media speculating it was cursed after performers suffered injuries and ailments (Pieczonka sprained her ankle, but was able to perform standing as originally intended). She downplays the injuries as happenstance and not the workings of a malevolent hex.
"There were many mishaps on the set, potholes, things like that. There was a lot of hype in the press, but really it's lucky no one was injured seriously," she says.
Of all the roles she's played, the one that is closest to her heart, and also one she would like to play well into her later years, perhaps her farewell concert, is Der Rosenkavalier, a comedic opera from 1911 about an older woman choosing to end an affair with a younger man.
"She has to make this decision to set him free and live her life appropriately," she explains.
It's a role she's played many times, but as she matures it has taken on more relevance. As she settles back into Canadian life, Pieczonka is content to reacquaint herself with our unique brand of pop culture. She was addicted to MTV in Europe where she has resided for much of her career and lists the Strokes, Avril Lavigne and Sara McLachlan in her wide range of musical interests.
"I try to be as hip as I can," she says, laughing.
Spoken like a true post-modern diva. |
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