MESSAGE14

劇場とは、人々がそこで出会い、新しく知り合い、
恋に落ちることもある場所パオロ・カリニャーニ 指揮者

Theatre is a place where people meet,
make new acquaintances, and may even fall in lovePaolo CARIGNANI Conductor

【What is important for the success of an opera performance】

The most important thing is to listen to others. Even when rehearsing with a singer, we should listen well to the other person before attempting to correct. Think what the other person is trying to convey. In that way, I can also learn something from that person. Of course, anyone involved in opera should come fully prepared. But listening to others means accepting others, and there’s always something to be learned from that.

【View on Verdi amongst opera composers & the secret to conducting Verdi】

What’s special about Verdi’s operas is their power to convey. By that, I mean their power to elicit emotions that reach out to all of us. His operas express something that’s hard to explain, something that’s definitely inside of us. What’s more, they convey these things in stories that have huge social or political meaning. This contrast is Verdi’s biggest strength. It’s hard for a musician to explain the secrets to performing Verdi. Because our day-to-day work is an accumulation of decisions, like a craftsman – mezzoforte here, piano here, and so on. But I think the most important thing is to understand the chemistry between the libretto and Verdi’s music. In other words, Verdi’s music exists for the stage, for the theatre. That’s what makes it so hard to interpret his works.

【Why are theatres necessary today】

Theatres are seen as necessary because they are places for meeting people. In ancient Greece, the public square was important as a place for people to meet. In Italy, too, I’m always being asked “Where’s the piazza?” in big cities. That’s because squares are places where people go to meet each other. In the same way, a theatre is also a place for socialising. People meet, make new acquaintances, and may even fall in love there. They may talk about their work, or may all be entranced together by the soprano or tenor. Theatres are places where all these things happen. And for that reason, they still play a socially indispensable role. When I was much younger, my reason for going to the theatre was to meet women.