Izzy: When did you see your first opera and what was it?
Ian: It was “The Magic Flute” (Mozart) given by Sadler’s Wells Opera, the forerunner of the ENO, who, then, toured a lot, at the Manchester Opera House – in 1962(!) – I think.
I: What or who inspired you to become an opera singer?
I: I’m not sure that I was ever “inspired” as such. My intention was to teach music and then move into county music organisation – to be the boss, in charge of bigger performances. I had friends who had done seasonal chorus work which sounded like a good way of getting some practical experience. I got into the Glyndebourne Festival Chorus and enjoyed it and they gave me small parts – even better! So, I gave myself 5 years and didn’t notice when it passed.
I: What has been the highlight of your career? A stand out memory or performing a particular opera for example?
I: One single highlight is so difficult to pin down. I did as much concert work as opera and the highlights there were special like “Gurrelieder” in Paris with Seiji Ozawa, followed by “Elijah” with him in Nôtre Dame, Britten’s “War Requiem” in the brand-new Birmingham Symphony Hall with (now Sir) Simon Rattle. Operatically, one major highlight must be “The Rake’s Progress” for Glyndebourne Touring Opera in the famous John Cox/David Hockney production. The production premiered in the Festival. We toured in the Autumn and we were considered better than the main season’s lot. That was Simon Rattle again, aged 20 doing his first opera. Then I have to mention “Parsifal” in Berne which was a wonderful all encompassing experience and Götz Friedrich’s production of “Katya Kabanova” at the Paris Opera Garnier.
I: What are the difficulties of a career in opera?
I: I am tempted to say the people you work for – and sometimes with. Other than those, being away from home for long periods is hard work, the degree of difficulty obviously varies depending on where you are. You need to keep up your vocal work and learn or revise up-coming repertoire often by yourself. Some knowledge of the local language is always useful but has to be learned, especially the numbers! How to pack and travel efficiently is useful – something I never really managed. The ability to be alone for extended periods, weekends, public holidays and so on.
I: What is your favourite country that you have sung in and why?
I: Countries? Having had to spend much time there for opera productions, I have a great love for France, Germany and Italy. All different, you just have to adapt a bit to live there. I also love Switzerland, mainly, for the landscape. I never had the chance to spend much time in North America but I didn’t really warm to either the USA or Canada – but that’s just me.
I: What have been your best/worst hotels?
I: The worst of all was a B&B in Southampton on a Glyndebourne Tour. The place was run by a former ship’s captain and at check-in we were told that breakfast was served between 6.30 and 8.00am, sharp. The first morning at 6.35am the room phone “sounded” just like a “pipe-on-board” whistle and the captain shouted extremely loudly down the phone, “Breakfast is ready when you are, Sir” and indeed it was. It remained “ready” until you appeared, providing you did so by 8.00 am, after which, as one girl found out at 8.02, it was binned!
The un-renovated Adelphi Hotel in Liverpool was a very faded version of its heyday where the dozy staff forgot to inform and move me when there was a loud party directly beneath my room until 4.30am.
Among the best was the Hotel Neue Schloss in Zürich with the longest and deepest bath imaginable. The city had almost a metre of snow on the ground with a biting wind, so the bath was very welcoming!
The Marriot in Saõ Paolo which had an amazing drawer in the table a plug socket to accommodate and plug from around the world. A really good hotel too!
Another great memory is the Dan Hotel in Kisaria (Cesarea) – pure luxury throughout!
I: Have you ever had any travel disasters?
I: I had a concert in the extravagantly named “Festival Radio France et Montpelier Languedoc-Rousillion”. Being Radio France, we rehearsed in Paris a few days ahead of the Festival. There was a problem about some solo players availabilities so the conductor started with Part 3 of the piece (Golgotha by Frank Martin – a difficult one!). That evening I had a performance at Covent Garden and had arranged to leave Paris at lunchtime. The conductor said not to worry, we would rehearse Parts 1 & 2 in the afternoon before the performance in Narbonne. I shot back to London to hear that the stage crew was on strike, so the performance was cancelled. A few days later I was at Heathrow for my flight to Montpelier but, by take-off time, there was no sign of a plane! Eventually, we were told that the plane had put down in Nantes for technical reasons and because of a dispute with French air-traffic controllers the take-off time was unknown. Eventually the plane arrived and we took off 4 hours late. I was met at Montpellier and driven, rather leisurely to Narbonne by which time the afternoon rehearsal had finished. I had still not rehearsed, nor ever heard, Parts 1 and 2. Walking on to the platform for the concert, also a live broadcast, as we took a bow, I saw someone incline a greeting in the fourth or fifth row. It was the composer’s widow whom I knew from previous Frank Martin engagements. I also knew that she knew all his compositions inside out! I cursed Air France the French Air-Traffic control and dived into concentration mode. Fortunately, it came off and Maria Martin was very happy, but it was a hairy day.
I: In your career have there ever been any funny mistakes on stage, or has anything ever made you laugh and come out of character in the middle of a performance?
I: Doing Nicholas Maw’s “The Rising of the Moon” in the Glyndebourne Festival, during the “dénouement” scene, there was a big semi-circle of soloists and chorus, 30+ people. I was standing at the extreme stage right. In our corner, we felt a “wave” coming closer, then saw all the stage left people laughing – including some very experienced, tough old pros. The “wave” caught us and suddenly everyone was laughing uncontrollably, tears running down our cheeks. What made it even worse (or better?) was that no-one knew what it was all about. Amazingly the scene kept going if a bit less accurately! I’m not sure that anyone ever knew what started it!
Years later, it was the public dress rehearsal of “Parsifal” in Bern. We were doing the very serious section of the last act where Parsifal is being anointed as the new leader of the Grail Knights. To do this Parsifal’s feet are washed and head baptised. I was Parsifal and the (mezzo-soprano) Kundry had to take off my boots to wash my feet. These were knee length and leather and I was not wearing socks. At the previous rehearsal, getting them of proved impossible, so the director gave a note to my dresser to put talcum powder in them. It worked, but in removing the boots, Kundry disappeared totally in a cloud of white powder. She came up spluttering, by which time I was laughing but just managed to sing my next line. By the time the bass behind me had sung his long section we had regained control but, bending down to gather water he said, “Ha, ha, ha!” just as he passed my ear which started me off again. I knew my shoulders were shaking, and my next line was due. To keep some measure of control I sang it down the octave, ending with a low, bass F sharp, at which Kundry, back to the audience, lifted her head and, with a big grin, said, ”Ooh, get that!” That was the end! How the scene finished I don’t know. Fortunately, the conductor was kind to us!
I: What was the most challenging and difficult/ most fun part that you have played?
I: The most challenging part: definitely, Benvenuto Cellini (Berlioz). It is very high and intense with a huge aria right at the end of a long evening.
The most difficult: a world premiere called “Steven Climax” by Hans Zender. The music was difficult to start with – time signatures like 17/16 and 11/8 were quite common and then he wrote quarter-tones which he couldn’t sing himself but, unfortunately, he could hear them!
The most fun… There have been a number but for fun v. satisfaction, I think it has to be Vanya Kudriaš in Katya Kabanová (Janáček) at the Paris Opera Garnier in a beautiful and hugely successful production by Götz Friedrich. (The production ran, on and off, for 12 years so it was also very profitable!)
I: If you could play any part in all of opera, male or female, which would it be or why?
I: “Siegfried” in Der Ring der Nibelungen. He appears in the last two of the four operas, Siegfried and Götterdämmerung. The role is enormous both vocally and emotionally and needs huge stamina but has a lot of glorious music to sing.
I: What is your favourite opera and why?
I: An impossible question. It might be the one I was singing or a good one both musically and dramatically that I had just seen. Depending on the day it might be “La Traviata”, “Falstaff”, “Don Giovanni” or “Yevgeny Onegin”. Sorry, that’s as specific as I can be!
I: In your opinion, what is the best opera for a first-time opera goer to see?
A difficult one… Perhaps “The Magic Flute” for its instant appeal. Not until you delve into it do the inconsistencies surface – but the music is glorious and very accessible. Maybe “La Bohème” (Puccini) – a more romantic, “weepier” option with a number of famous set pieces.
I: Do you think that it is important for young people to watch and listen to opera. If so, why?
I: I think watching and listening to opera enriches everyone’s experience, young or old, but to get the full experience at the opera takes a bit of homework to prepare for an appreciation of the width of content on display.