With a huge love and passion that alternates with a friendly “pull on the tooth”, the joint program “If You Weren’t…” by mezzo-soprano Elīna Garanča and maestro Raimonds Pauls has been created. On July 23 and 24, it will be performed in two concerts at the National Theater.
Raimonds Pauls had planned to celebrate his 85th anniversary with these concerts already in January, but they were moved due to the pandemic.
The first part of the concert will be made in a chamber style, and it will feature song cycles with the words of Vizma Belševica and Ojārs Vācietis, dedicated by the maestro especially to Elīna Garanča. In the second part, the two artists will be joined by the Sinfonietta Rīga Orchestra conducted by Normunds Šnē and the instrumental group led by Raimonds Macata, and will feature music from films and theater performances in new arrangements by Paol’s songs by Lolita Ritmane, Rihards Dubra and Jēkabs Jančev.
Raimonds Pauls and Elīna Garanča first created a joint program “White Secrets” five years ago, when they both celebrated round anniversaries. It turned out to be a very creative, mutually enriching and memorable event for the audience, and became an impetus for further cooperation.
Both artists admit that it is very interesting for them to collaborate, because careful and responsible work is constantly intertwined with friendly mutual movement and humor. For Raimonds Pauls, it also reminds us of the once fun collaboration with Elīna’s mother Anita Garančs, when the two worked together on the production of the musical “Forest Swans”.
Maestro says: “Conversations with Elina are always very interesting. The same style continues as for mother Anita. All the time with such irony. That was Anita, and her daughter is very similar. We will even play excerpts from my old work “Forest Swans” in honor of my mother. Why? Because we were with Anita in that orchestra pit at the time, she was conducting, I also did something for the show there, and we had a lot of fun down there. That’s why it’s such a small dedication. “
“This is how we, pulling each other by the tooth and laughing at each other, but work and prepare the program with great love,” notes Elīna Garanča. “I only learn from the strongest.
My ironism, maestro, is just like playing back in a tennis match with you. ”
Raimonds Pauls and Elīna Garanča present the program “If You Weren’t” at the press conference
Photo: Baiba Kušķe / Latvian Radio
–
–
The theatrical and cinematic music that will be played in the second part of the concert is mainly chosen by Elīna Garanča. Part of it is a song she loves since childhood, which will now sound in new, sometimes even very unusual arrangements.
In a way, she will fulfill her childhood dream. Garancha reveals: “Of course, I remember the maestro when, as they say, I was still walking full-length under the table. I used to really want to sing “Bumps and Sneakers”, I was denied it, I was told that without damaging my voice, I had to play the piano. But at home, of course, the first records and records appeared, and it was such a dream for me to sing several pieces from maestro theater and film music. And now this dream will come true. But we chose songs that also have some variety in drama. I found it such a challenge to try to rotate and interpret a bit of songs that everyone knows a little differently. ”
Elīna Garanča
Photo: Sarah Katharina
–
–
Elīna Garanča’s advertising in the photo materials for the concerts can be seen in such a stunning and impressive costume that it seems that she could surprise her at the concert as well, but it will not be: “No, there will be no pink dresses at the concert. There will be other dresses. Since it is also a kind of show, it wants people to have something to look at. There will be different dresses – white, black, there will be other colors. ”
In creating the visual image, the singer has a collaboration with the fashion artist living in Vienna Niko Niko, who with his team has come to Latvia these days and is creating a photo session with Elīna Garanča for the Austrian press. The operative says: “He is such a crazy Serb. In a way, it’s very challenging, but he is passionate about people, with images. He fell in love with me when he saw me singing on stage. And somehow it coincided. He has an extremely beautiful mom with red hair. He said I was as if reminding him of that mom sometime when he was young. I don’t know if it should be perceived as a compliment, but somehow he makes it all up and “muse” he calls me. “
After the concerts in Riga, Elīna Garanča will go to Munich, where she will be invited to sing by opera curator Klaus Bahler on her farewell evening from the Munich Opera, followed by a trip to the Salzburg Festival, where she will perform Gustav Mahler and conductor Gustav Mahler with the Vienna Philharmonic.
In parallel, she is preparing new roles, including the Dukes of Buenos Aires from the opera Adrian Lecuvreer and Venus from Richard Wagner’s opera Tanheizers.
Now, after a long pause, she begins a very stressful job again, but during the pandemic she experienced a wide range of emotions – from panic and despair to the important opportunity to stop to hear herself and understand what is most important to her in life.
The reunion of Elīna Garanča and Raimonds Pauls will take place on the stage of the National Theater on July 23 and 24 in the concert “If You Weren’t…”.
The live broadcast of the concert will be available on Saturday, July 24, at 19.00 on the air of Latvijas Radio 3 “Klasika”.
The concert will also be recorded by Latvian Television, but it will be broadcast on TV in the autumn of this year.
–
Highlight text and press Ctrl+Enterto send the text to be edited!
Highlight text and press Report a bug buttons to send the text to be edited!
–
–
