The new season also continues for Saturday’s “Spring”, and this morning we have invited Latvian National Opera soloist EDGAR OŠLEJ, who last year won the In the “Young Artist of the Year” category of the Grand Music Awards.
Liene Jakovljeva: Edgar, we already heard your name mentioned quite recently, because you were one of the participants and also one of the semi-finalists in the Klaudija Taeva vocalist competition in Pärnu. As Ilga Auguste said, the level of the competition was very high, your and Brigita Čirkšes’ singing was wonderful, competitive, in addition, the concertmaster Erika Miller also won the diploma of the best concertmaster – all this is a wonderful background to return a little to this very recent event. Why do you need contests?
Edgars Oshleja: To appear. I see the competition as an audition: maybe there is an agent who can offer a role.
And in any case, it’s also interesting to see what my colleagues, my competitors are like. Of course, when I go to a competition, I don’t really look at what they are doing or how good they are, because you can never be the best – there is always someone who is better than you, but you don’t have to worry about that: you just have to go and do what you want. have prepared
So do you think the contest is a possibility?
Yes, it is definitely an opportunity to show off and test your abilities in such situations as well.
This time, the situation was such that you had almost woken up from the sick bed. Crazy for you vocalists – the voice is such a fragile instrument…
But there is one very big benefit: the voice is the tool that you can always take with you! Can’t forget at home. (laughs)
And isn’t it the case that it’s a little, a little easier for a bass voice to get through health problems than a coloratura soprano?
Of course it’s easier. For example, there was a moment when I was sick and couldn’t sing – the upper part didn’t sound and the lower part wasn’t quite right either, but I could work – I could make recordings for television.
Of course, the doctor said to apply the silence regime, but somehow you have to make money…
Returning to Pärnu – did you also manage to talk to the jury representatives? In “Klasika”, for example, Ilga Auguste’s conversation with Metropole opera star Marius Kvečeņas, who was on the jury, will be heard tomorrow. Did you manage to learn anything from them?
It worked, but mostly they were compliments, which of course are always nice. (smiles) The biggest insights and reviews about my singing in the competition would have been on the day of the finals, when unfortunately I couldn’t be there, because on the day of the finals I had a show in Riga. So, actually, the day after the semi-final, I got behind the wheel and went home to prepare myself.
This is the interesting competition where the main prize is a dream role in a dream show. I learned from the interview with Ilga Augusta that you have already sung the role of your dreams…
When I sang the role of my dreams – Zacharias – for the first time, I was scared, because it is an insane responsibility… And although the first Zacharias, if I’m not mistaken, was 33 years old when he sang it, this is a role that is still intended for a slightly older bass .
I am young, not very experienced yet, I thought – how will I appear there like that, but well – in the end I already sang, everything is fine.
But maybe you didn’t really get to enjoy it to the end?
Maybe. I will get it in a while. But at least I will be prepared!
How many roles do you have in your repertoire, which, if you remind yourself a little, you could sing, let’s say, already tomorrow?
I don’t have that many roles at all. (laughs)
Because you are still terribly young!
The same Zakaria, Timur in “Turandot”. Commander. Duke of Bouillon.
Matīss is also a cupbearer. But unfortunately, no one will ask you to sing it soon, most likely…
It’s such a shame that you only got to sing one show! So much work went into it – it was a wonderful time, but only one show. Sorry about that.
It’s good that “Klasika” had a live show, the recording is available, and thus the work has not gone to nothing. You have already mentioned that you are a person without a basic musical education: can you recall the moment when you realized that you want to sing, you can sing, and not only in a choir?
The turning point probably really happened in the choir. I used to sing in the “Pa saulei” choir led by Marta Ozola and Jānis Ozols.
You sang there because you had a good voice?
Yes, it was my hobby.
Once we were at a competition in Barcelona, and on the way back to Latvia we showed who could sing on the bus. I sang “Moon River” from the musical “Breakfast at Tiffany’s”. At that time, the vocal teacher Laura Jēkabsone said – Edgar, but you have to go and sing in musicals! I thought – why not?
I asked Jānis Ozolas to give me a vocal pedagogue, and he introduced me to my current vocal pedagogue, Roberta Hanson. Robert listened to me and said – I will give you opera arias. I say – but where are the musicals?! Robert answers – ok, ok, calm down, you have an opera voice, sing opera! (laughs) That’s how we started working, I liked it more and more and realized that I can show myself properly in it.
But you had to prepare to enter the Music Academy!
Yes, it was about a year. Before that, we already practiced something, but I focused on it diligently for a year or a half before joining, because after all, I had to learn something from solfeggio.
Completely from scratch?
From scratch… It was like learning math all over again…
Because you had a completely different educational path until then!
Yes, I studied at the Riga Commercial Gymnasium, I thought, maybe continue something along those lines, and
I entered Riga Technical University to learn business management. I only stayed there for three and a half years, but the blow on the forehead from the music was so strong that I simply could not stay there any longer. I couldn’t live without music – I had to do it. So we talked to my parents, they asked me if I was really sure…
But the studies were very useful – well, there is no “paper”, but there is knowledge. And any knowledge opens a wider view of the general.
Did that put an end to singing in the choir?
Yes, for a while I tried to combine it, but then I realized that I was singing too loud in the chorus, and too choral in the solo. Had to drop it.
More – in the audio recording.
Latvijas Radio invites you to express your opinion about what you heard in the program and supports discussions among listeners, however, reserves the right to delete comments that violate the boundaries of respectful attitude and ethical behavior.
2023-09-23 21:08:18
#Singer #Edgars #Ošleja #dont #worry
