Maria Callas?
“She remains a beacon, a mythical character for the Greek scene.
Even in spite of the controversies of which it could be the object here during its career ,
concedes Panaghis Pagoulatos.
The casting director at the National Opera of Greece remembers a time, not so long ago, when every young Greek singer was reproached for wanting to imitate the “Assoluta”.
“Fortunately, things have changed,”
he smiles.
If Callas will always remain Callas, the Greek school of lyrical singing can today be proud to shine on all the stages of the world, through living artists.
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Tassis Christoyannis, Dimitri Platanias, Cellia Costea… So many performers familiar with Athens audiences, like those at the Paris Opera, Covent Garden or even the Hamburg Opera.
“As there is only one Opera in Greece, our school of singing has always been exported,
continues Pagoulatos, citing the case of Dimitri Kavrakos, who had chosen to settle in the United States. .
Everywhere in Europe, and especially in Germany, as in Munich, there are several renowned Greek pedagogues.
Callas herself would have participated in this spin-off.
Creating with the stamp that she was to receive for her visit to the Epidaurus theater in 1960, a scholarship in her name, in order to support the studies and careers of Greek singers abroad.
“Many singers have benefited from it, like Agnès Baltsa.
Callas was a diaspora girl.
Contrary to what may have been said, she cared about the Greek lyrical youth.
Just see how she kisses mezzo Kiki Morfoniou at the end of
Norma
in Epidaurus.”
Dual distribution
If Platanias and Christoyannis or Dionysios Sourbis and Petros Magoulas (to name only these four), will share the leading roles several times in Athens, throughout this 2022-2023 season, many other Greek voices will perform on the “GNO” stage.
And for good reason:
“As the only national stage, we have a duty to offer the best echo chamber to all our singers.”
A mission which the institution fulfills in various ways.
“We have a troupe, now made up of a dozen permanent singers.
We could have more, but it is essential to leave space and enough roles to distribute for the other singers of the country.
Including those who have chosen to settle abroad for a career.
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The singing academy that the Opera had had for ten years had to stop with the Covid.
“But we hope to be able to relaunch it soon.”
In the meantime, the Athens Opera also regularly sets up a double distribution system for its new productions: one international, the other exclusively Greek.
"This will be the case this year with
Les Contes d'Hoffmann,
for example."
Because if one of the missions of the Athens Opera is obviously to be able to offer as many roles as possible to Greek singers (thus this year Tassos Apostolou will make his debuts as Bluebeard, Yannis Christopoulos and Vassiliki Karayanni in
Les Contes d 'Hoffman
),
"it is just as vital for the influence of our house to be able to welcome, in the leading roles that require it, big names from the world stage".
This season, Anita Rachvelishvili is expected in particular for her debut in
Werther
, and Anna Pirozzi for her role as Medea.
