By Natalia Di Bartolo

I met the Maestro Giuseppe Sabbatini in RomeAfter returning from his last effort conductor al Teatro Pérez Galdòs by Las Palmas, Gran Canaria, from 21 al April 25, 2015. In scene Faust by Gounod, French operatic masterpiece.

N.D.B. – Master S, direct the Faust in the homeland of Alfredo Kraus, protagonist of this work on the world scene of the past, had a role in the conception and implementation of this ambitious project in Las Palmas?

G.S. – Direct in the homeland of Faust Kraus gave me only a bit more responsibility. It was a speech with emotion.

In the first few days of April, when I arrived in Las Palmas, I went to see the House where he was born… Shortly before I went to the cemetery where he is buried with his wife. For me was an amazing artist and a lovely person, that in me has always behaved beautifully.

Then, as soon as I found myself in front of the orchestra, I decided to dedicate the work to him there in Las Palmas.

N.D.B. – Loves to direct the Opéra Francais? Has preferences or loves everything heads alike?

G.S. – Yes, very well because I studied much and half of my repertoire of was singer of French music. As for my preferences, go to large, Gounod, Bizet, Massenet…Perhaps more than any other to Gounod and Massenet.

N.D.B. – What is the role of the conductor in a work of this importance? And so what has proven to be on the podium to play such a role?

G.S. – I believe that the role of Director in this work is the same as for all other works. The importance of a Director is always doing his duty to the best of their ability.

What I tried was an exhilarating emotion: I always wanted to direct, and so now every time I get on the podium, I always think that it is the culmination of a journey that lasted many years and the culmination of a dream. So I can only be delighted by what's happening in life.

N.D.B. – And’ the first time he has directed Faust? He sang several times in big theaters. And’ a congenial to her character vocally and scenically? If yes or no, why?

G.S. – Yes, this is the first time.

I sang in many prestigious theatres: in Paris at the Opéra Bastille, La Scala, the Teatro Regio in Turin, at the San Carlo in Naples, at the Rome Opera, which has seen my debut.

Was absolutely agreeable to me, although my face is much more mefistofelica than by Faust…

Years ago he had designed an important project with Samuel Ramey, who I believe to be the largest Mephisto with whom I worked, that would give me the possibility to interpret at least once, Mephistopheles in Dr Faustus by Busoni. I had then the idea of making the triptych: then Faust, la Damnation de Faust and Mephistopheles… But unfortunately the project was not realized.

N.D.B. – How is Gounod's score from the point of view of the Director?

G.S. – Very challenging and difficult.

To direct Faust the Director needs to know the style, the way it was composed. This masterpiece was not dialed in short order: revised, rearranged…

A lot of French music had this type of route: just watch Les Contes d'Hoffmann by Offenbach to realize how much labor they had composers and than you are always questioning: which is an extraordinary thing.

N.D.B. – What do you think of directors who came before and those who live as a performer? It is inspired by any of them or went completely independently of interpretation?

G.S. – I have an immense respect for all Directors. I have personally worked with regard to Opéra francais, with what to me is the greatest, the Maestro Michel Plasson. I run la Damnation de Faust with Osawa; Unfortunately I didn't have the pleasure of working with master Pretre. I played with him when I was in the orchestra on bass, twice, but unfortunately I never managed to find the opportunity to sing directed by him…

With regard to the interpretative choices are very independent, because I try to be as faithful as possible to the text and this I did for Faust.

N.D.B. – Now directing this work has for her is like in her left fist or freedom to interpret? She personally was leaving "freedom" by who?

G.S. – As for "having" the work, having also performed, I studied very thoroughly, and then I tried to "dig" as much as possible. As regards, however, the freedom to interpret, my freedom when I sang, was within the score and then today I ask this to the singers.

In this specific Faust, it is clear that the protagonist, tenor Aquiles Machado, had a voice different from mine so I couldn't ask him things (that still manages to do), the nuances, the sweetness in his instrument must be performed with a much more powerful voice and more Pasty and my round…and so it would have been silly of me to go to research the features of my singing in the voice of one of my colleagues today. I never do, so it didn't happen this time either.

N.D.B. – What was his relationship with the Director?

G.S. – In a production, all must work together to enhance the interpretive arch is brought and tended in the same direction: in Las Palmas this is fully verified.

I tried to highlight the accents that directed by Alfonso Romero suggested and here he has designed and implemented a very interesting project: respecting absolutely the score, this Faust was set in a timeless atmosphere.

Faust is an opera by stereotypes: all themes and characters are very stereotypical. In particular, as regards Margaret's innocence, brought the total destruction, there was a development stage amazing and devastating of such character: a great job to go inside the heart and psyche, exasperating even the character of the characters beyond the stereotypes. Then, with the sounds, I've tried to make them less stereotypical, if not more "; at least I kept doing the soundtrack to what was happening on stage, to paint with the show sounds particularly Visual. I'm really proud to have worked with Romero.

N.D.B. – What do you think of the orchestra which he directed and which any difficulties encountered in developing the correct stylistic significance?

G.S. – Unfortunately at this time the orchestra del teatro Las Palmas had some issues at the political level, and then there was much nervousness, beyond what may have inculcated me, given my constant request of precision as regards the sound, style, quality, righteous rhythms.

Obviously this orchestra knows the repertoire that sounds for years with its Music Director. And’ an ensemble consisting of musicians from many European countries (Bulgarian, Romanian, Irish, Germans and other nationalities), therefore has a culture "varied" and not the specialization is required in a specific style: treat this point depends on the conductor and its demands. So it is clear that in Las Palmas cia not have ever been, a great French music path and, of course, that meant more trouble for me, that I had to work very intensively on setting. For example, in French music there are a lot of "sottotempi" or "secondary" times that are not written, and then the most interesting thing is to look for and when you find them give them the real sense, even though the text is always the main point of reference. The fact that the sottotempi are not written in the score for the Orchestra of Las Palmas was a problem, that I had to try to solve. I always tell my students: us singing opera performers are much more fortunate of instrumentalists who have to perform pure music; We have the word "... text ... that while limiting imagination helps us greatly in defining the meanings, emotions, feelings of what we are singing!

N.D.B. – Speaking of style, is that there is a difference between the dynamics tied to the "nationality" of the works?

G.S. – For me there is a difference of Dynamics linked to the nationality of the works. The dynamic is formed, unfortunately, from an extremely limited scale: from the five "p" (piano) (Verdi gets to six or seven), at four, five "f" (strong).

Sometimes I lost patience with the musicians of Las Palmas, because sounds were produced very ungainly in strong. I was told it was vividly written "strong." And I replied that it was, in that specific case, for example, of a "strong" and that love can exist, then, the "strong violent, aggressive, strong" strong "jealous", "strong" winner… As well as a strong when, for example, Daisy wakes up from slumber in the prison, it may not be a strong as that of air of the fourth Act. Therefore I consider it essential that the orchestra pit to know what happens on stage: I explained much to what was happening on stage. And’ useless to think that should produce only orchestras of sounds! Instead they must understand the performance of the action and the differences mentioned above. Until the orchestras will not understand this until culturally and intellectually will not be able to discern what they play, the work of the directors will be penalized.

In Las Palmas the instrumentalists have started to understand, but the orchestras should know: we prepare managers, with very little evidence at our disposal we can not explain step by step the nuances of works that, like Faust, lasting three hours, three and a half hours.

N.D.B. – And the chorus of this production? What do you think?

G.S. – Returning to the speech, taken as an example, the difference between "strong" and "strength" as I try to explain it to try to explain orchestras also on backing vocals, having, moreover, put in place during my career as a singer.

In Faust, the choir has a fundamental importance to-men-ta-and perhaps the most difficult and it is "the character" more complicated than whole work. There are infinitely many characters in chorus: soldiers, students and borghesotti the viveurs "jeune femmes" and Maha…Then the Devils, Angels, peasants and peasants; then there is the choir of the "orgy" of "evil" and the wonders of the damned; and then eventually the paradise…

In Las Palmas, the choir consists of just 44, elements that have worked wonders, because it is an amateur choir, not professional, as the orchestra: the choristers perform their personal working day until eight in the evening and at eight-thirty start rehearsals. Sometimes the Tenors were forced to double baritones because they are too few. In the Church scene, baritones had to sing both the demons and the choir of religious…Imagine, then, that titanic work, crazy they did with me these singers! And’ very difficult for them, but they dealt with sympathy, love and dedication truly extraordinary. I am however delighted. If the orchestra, sadly limited by conditions that I mentioned, had the same transport, would be a stratospheric production.

N.D.B. – And the Cast?

G.S. – I found it at the height of the project: Faust, Aquiles Machado, has proved to be very solid and intense and vocally Mephisto Rubén Amoretti showed great capacity, actor with a very beautiful voice and used with great skill; Marguerite, Norah Amsellem, making his debut in the role, seemed to me a perfect psychological development of character and rich colors, then equipped with varied colour palette and very interesting dynamics. Valentin, Manuel Lanza, wore a full-bodied vocalitá and the total service of very intense character intended by the Director. But his great artistic skills I knew for a long time, having sung with him many times during my career as a tenor and Faust at La Scala in ' 97, along with Samuel Ramey…then, too, I was delighted to have met him again and, this time, also directed.

What do you think of the Spanish audience? Also has extensive experience as a tenor towards the public. How do you think this Faust has been accepted?

G.S. – I have not worked much in Spain as a tenor. I had multiple contacts with the public by Barcelona with Madrid, for example.

Remember that Madrid was challenged because I'd been called instead of a singer who was not acceptable to the Director…I didn't know anything, because otherwise I wouldn't have gone, because I loved to replace, especially esteemed colleagues…so there was a quarrel, and unfortunately, that Rigoletto, for a thousand reasons not fitted…

So for this Faust in Spanish territory, I hope that has been appreciated the job done, but not only mine, to everyone. We worked with extreme harmony, with extreme love and I am truly excited about the work that has been carried out with the participation of all. The audience responded warmly.

N.D.B. – Future engagements and projects and a dream currently in the tray about conducting.

G.S. – Verdi's Requiem in St. Petersburg, probably La Bohème in Japan, a concert with the Philharmonic of Sibiu in Romania. Then there are projects with an organization to which I keep in a special way.

Dream: to direct four productions a year, which is more than enough to be able to "do what I want".

© Natalia Dantas, 2015

PHOTO NATALIA DANTAS, TEATRO PEREZ GALDOS, AA.VV.