A smile of fascination appears on the faces of the musicians of the Franz Schubert Filharmonia (FSF) as they rehearse the air Un bel di vedremo by Madama Butterfly for the concert this Monday, February 19 (8 p.m.) at the Palau de la Música . This is the effect produced by soprano Ermonela Jaho (Tirana, 1974), the best Cio-Cio San who has ever set foot in Covent Garden, according to the British press. Something that they surely share at the Peralada Festival, where he shocked the public with that Puccini before the pandemic, or at the Liceu, where he gave goosebumps in Suor Angelica last season, a role that has earned him the Ópera XXI at best singer.
The Albanian soprano is having a sweet moment. She is showered with awards (Classical Music Awards 2023, Readers of the Opera Awards Now…) and she shows off an astonishing ease in giving herself physically and emotionally in each performance. “Time passes, I’m going to turn 50, and now I savor those magical moments,” the soprano soloist tells La Vanguardia in this FSF tribute to the centenary of Victoria de los Ángeles. There will be arias by Puccini and a Simfonia dels Àngels by Albert Guinovart in which Jaho also sings.
You are like a phoenix: you leave your skin and soul even in rehearsals and rise again. Their singing transmits an energy that no one can resist. How do you recover?
It’s because of the love of the people, that feeds me, although it’s difficult, eh? In the end, the duty of an artist is to leave his soul without thinking about the next morning, also in a rehearsal, because if your energy is not adequate, the musicians are not going to give their all either. And especially when they are young, like those in the FSF, they have to experience that. If you give it, they always react.
But he comes from rehearsing La voix humaine at Real de Madrid, he has barely slept… and he is radiant, he vibrates.
Because I like what I do. It’s not a job, it’s my therapy.
And what happens to Ermonela when she returns to her hotel after the applause and all those people standing with tears?
Honestly, one feels empty, tired, but it is a privilege that my soul has shaken hands with the souls of musicians, I too grow… And I feel lucky to have dreamed at 14 years old of being a singer, because In a superficial world like today’s we need to connect with emotion and vulnerability. Humanity today needs that, especially with the covid that we have seen that without human contact, without that energy, we are the living dead. And music gives you that. It’s a shame to get older because it’s with the experience now that I’m really ready to dig into my soul. But in life we ??can buy everything except time, and you understand that every moment is so precious. And I wish I had had that experience 20 years ago, because you understand the value of a hug, of feelings… When you give emotion you will receive emotion. And that is a lesson for the young generations: we need each other.
He is going to return to the Liceu in May, in recital. But even singing single arias she is able to convey all the drama…
At the end of the drama I almost always die but it feels like a catharsis, you make peace with your life and your death. It is a huge emotion and it is difficult to return to reality, yes. Sometimes I don’t sleep all night. And, it may seem crazy, but sometimes I feel like I should die on the scene and not come back. At the Liceu with Suor Angelica I felt a lot of that love from the public, and you no longer think about the drama or all the dramas in this world. Emotion teaches me not to be afraid to show my vulnerability. And don’t forget that sound is something that comes from the soul, and when it is real, it doesn’t matter if it is perfect or not. After 31 years of singing and getting emotional, I feel so lucky. And thank you for inviting me because this country is so warm.
They have given him the Opera XXI…
Oh, I cried when I heard that… It made me so happy.
Your mascara is clearly whaterproof, right?
Oh yes, ha ha
He has sometimes mentioned his childhood under the dictatorship of Enver Hoxha and how emotions were not something that could be shown. Do you think he has influenced that restrained but wonderful way of interpreting opera heroines?
It is true that I belong to another generation, the one that had to keep things to itself, show itself strong. But we can’t fight human nature, we need to take it out. In my case it comes naturally, that’s why it’s so magical. Who knows me in my daily life, I am affectionate but very reserved. And I don’t get angry often, I keep it to myself, because if you explode you can hurt people and that’s not something I allow myself to do. But theater allows me to scream and do all that stuff on stage that I don’t allow myself to do in real life. Verdi, Puccini… they are my best therapy. And it is your soul that sings.
What do you think of this generation of young singers who haven’t been on the scene for even a decade and already give masterclasses?
I think social media helps humanity in some ways but you have to find a balance. It brings opera to people who cannot go to theaters, but you have to be careful how they are used. Now everything is measured by likes, you become a singer, a teacher, a model. And that’s not real. That is why we have a duty to the young generations to be artists who work hard to live up to the stage, not on the Instagram account. Culture, music cannot be faked, not in front of the audience in the theater.
What attracts you to Victoria de los Ángeles?
It has something very special, and I say it has because for me it is not dead. It’s that vulnerability we were talking about that we can show as an artist.
