One of the most important cultural institutions in Cyprus, the Pafos Aphrodite Festival, returns after a four-year break, hosting a grand opera production in the square of the Medieval Castle of Paphos. This ‘restart’ features one of the most significant works in the operatic repertoire, Giuseppe Verdi’s , presented by the Tbilisi State Opera, which was founded in 1851. This historic cultural organisation, named after the great Georgian composer Zakaria Paliashvili, has been a triumphant platform for Georgian opera stars on the world stage.
Two such stars are the renowned sopranos Sophia Mchedlishvili and Marika Makhitidze, who will perform the highly demanding and coveted role of the fallen woman, Violetta Valery, on alternate nights. Both have extensive careers and accolades in the operatic repertoire and have excelled in both national and international competitions. On this occasion, we had the pleasure of speaking with them so that the Cypriot audience could get to know them better ahead of their performances in Paphos this September.
The inspiration to become an opera singer came from my mother, who loved opera and we often went to Tbilisi Opera House to listen to different magical performances. To be a Soprano is a more natural thing, what kind of voice you are born with. : I was born in a family surrounded by opera, classical, jazz and folk music.
Although my father was a doctor, he was very talented in music and wrote two operas, among other musical works. My mother is a musician, performing at the Kutaisi Opera Theatre. Thus, I attended the opera and classical performances since the early childhood.
I was also listening to opera music on my own and one of my primary musical inspirations is Maria Callas recordings. Her voice, technique, and artistic skills motivated me to become a soprano. La Traviata is one of the most beautiful operas and it needs special work on the musical and character parts, and in the end, these two aspects together create the beauty which is loved by everyone.
Everyone knows this opera is sung by legendary singers, so I will try with my Violetta to respond to the level that is set for this part. Violetta is a very demanding role, because of its intense psychological, dramatic and emotional charge. I’ve been performing this role for more than 15 years and I’m still in the process of discovery, given the many distinct facets of its musical and artistic character.
First of all, in the scores, we always have the main material, music can tell a lot, especially in the case of Verdi. Music conveys full information about the inner world of the character, which gives me the possibility to revive it on stage. I am trying to relate and emphasise Violetta’s personality, considering the context, surrounding La Traviata.
I try to be very convincing, avoiding unnecessary body language, or emotional fervor. The entire opera is my favourite, especially all the middle parts, for example, the duo of Violetta and Germont, which is so emotionally intense. I would pick the scene and duet with Germont, which is quite lengthy, peaking at Violetta’s words “Dite alla giovine – sì bella e pura.
..” In my opinion, these are the keywords, describing her personality.
Our culture is rich with music and wonderful harmonies. We have a huge love of singing art which is part of our lives. I think all of this accompanies all Georgian musicians when they perform.
I wouldn’t say that my cultural background had any influence on my interpretation. First of all my voice and how I see Violetta. I always try to convey my emotions, feelings and deeper understanding of the psychology of Violetta.
After all, I’m a Scorpio and I suspect that Violetta was a Scorpio as well. For me, the main idea is to represent love. Love that doesn’t know time, doesn’t consider limits neither in happiness nor in sacrifices.
It is a wonderful feeling which can take anyone above the sky, but also drop down very painfully. In my opinion, this fabula of the opera is the true love and utter devotion to this love, as being more than life experience. It’s normal, both of us can represent different kinds of performances.
I never try to compete with other sopranos, though I greatly enjoy to watch to various diverse performances. Well, it is always different and depends on the place. Of course, not all open-air places have the same acoustic.
So it is important to listen and try things on the rehearsal. As for vocal technique, it always remains the same no matter where you sing in the opera house or in an outdoor space. All the opera houses provide different acoustic environments, very distinct from the outdoor stages.
What matters most is the breath control and avoidance of upper chest breathing. I have never performed in Cyprus before, but I think we will establish a beautiful connection with the audience and we will all enjoy this performance together. I consider that the Cypriot audience is very easy to communicate with culture-wise, considering their vast history and exposure to various distinct cultures.
I plan to stick to my practice of performing Violetta, counting on the emotional acceptance of my role. I hope they will discover this masterpiece and will fall in love with it. There were several occasions when I sang in front of an audience, which was not quite familiar with opera music.
In all those cases I witnessed huge interest and enthusiasm on behalf of the audiences, which was very encouraging to me. I always expect to engage new audiences in new experiences..
