Magdalena Anna Hofmann – soprano

 O excelente soprano Magdalena Anna Hofmann vai cantar em Portugal, no próximo dia 17 de Janeiro, na Casa da Música, Porto, as cenas finais de duas operas do Anel de Wagner, Siegfried e Götterdämmerung. A não perder!

Também a não perder a entrevista exclusiva que a artista deu ao blogue “Fanáticos da Ópera / Opera Fanatics”.

Obrigado Magdalena Hofmann!

The great soprano Magdalena Anna Hofmann will sing in Portugal, on the 17th January at Casa da Música, Porto, the final scenes of two operas of Wagner's Ring, Siegfried and Götterdämmerung. Not to be missed!

Also do not miss the exclusive interview that the artist gave to the blog "Fanaticos da Ópera / Opera Fanatics".

Thank you Magdalena Hofmann!

- On 17th of January you will be singing the final scenes of Siegfried and Götterdämmerung in a concert in Casa da Música in Porto. Will this be your debut in Portugal? Do you have any further plans to sing in this country?

Well I sang in Porto already last year under the baton of Baldur Brönnimann and enjoyed this fabulous orchestra and Casa da Musica very much. That`s why I`m truly happy to be able to come back, this time with a different program and the Remix Ensemble! I am also quite exited about another concert I will sing in Casa da Musica next season, again with Maestro Brönnimann. It is a huge honour to be invited several times and I`m really looking forward to it!

- Is the closeness to the public different during a concert performance and an opera? Which is the most challenging?

It is indeed different! In a way it seems much easier to perform an opera, as within 3 or 4 hours you have a whole character to develop, supported by the costume, the set design, etc. This really helps you to step away from your own self and embody a specific role. It`s very hard sometimes but also great fun! Whereas a concert is always a more personal matter. You appear on stage and you instantly have to get into the right mood for a piece. In this situation it is always me, Magdalena, telling a story whereas in an opera it is told by the character I portray… Then again, in a concert there is that constant contact with the audience, so one can sense the atmosphere and react to it. Actually it took me some time to get used to concerts and enjoy the spirit of the moment.

 (Le Nozze di Figaro)

- You have already sung, with great success, several other Wagnerian heroines (including Kundry, Elisabeth, Venus, Sieglinde and Senta). Which opera character do you most admire in Wagner’s operas and which would you still like to sing?

That`s a tricky question as we know how complex Wagnerian heroines are! It`s always a challenge to find all those different layers in the characters like strength, vulnerability, sacrifice, determination. Perhaps I`d say that Kundry would be my favorite role so far and before I even start thinking of singing Isolde I`d rather do some more productions with roles I have already sung, to develop them and find new twists.

 (Mathis der Mahler)

- How did Wagner enter your life?

Hahaha, when I was 22 years old my voice teacher suggested that I should study Fricka in Walküre. Of course it was way too early for this kind of repertoire but without really being aware of what I was doing I enjoyed it a lot and immediately found my own interpretation. Which may have been a good sign I guess...

 (Der Fliegende Holländer)

- Who are the people that have had the most influence in your singing career?

I am lucky to have several important people in my life whom I trust and who guide me and are honest enough to tell me when something isn’t the way it should be. It`s always important to hear different opinions and get new input, but also trust someone who knows you for many years, like my wonderful voice teacher Carol Blaickner-Mayo in Vienna!

  (Der Fliegende Holländer) 

- What are your professional plans for the future?

 My goal is to keep a good balance between more lyrical repertoire and the dramatic roles, and of course contemporary music to keep my voice and mind flexible. Currently I`m preparing for Opéra de Lyon Carlotta in DIE GEZEICHNETEN, a brilliant opera by Franz Schreker, rarely done but such wonderful music! Further plans bring with Schönberg`s Erwartung one of my all time favourite roles, the Foreign Princess in Rusalka and two different productions of The Flying Dutchman.

  (Der Fliegende Holländer) 

- Do you have a particular message for the readers of the blog “Fanáticos da Ópera / Opera Fanatics”?

Well, nowadays people are used to recordings, perfectly done through endless repetitions and therefore flawless. As a result singers often are being judged too hard and people neglect the sensation of that person being live on stage, singing for them, authentically. Don’t stop attending concerts and live performances because in those very moments the singers try to give their best, and give it from their hearts!