What an opera diva learned from the Olympics
OperaIn her Lebrecht Interview on BBC Radio 3, Lise Davidsen talked about turning to the mental coach of the Norwegian Olympic team for guidance about motivation and managing her career. ‘I thought, this isn’t for me, this is amazing but I don’t know how to do this any more. She was surprised to hear that I don’t have an off-season. You prepare for the Olympics and then you have a long time off. She talks about swimming in, and swimming out…. how do you get your head out of it. There are things that are way more important than what I do.’
There is an extrordinary candour and humility in Lise’s approach to her art and her profession. Listen here.
A great artist. Sadly, most singers don’t have the option of an off-season as the majority of singers earn abysmal fees while the majority of those at the top enjoy blind fees, and blind eyes when they don’t turn up on time / don’t know their music / pull a sickie for the dress rehearsal / cancel a show because they can afford to. Most of the public and those in music circles have no idea how much some singers are molly-coddled and pandered to… so much so that the hard work is that of the under appreciated coaches who have to note bash these often Rolex sponsored, big agency backed,
instagram popular park and barkers… and before the wolves circle and say that day is gone, it really isn’t. It happens all the time. If those who pay 3 figures, or more, for their seats knew how little thought / effort / preparation often goes into the shows they attend … well. Maybe it doesn’t matter.
Lise is an exception to the norm. An exceptional artist, voice and person who certainly does not consign her preparation or artistry to the work of others.
What a lovely interview and what a lovely grounded singer! I had not known that she started singing as a mezzo. It made me wonder how many other dramatic sopranos began major careers in the lower register. Were Shirley Verrett and Grace Bumbry ever mezzos at the start of their careers? I recall several times hearing Helga Dernesch as a thrilling albeit lighter dramatic soprano. Sadly her technique was faulty and she was pushed too quickly into much heavier roles. After a year off she returned to the stage as a successful mezzo. She was a wonderful actress.
While still at school, I was fortunate to hear Helga Dernesch sing a number of roles with Scottish Opera: Gutrune, Leonore in Fidelio, the Marschallin, and Brünnhilde in Walküre and Siegfried. Perhaps the major difference between Dernesch and Lise Davidsen is that whereas Dernesch sang Brünnhilde and Isolde for Karajan in her early 30s, Davidsen (37) is singing Sieglinde. Like her great compatriot, Kirsten Flagstad, Davidsen is taking her time before singing the heavier Wagnerian roles. That said, in her prime Dernesch was thrilling,
Wow, she discovered cold water. Keep singing, love. That is just preferable to your talking.
Fascinating interview, Norman. Thank you
What a wonderful interview from such a lovely lady. I feel privileged to have heard everything she had done at the Met and look forward to hearing more. And such a modest take on life and celebrity. May her voice continue to ravish all of us for decades to come.
There was a time when most singers, and instrumentalists, performed mostly at a single institution, which had an off-season during which they could recharge. The age of continent-hopping and the burgeoning of festivals (of variable quality and interest) have had a deleterious effect on many artists and their careers. Ms Davidsen was wise to seek assistance and fortunate to find a coach who is sensitive to the phenomena of fatigue and burnout.