A tragic tale of love, power, revenge… and that song.
NZ Baritone James Harrison performs in New Zealand Opera’s season of Rigoletto by Verdi. Presented by arrangement with Opera Australia and set in stylish la dolce vita 1950s Italy, this cornerstone of the operatic canon blends drama, compelling characters, and Verdi’s unforgettable music, including infamous tenor aria ‘La donna è mobile’, to be performed by Amitai Pati.
James studied in the UK at the Royal College of Music and the National Opera Studio. He has performed at the Royal Albert Hall, The Barbican, The Wigmore Hall, English National Opera and The Royal Opera House, and throughout Europe and New Zealand. James sings regularly with orchestras, universities and choirs throughout Aotearoa and is in demand as a teacher and choral educator.
What drew you to opera?
I was always singing and performing as a child. I got more involved with choirs and shows as a teenager and the voice I have seemed to fit opera the best. Actually, the first opera I experienced from start to finish was singing in the chorus for the company that’s grown into NZ Opera.
Can you tell us about this upcoming production of Rigoletto?
It’s going to look amazing, as Elijah Moshinsky’s productions always do! Rigoletto is full of great tunes, drama, and larger than life emotions. Imagine a Fellini film full of huge characters, love, revenge, bitterness, and lust and the top it with some of Verdi’s best music. Even if opera isn’t your usual outing this will leave an audience feeling very satisfied.
How do you feel contemporary audiences will respond to this opera?
I think we all like a bit of drama, especially when it’s happening on stage rather than in our own lives, and while the characters in this opera are complex and layered, there’s also a lot that’s easy to get hold of and enjoy whether this is your first opera or the fifth time you’ve seen Rigoletto.
You’re playing the character Count Monterone, how do you feel about this character and what do you love about it?
Monterone is a fairly contained role and he appears in the midst of a fabulously dramatic scene. There are so many voices, singing with so much drama and power which is exciting but that takes stamina and skill as an individual, and a lot of coordination and trust as an ensemble. Fortunately, those are both things I love working on.
What preparation do you do for a role like this?
I spend time thinking about what my character is saying and hearing, working on doing that in a language which isn’t my own, and then doing it at a pace and in a rhythm that is Verdi’s. Then there’s making sure that the voice is working the way it needs to which, as someone who spends a lot of his time teaching everything from classical and choral repertoire to belting out show tunes and K-pop with the students I work with, means some focus and finessing.
Is this an opera that someone could bring a friend to? A friend who has never been to the opera before?
I firmly believe that some criticisms of opera – it’s over the top and flamboyant, there’s so much happening, there are so many sounds at once – are actually its strengths. This show will be a lot but in the best possible way! The music soars because our emotions soar, and there are moments of exquisite delicacy and subtlety as well. Also, some of the challenges with opera, most of which grew up around the art form rather than within it have been overcome. These days no one minds what you wear to see an opera, and you can do some listening or learning before you come but only if that’s what you want to do. The English surtitles make it easy to understand what’s being said, as do the performers, and everyone should feel really welcome because opera is for everyone.
New Zealand Opera’s presents Rigoletto by Verdi 19, 21, 25 September at Kiri Te Kanawa Theatre, Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland. Tickets and info nzopera.com
