Soprano Anna Leese
Soprano Anna Leese answers The Big Idea community questions about singing in different languages, the rehearsal process and the challenges of playing Tatyana in the NBR New Zealand Opera’s Eugene Onegin. See her comments below.
Leese is a rising star of international opera and says her top tip for surviving and thriving is to not be afraid of self-promotion. “It's a very Kiwi thing to be ashamed of it. If you don't believe you're fantastic why should anyone else? Have confidence in your ability.”
Anna has recently sung principal roles for the Royal Opera House Covent Garden and Canadian Opera and after her New Zealand performances she heads to Cologne and Antwerp.
While Anna has sung with some of the major international opera houses and performed alongside the likes of Jose Carreras, Andrea Bocelli and Dame Kiri Te Kanawa, returning to her homeland to make her debut with The NBR New Zealand Opera is a real thrill for her. “I miss New Zealand and would come back with very little persuasion,” she says.
“In an ideal world I would base my career from here but it’s just not possible to do that at this stage – one day maybe... In the meantime, I’m thrilled to be back and singing Tatyana. Eugene Onegin is a very believable opera,” she says, “with events that could easily happen in real life. And Tatyana is quite the modern heroine.”
During what hours of the day do you feel most inspired?
First thing in the morning – I always wake up with a spring in my step!
How would a good friend describe your aesthetic or style?
That's hard to say – obviously I've been through the usual phases – a bit of Goth in high school, grunge, the whole Kiwi 'I'm athletic' Kathmandu look – which kind of petered out in London. And now I guess I alternate between fun and colourful and jeans and t's... and mum's homespuns.
What aspect of your creative practice gives you the biggest thrill?
Listening to a new piece I'm going to perform and falling in love with it. And performing with an orchestra will always be an amazing thing.
How does your environment affect your work?
HUGELY! Too cold and your breathing muscles and the muscles around your throat cease up; too hot and you're dehydrated; too dusty and you're all choked up; too loud and you have to yell and lose your voice – singers have got to be the pickiest (necessarily) about their working environment that I know of...
Do you like to look at the big picture or focus on the details?
Both have their place. You've got to be concerned about both I think.
What's your number one business tip for surviving (and thriving) in the creative industries?
Don't be afraid of self-promotion. It's a very Kiwi thing to be ashamed of it. If you don't believe you're fantastic why should anyone else? Have confidence in your ability.
Which of your projects to date has given you the most satisfaction?
I've recently started some teaching and that's a great feeling! I was so afraid I wouldn't know what to say to another singer – but it turns out it's more a case of filtering through the things I think of and deciding the most relevant and useful things that they might be able to apply to their performance.
Who or what has inspired you recently?
Annie Crummer. I saw her speaking to Paul Henry on Breakfast about how difficult it's been to remain in the music business and I related a lot to that. There's a lot of personal sacrifice you have to make to have this career – like being on the road constantly. She says she perseveres because it's her art, it's what she's good at and what she's passionate about.
If you could go back and choose a completely different career path to the one you've chosen, what would it be?
I think I'd be in business. I quite like sitting at the laptop and organising things – making decisions and planning. I'd have to be in a position of responsibility or I'd go mad.
What place is always with you, wherever you go?
Woodville. The small farm I grew up on which Mum and Dad built from scratch. There was a creek surrounded by pine trees where I used to go to pick watercress – if I'm really stressed about something or can't sleep I close my eyes and imagine myself there picking cress.
What's the best way to listen to music, and why?
Live, with your friends and a glass of NZ Sav.
You are given a piece of string, a stick and some fabric. What do you make?
A toy for my cat most probably. Sad I know.
What's the best stress relief advice you've ever been given?
Deep breathing. And have confidence; it will all be ok – it's all about the bigger picture and most of our worries are unnecessary.
What's great about today?
I've just this morning been asked to be the godmother to my niece which is really special.
What’s your big idea for 2009?
Not to waste a minute.
- The NBR New Zealand Opera’s Genesis Energy season of Eugene Onegin opens in Wellington on Saturday 10 October. www.nzopera.com
Comments
28 September 2009 - 13:44 PM
Many thanks for your questions for Anna Leese, her answers are below.
Congratulations to Graham Atkinson who has won a double pass to Eugene Onegin in Wellington!
Do you believe Opera may have a place in electronic dance music?
Hi Ekarin- yes, I do- but I think when you mix classical music with modern music people tend to brand you as a cross-over artist, which doesn't always have positive connotations in my field. But I definitely think opera has a place in dance music, even though it's not really my cup of tea so much. I guess it's because I don't like to think of opera as background music.
How do you handle the various languages you have to sing in and especially determining emotions?
How much of the rehearsal process is focused on acting, and have you noticed different companies putting different amounts of emphasis on the drama aspect of an opera production?
I understand the singers had to learn the Polonaise for the ball scene. A new challenge for the company to sing opera and dance at the same time. What has been the most interesting challenge for you in your role as Tatyana here in NZ?
Graham-well language is one of the biggest challenges about singing- Ideally you'd want to be fluent in them, and be able to hold a conversation in the language you're singing in. But the amount of time you'd have to invest in learning every language you perform would be phenominal. It's crucial to understand every word you're singing and also what is being sung to you- so hours and hours of work has to be spent learning that first before you go to the stage. Also learning pronunciation.
Benedict- these days (more than, say 50 years ago) the focus is on portraying a realistic story on the stage. I think opera is becoming more like live theatre and less 'operatic'. Companies I have worked for have tended to all have a similar attitude toward it. What a lot of people don't realise is that most of the musical preparation has to be done on your own- before day one of production- you have to arrive with the role memorised- when you meet the rest of the cast it's all about the story and the acting. Often you go a few days of production without even singing, you'll just be acting it
Sarah- yes a lot of people have commented that they were surprised the singers had to dance as well as sing! But really a lot of singers I know have done a bit of dance training too- it was part of the course I took in London for instance. You have to expect to be asked to do all sorts of things like that! I like that part of the job. For me, this role is just so much fun. I haven't come across any challenges which I've had real trouble with in this production- mostly because my fellow singers and the production team have been so positive and great to work with I think. One challenge I suppose is worth mentioning is the Russian- it is such a different language from English and even now, after every show, I'm still having to work through pages of notes from our Russian coach Dmitry, who is awesome