GironaDevotion is one of the hallmarks of the Vilabertrán Schubertíada. Over the years, there have been many artists who have been repeatedly acclaimed by the Canònica audience, becoming regular names, almost constants, in the Emporda Lied Festival program. But in each edition, among the list of soloists who never fail, there is also room for discoveries and debuts full of anticipation, such as the Swedish soprano Malin Byström (Helsingborg, 1973) who will sing accompanied by the pianist Magnus Svensson. First time in the Vilabertrán Chapel this Wednesday. The singer, with a solid operatic career on the most prestigious stages around the world, will offer an exciting and surprising program, passed down from the masters of music. musical composition French songs by avant-garde composers of the early 20th century.
How do you experience your first appearance in Schubertíada?
— Opera takes up almost all my time, and I don’t get to give many concerts, so I’m very excited to have the opportunity to come to this exceptional festival, with my friend Magnus Svensson. As an opera singer, I have sung all over Europe, also in Madrid, but not yet in Catalonia, so I’m not sure if the audience knows who I am, but I feel very proud and excited and I hope that the audience will give me a chance and enjoy the concert.
The repertoire he has chosen suggests a journey from the freshness of Duparc or Fauré to the dissonances of Berg and Kurt Weill.
– Yes, to present myself at Vilabertran, I have chosen a repertoire that I love and that I think gives a good picture of who I am as an artist. I start with Fauré’s songs, which are very natural to me, I have known them since I was a student, then Duparc, who is wonderful and whose balance of melodies suits my voice very well. I will also sing two very beautiful pieces by Pauline Viardot and Cécile Chaminade, because I think it is important to add composers to the program.
For Villabertran’s audience, the four songs by composer Tore Rangström, which are rarely performed outside Sweden, will be new. How is your music?
– It’s romantic, precious and beautiful. Of course, I wanted to introduce some Swedish pieces because in Scandinavia we have a very rich repertoire, unfortunately not very well known, and I think his pieces combine Fauré and Duparc very well, because they belong to almost the same period.
Based on your experience on stage, what is the difference between an opera and a fake concert?
– False concerts are more difficult and easier than opera. It’s more difficult because in one night you have to sing maybe thirty songs, each with its own lyrics that tell a little story, so you have to use a lot of registers, nuances, intimate colors. But at the same time, it’s easier because you have the pleasure of being just you and the pianist, so you can be more free and decide a lot more things than when you’re in an opera production, where the directors are
He began his operatic career with mainly Mozartian characters.. What other roles has your voice evolved into over time?
– Mozart helped shape my personality as a singer and shaped my style. But at a certain point, it was liberating for me to be able to open up to a wide range of composers like Puccini, Verdi, Strauss and even Wagner, and my voice needed that to grow and have a wider register, while maintaining the same lyrical quality. It was a natural process for me, as if the voice was guiding me on the way.
He recently did Tosca, Tannhäuser And even Fozik By Alban Berg. What other new characters would you like to work with soon?
— I dream of singing more Verdi, like Masquerade, Othello I Don Carlos Plus some other Wagner operas. I want to stay curious, it keeps my voice young.
Maybe we can try some of these new roles in Barcelona?
– I hope I’ve talked the Gran Teatre del Liceu into trying. Squaring calendars is hard, but I like it.
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