Brazilian Bruno de Sa caused a sensation at the opening of the Ambronay Festival on September 13th with a performance of Pergolesi’s “Stabat Mater”. Interview.
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Friday, September 13th, the 45th edition of the most prestigious early and baroque music festival in Europe opened in Ambronay. The theme chosen this year is the singing voice. Invited for the third time to the festival, a unique star inaugurated the season, the Brazilian soprano Bruno de Sa. We met him a few hours before the presentation of the Stabat Mater from Pergolesi to the Abbey.
Franceinfo Culture: What is special about your soprano voice?
Bruno de Sa: I am a man who sings soprano [la voix la plus aigüe, habituellement féminine] That’s the simplest way to say it. High countertenor voices are very well known, from the 18th and 19th centuries and today we have great representatives in France, like Philippe Jarrousky. These singers are either tenors or baritones who have developed the falsetto voice to reach this high voice. In my case, I am neither a tenor nor a baritone, I sing naturally high and I work my voice in the same way as a female soprano. So there is a difference with the countertenors in the color, in the way of producing the sound, but it is neither better nor worse.
How did you discover your soprano voice?
I have been singing since I was 2 years old, so I have been singing non-stop for thirty-two years. I continued singing during the phase when you change your voice and I noticed that at the time I needed more breath to reach those high notes. No, I never suddenly discovered the high voice because I have always sung like that since I was a kid. On the other hand, I had a moment when someone explained to me that I was not a countertenor. It was at university and the famous Brazilian harpsichordist Nicolau de Figueiredo, who I had in a masterclass, confirmed to me that I did not have the color or the way to produce the sound of the countertenors.
Soprano, is that a rare voice?
Yes, it is unusual. Fortunately it is a little more “trendy” today and we discover many other boys with this same voice. But when I started, twelve years ago, there were no other sopranos, not a single one! All the male voices that could be used as examples were countertenors: Philippe Jaroussky, Max Emmanuel Cencic, Daniel Taylor, Franco Fagioli. I can say that I was the first boy who explored – and extended – this repertoire and in doing so gave new life to music that was not played.
Was it difficult?
Yes! I am constantly showing the possibilities of my voice, what I can sing, what I can’t. Again, because it is unusual. But there is a path that opens up.
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There aren’t many roles for sopranos?
Actually, yes, there are! If we open our minds and think about voice and not gender, I could sing any soprano role. Of course, within the vast category of female sopranos, there is a wide variety of voices: not everyone can sing the Queen of the Night (in The Magic Flute), Turandot or Susanna (in The Marriage of Figaro). And it’s the same for male sopranos, sopranists. But it’s not because I’m a man that I have to sing only men’s roles or only the baroque repertoire. Since the beginning, when you have a voice like mine you’ve been told to sing baroque. No, I don’t have to only sing baroque! That was the big question ten or twelve years ago: could I sing Mozart? I have a light-lyric soprano voice, what repertoire could I embrace?
Opera houses are not yet ready to have you sing female characters…
Fortunately, the opera world is gradually opening up and becoming more accepting…
Does he really do it?
Yes… However, it is nothing compared to the ease with which the public understands and accepts it. As they accept seeing women interpret male characters. Besides, I am not proposing anything new! We have already had Shakespeare, the Greek tragedies, the plays with castratos. But those who direct operas are still very closed people. And what we see on stage does not reflect the discussions and debates that take place in society. Of course, when we try to open up more possibilities, there is always the risk of either the circus phenomenon, or scandalous shows or shows that do not respect the composer and the music. But it is something that I pay close attention to. Because we need to open up, without forgetting tradition. For me, things are simple: here is what I propose, here are my vocal possibilities. And I want to sing things that my voice allows me to sing.
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At the Ambronay Early and Baroque Music Festival, you are opening with the essential “Stabat Mater” by Pergolesi, written for two voices, one of which is a soprano, yours. What do you think is its main difficulty?
THE Stabat is probably the piece I have performed the most. Last year I sang it twelve times. It is a piece that I know really well. The difficulty for me is the vocal range. Because even if it is for soprano, it remains a challenge! If I compare for example the Stabat with the In fury by Antonio Vivaldi, which I also sing, it’s a very different range. In furymore acute, is much easier while maintaining the feeling of pain in Stabat Mater in such a long register, for me it is always a challenge.
The “Stabat Mater” is special in that it is both a sacred work and very close to opera…
It’s extremely operatic! We are talking about a composer of the Neapolitan school, which means dramatic tension, theatrical aspect. Obviously, it can be interpreted in a very “compact” way, and that’s always good. But if we integrate the theatrical aspect – even if there is no scenic element, because there is none, it’s a concert – clearly we have a different approach to music, and to beauty. It is a sacred work. But the sacred and opera were very linked at the time.
Sopranos or countertenors, you are rare and often the object of worship by fans around the world. What do you think of this “stardom” that often accompanies your career?
Sometimes it scares me. I don’t think about it or prefer not to think about it because in the end, it’s my job. I just want to sing. Fame, visibility, it’s a consequence. I know the importance of my role, especially in Brazil, where I am a source of inspiration for young singers. And then when I’m off stage, I’m a very shy person.