MOSCOW, October 3, Anastasia Silkina. Critics compare her soprano with the legendary Maria Callas; her performance of the Tosca part is applauded by the Pope, who awarded the singer the knightly Order of St. Sylvester. And she is also one of the few Russian artists who have not been “canceled” in the West. Svetlana Kasyan spoke about her tour in Great Britain, conversations with Pope Francis and beauty secrets in an interview.
About the blessing of the Pope and applause in Belfast
— Svetlana, where did I find you?
— I’m returning from a tour at the Northern Ireland Opera in Belfast. We went to Italy for a few days, and the opportunity arose to meet the Pope again in the Vatican. We had a warm conversation. Every time I am amazed at his sincerity and depth. The conversation smoothly turned to Wagner's music, which he, it turns out, has loved for a long time. In the last six months I had a contract in Germany, I began to learn the language and stopped being afraid of this music.
— How were you received in the UK? Did you emphasize that you are Russian?
— I admit, I went with the mindset that even if I left the stage to the rustle of my own eyelashes, I wouldn’t be upset.
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I have extensive experience in performing: since 2007 I have been singing in Russia, since 2011 — abroad, I have sung in 46 countries. And I can say that it was a crazy success in the UK! The entire cast was British, only I was Russian.
When I bowed, the audience stood up. And so on for each of the five performances! My dressing room before the second and subsequent shows was strewn with flowers, postcards, and souvenirs with Irish symbols of good luck. I gained weight because there were chocolates and cakes! (Laughs.) They even gave gifts to my daughter, who remained in Russia because the school year is already underway.
And when I first arrived in Belfast, I was personally greeted by the general director of the theater. I was amazed.
— Where else are they warmly received abroad?
— I saw such love only in Japan and was shocked that the reserved Japanese were capable of such a thing. There was also crazy success at a festival in Finland four years ago, when I was called for encores several times. In Italy they have loved me for a long time, my photos hang in restaurants, people come up on the street.
— Do you keep gifts from fans?
— I try to collect little by little, following the example of the Luciano Pavarotti House Museum: everything there is strewn with letters from fans. I am very pleased to receive handwritten messages. Goosebumps!
About difficulties with visas and reception at home
— What other plans do you have abroad?
“I’m afraid to voice it because I’ve already had six contracts fall through due to the fact that I didn’t receive a visa. In the UK they waited 20 days to stage the play because they did not issue a visa. When the embassy called, they asked: “Is this still relevant for you?”
It’s a difficult time. Some singers refuse Russian documents. But I won’t do this: this is my country, Russia is my home and my family. God willing, I’ll still sing!
— Melancholy is your signature game. Can you call her beloved?
— Of course, I love her. By the way, today we discussed it with the Pope, he really appreciates my Tosca. I always pronounce the key phrase “Avanti a lui tremava tutta Roma” (“All of Rome trembled before him”) differently: sometimes I’m in a straight animal state, and sometimes I whisper. The directors are happy.
I dream of performing “Andre Chénier”, “Adriana Lecouvreur”. But they always call me to “Tosca” and expect me to go to “Turandot,” which I have been refusing for ten years now. (Laughs.)
— Where will Russian fans be able to hear you in the near future?
— I will go to Kazan for the first time, there will be “Aida” there on October 11. And on November 3 — “Francesca da Rimini” in Novy Urengoy with Vanya Gyngazov and the Moscow State Symphony Orchestra conducted by Ivan Rudin. Unfortunately, there are no invitations to Moscow.
— This is surprising after the success abroad.
“The greater my success there, the less it pleases some of my compatriots and more often my name is crossed out in my homeland. But I'm not the first. So it was with Maria Callas. As my girlfriend says: “Why should I love you, Kasyan? You even infuriate me.” (Laughs.)
— From feature films we know that the ballet world is very cruel, with high competition. What about the opera?
— The competition is crazy. It’s time to introduce a subject at conservatories that will teach how to communicate with directors and agents and make connections. And then — voice, technique, foreign languages… This is especially true for singers. There are too many tenors, they can even sing in dirty Italian and it will work. data-crop-ratio=»0.665258368540786″ data-crop-width=»600″ data-crop-height=»399″ data-source-sid=»rian_photo» class=»lazyload» width=»1920″ height=»1277″ » decoding=»async» />
About the secrets of beauty and the benefits of walking
— There is a stereotype that opera divas are not fragile ladies. You are an exception. How do you maintain your figure?
— It varies. In a busy schedule, with a lot of flights, with time differences, my metabolism flies. And when I’m in a calm mode, then I’m beautiful: I’m slimmer, I look good.
When I lost six contracts and was in Russia for six months, performing in Moscow and Kaliningrad, I returned to shape.
There are secrets regarding nutrition, but not everyone can follow them. For example, now in Belfast at the rehearsal base we had very fatty food, which was buried in potatoes and bread. Even though we worked 12 hours a day, I gained weight. But even there I tried to create cardio for myself, walking 15-20 thousand steps.
— A couple of years ago you announced that you intended to become a space tourist. Are your plans in force?
— Everything is in force. My colleagues once told me: “We won’t be surprised if Elon Musk comes to listen to you tomorrow.” You know, I won’t be surprised by anything either.