L'Italo-Americano

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 4, 2018 www.italoamericano.org 28 L'Italo-Americano S an F rancis co has attracted world class talent, artis ts from every genre, for many decades and the month of September 2018 was no exception. The city by the bay had the distinct pleasure of w elco ming internationally acclaimed conductor, Maestro Riccardo Frizza. The Maestro made his fourth appearance, a collaboration with the San Francisco Opera, this year with Gaetano Donizetti's iconic tragedia lirica (tragic opera) Roberto Devereux. He took the baton on September 8th followed by seven additional performances through Septem- ber 27th. Maestro's three previous San Francisco Opera appearances were productions of Lucrezia Borgia in 2011, I Capuleti e i Montecchi in 2012, and Tosca in 2014. Of his fourth production, the San Francisco Opera said, "We are thrilled to welcome him back to San Francisco to share his talents once again!" And well they s hould be as , by all accounts , F rizza once again stunned audiences with his gal- vanic presence on the podium, inspiring performances as exhil- arating as they are expressive. Frizza is known for his oper- atic repertoire, which encom- passes a vast array of diverse works, including Verdi, Puccini, Mozart, Rossini and many oth- ers. The Maestro is the first M us ical D irector of the Donizetti Festival, whose inau- gural s eas on takes place in November 2018. A Conversation with Mae- stro Riccardo Frizza L'Italo Americano was fortu- nate to meet and speak with the celebrated Maestro, and had the opportunity to explore his love of music, opera and Donizetti. Through this conversation, his passion for music clearly illus- trates how his extraordinary tal- ent developed and has grown into an illustrious career. Maestro shared his thoughts and feelings about the art of con- ducting. "The action of conduct- ing is based on one's own sensi- bilities. Music is inside your heart. Take, for example, the influence of the artist in such a way as Puccini was influenced by Wagner. When I heard Mozart's Requiem at the age of 14, it left a lasting impression. At age 17 I began composing. It was my destino. "It is our manner to commu- nicate using gestures, and in conducting, gesture is the final outcome. As for the author the words are his tools, for me the orchestra is my instrument. The composer creates the opera, but the conductor is the conduit for the interpretation. Conducting is similar to the way an author interprets words or a painter col- ors and brushes. And so for me, much of the performance is about the preparation leading up to the actual performance." D id you ch os e th e op era Roberto Devereux for this per- formance or do you collaborate with a team? "The San Francisco Opera decided they wanted to stage this particular piece and then they w ent about deciding w hich would be the best artist to serve this purpose. It was at that point that I was invited to be the con- ductor and, of course, I said yes because my schedule allowed for this and it is in my repertoire. So it was the casting manager, the artistic administrator, that asked me and also it is he who chooses the singers. A cast is set up for each of the roles, and then we all meet to begin w orking together." Two of the four times you were selected by the San Fran- cisco Opera it was to conduct Donizetti. Do you have a par- ticular affinity for his work and if so, why? "I like to perform all com- posers. You should know that Donizetti, Rossini, Verdi, and Puccini are all in the top five compos ers w orld-w ide. F or example between 2012 and 2017, Donizetti was the fourth most performed compos er in the world. And, of course, out of the top five, four are Italians. In my career I have done 21 of Verdi's 27 operas, so I have almost com- pleted the whole cycle of his operatic works. To complete this… is something I would like to accomplish." You have performed four times in San Francisco. Is that because you have a particular affinity for the San Francisco Opera? "San Francisco Opera is the second major opera house in the United States, behind only to New York. It is a great venue with all the potential needed to be consistently brilliant; a great chorus, great orchestra and they are able to acquire the best artists in the world, so it is a natural choice for world-class talent and appreciative audiences. I came here for the first time in 2011 and fell in love with the War Memorial Opera House. Also, when you feel that you fit well working with the other artists, it is particularly enjoyable and so you come back very happily. " I come here with my idea, my musical interpretation, and I feel that the orchestra and the chorus respond well to me so the CATHERINE ACCARDI Riccardo Frizza is known for his operatic repertoire, which encompasses a vast array of diverse works including Verdi, Ros- sini, Mozart and many others © Joan Tomas - Fidelio Artist "I like to perform all composers" says Frizza of his work as a conductor. © Janos Posztos Italian Conductor, Maestro Riccardo Frizza, Returns to San Francisco with Roberto Devereux SAN FRANCISCO ITALIAN COMMUNITY Continued to page 30

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