Questions and Answers with Massimo Giordano

Occasionally in life, something so random and cool happens that it completely throws you for a loop. In my case, this happened two weeks ago (right on the eve of the worst Death Cold I've had in ages), when Massimo Giordano himself sent me a message on Twitter to ask if I would please write a blog for him, about his new album. I believe the correct response in this case is "Um, YEAH". Alas, the fact that I teach 120 students under the age of 6 worked against me, as I came down with the Cold From Hell almost immediately after this, and was out of commission for a week and a half. But at long last, and thank you for your patience, Signor Giordano, is my blog post. :-)

Massimo Giordano has finally come out with an album for those of us who love tenor arias (and let's face it, most of us do). Amore e Tormento, produced by BMG, will feature a selection of Italian arias by Puccini, Verdi and Giordano, including those from "Don Carlo", "Manon Lescaut" and "Andrea Chenier".

Giordano himself comes from a working class Italian family, and has managed to make a pretty phenomenal international career, singing in all the world's major houses (including my personal favorite, the Vienna Staatsoper). He's sung with La Trebs, Natalie Dessay, and scores of others.

But you thought this was going to be a press release, didn't you? Nope. I've always been rather forward, and having a fever of 102F didn't really help. I asked for an email interview. I got it. And remember those Silly Opera Interview questions I posted months ago? Yeah, I asked some of those. And the ever fabulous Signor Giordano replied, no problem!

If you could sing any role, regardless of voice type or fach, what would it be?

Actually, I really like the bass voice. I find it very noble and I would love to sing Philippe the II in Don Carlo even though if I have to admit that each voice type has interesting arias that I would love to sing.

What's the funniest mistake you've ever made onstage?/What's the scariest thing that's ever happened to you in a performance?

I have to say that nothing that funny ever happened to me on the stage until today. However, I remember a time I had a concert and 3 times I had to enter the stage and I completely tripped ALL 3 TIMES while going up the stairs to the stage!!!! … and then the Presenter of the concert immitated me by doing the same!!! :-)

Instead of the scariest, well I remember when I sang La Jongleur de Notre-Dame in Rome and at the end in order to show people that Jean was going to become an angel, I had to climb all the way up to the rooftop of the theater and I can assure you with or without security that was really scary!!!!

If you could turn any book or movie into an opera, what would it be and why?

Hummm ok this is what I call a nice question ;-)
I think that would be really interesting to make an opera about the political situation in Italy of the last 50 years because more then an opera would be a tragedy!

But seriously I love Boardwalk Empire this would be a great opera for the content of the story and the main character Mr. Thompson but especially because it is inspired by a real life story.

What's the last performance you cried over?
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Certainly it was Bohème in Paris with Inva Mula in the last act I finished always crying for real and it was a great emotion.

What made you choose to go with BMG for your debut album?

BMG gives me all the artistic freedom possible and the new Master Right model that Mr. Hartwig Masuch has invented is really effective. I also think that this will be the future for us as artists!

Which upcoming performances are you desperately excited about?

The exit of my album Amore e Tormento, because it will be a huge success :-)
But also the debut as Andrea Chenier in Wien this will be a great challenge and I am really looking forward to it!

Thank you, Massimo! Look forward to Amore e Tormento, coming soon to a record store near you!