"THE OPERA'S PROVED ITS RIGHT TO IMMORTALITY"

Enrico Caruso once said that what a singer needs is "a wide chest, a wide throat, ninety per cent of memory, ten per cent of intelligence, a lot of hard work and something in the heart". It is probably the latter that becomes the hallmark of any vocalist whom the audience wants to listen to experience the wonderful world of music and poetry.

Tural Aghasiyev is not just a man carrying his instrument, that is the voice, with himself. His professional workload confirms that a person with a good voice cannot live quietly. He always has a desire to sing. It is not therefore surprising that the Honoured Artist of Azerbaijan equally considers three stages his home. Apart from being the leading soloist of the Azerbaijan State Academic Opera and Ballet Theatre, Tural Aghasiyev is also a soloist of the Exemplary Military Orchestra of the Azerbaijan State Frontier Service, which gives him a chance to perform compositions beyond the classical repertoire, which is always interesting for a true vocalist. And he is no stranger at the State Choral Chapel led by People's Artist Gulbaji Imanova.

"What's your favourite – the philharmonic orchestra or theatre?"

"I don't think this is a valid comparison. These are two different ways of presenting the material to the audience. The Philarmonic Hall is a chamber stage, whereas theatre is a synthesis of acting and singing. That's why I go on stage with a certain mood. I make no division between the two. Respect for one's profession and audience does not depend on the venue. The only true criterion is being honest about what you do. Going on stage is only the visible part of the component that requires full dedication in a vocalist's work. The stage is not about taking incomplete measures. The audience feels the vocalist's level of training. That's why there is no limit to perfection in our business. A vocalist is always learning, even the renowned professionals. And again, it doesn't matter whether he or she is "attached to" the philharmonic hall or the opera house. Except that in the philharmonic hall he's kind of backed up by a background scene, whereas the performer is open from all the sides on a theatrical stage. In the first case there is a certain statics of singing, but in the second one needs skills to perform from different positions: lying down, sitting, moving... As you can see, a classical vocalist never gets bored."

"You touched upon the issue of responsibility..."

"Although the statement is long overdue, it is nevertheless almost impossible to succeed without such an approach. You can't go on stage unprepared, or haven't made your homework. Mistakes which can be covered by acting in dramatic theatre cannot be concealed in opera! Even if the audience doesn't speak the language of your character, you must work on your vocal pronunciation. You have to build your voice into the character's personality while also conforming to the stage director's directions. There is a very particular kind of music in the opera house, where in addition to your partners on stage, you have to work with the live orchestra and the conductor. That is why more attention to details is necessary. But these elements are incredibly appealing to me. I can realise my own potential as an artist more and more. This is also part of the professional responsibility. Because the final result goes to the audience. And it's up to us to determine what kind of mood it leaves on us when the curtain falls."

"Bringing beauty to masses?"

"Rather, it is an opportunity for people to look at things from the outside. The experience does not always have to be through trials and tribulations. Philosophy is not only in weighty volumes of books, but it is also aired from the theatrical stage. Every performance is an invitation to find oneself in the characters, to see how events can unfold in certain situations and what the consequences may be. Even comedies are not just about laughter. Theatre is a kind of mentor, dressed in a suit of notes. This only adds to the attraction and expands the possibilities of perception. Music does not require translation - one listens to it with the heart. It also means beauty!"

"Maybe that's why we often see the characters listening to opera in films?"

"After all, there's nothing more vivid in musical material than in opera. The best soundtracks of iconic films are based on opera performances. They also have a subtext! In Pretty Woman, the characters listen to La Traviata, where I also perform. I first learned about Cavalleria Rusticana after watching the classical film The Godfather. At that time I couldn't even imagine that I'd perform those arias myself after some years! What a heavenly joy to listen and perform O Lola ch'ai di latti la cammisa, for example!!! And then I found myself singing one of the parts in it... So even centuries later the opera will be relevant. Opera has proven its right to immortality. And one can find it in other forms of art as well. That is why it is revered by those who understand the importance of beauty. I think the artists bow not just to the audience, but also to the music itself."

"How do you position yourself behind the scene?"

"I am trying to be caring, to be human above all else. I can honour someone with my presence based on our relationships and my human qualities. To show my respect with a gesture that shows its depth. The opposite is also true. After all, it is the degree of value of interpersonal perceptions that is at the core of these relations. I can be a loyal friend. Even if I know how to justify betrayal, I do not allow this to myself, considering it a weakness. It is important to be able to cherish and remember every kindness from outside, always! From everyone! Being grateful does not require inner expenses. That is why I try to justify the trust placed in me."

"It is common to heavily criticise someone in the world of theatre..! "

"Alas, it's hard to argue against such a global cliché. This is a spoil on the reputation of any theatre. But an artist, including an opera performer, has only one tool to prove this perception wrong - our work on stage and attitude towards the audience, which is our true arbiter."

"Sometimes not all the performers come out to ovations at the end of a performance."

"It happens... There's no crime here. There is an unwritten rule: if your character is not engaged in the last scene of a performance, you can feel free. It is not the same during a television recording, when all the actors take their final bows. But I think it is the chorus that creates an atmosphere that the director intends to create on the stage. They do not simply come out following the plot, but are the full-fledged members of it, whose interaction reveals the author's idea. They deserve no less applause than the main characters."

"Speaking of plots, their scheme is fairly straightforward. Almost each of them often involves an element of betrayal. What's your attitude towards it in real life."

"One should not accuse others of betrayal. I can always find excuses. You'll probably agree that in such cases we realise that it were our own expectations projected onto someone that have not come true. I may well give a chance to rectify the situation. Frankly speaking, I live my own life without imposing myself on anyone else's. One also needs to realise the reasons that led to the betrayal. It is true that it is very difficult to forgive, but it is necessary to find some serious strength to do so."

"It's like you're appealing to sacred books..."

"Frankly, I am not one of those people who feel a vital need to visit holy places. My God, as for everyone living in this world, is embodied in my conscience. I believe that every action has a witness. And it is you yourself! For even if your vis-a-vis is not aware of your actions, and even if they interpret them in a way you intended to present them situationally, you cannot hide the truth from yourself, especially from the Almighty. And you know, it is, by and large, easier for me to live, justifying the unpleasant deeds of people around me by searching the right arguments. It is not for me to judge. And why carry that burden of resentment inside? It is pressing. Moreover, what our arch-enemies say behind our backs gives us additional protection. We become like hedgehogs or porcupines. It is true that these sharp spikes cause pain. Though one gets used to them after some time. But I am definitely not one of those cultivating the bad language inside me."

"Any personal recipes?"

"I believe that artists are happy people. We can get rid of stress as part of our profession. After all, what is stress? Unrealised emotions. But artists may appear in different images and live through them contrary to ordinary life. On the stage, a lot of things happen through certain hypertrophied feelings, actions and situations. So the stage, especially the one with the musical accompaniment, is a kind of therapy session for us."

"But it is necessary to cultivate this perception through the music!"

"Everything is shaped since childhood. My mom was singing, while my dad played music. I wasn't interested in being a serious vocalist at the time. And I didn't have any particular zeal for music either. I used to sing in the choir of Mark Shapiro in my younger years. By the way, my present stage colleagues and Gulaghasi Mirzayev, People's Artist of Azerbaijan, performed there too. So the urge for creativity is cultivated since childhood. Soft education that leads to understanding the demand for, say, opera is an important part of the development of a child's psyche. Music should be taught to be listened to and heard, taking into account time and place. And it is necessary to unobtrusively convey to a child that development of his or her inner world is the basis of a fully functioning human being. You don't need to choose only the opera or the ballet. It is necessary to visit different theatres, various dramatic and musical productions. One needs to look for and find oneself in them in the first place, to see the vices inherent in people, which are performed on the stage. Theatrical art works in two ways – by diagnosing the state of mind and body and by prescribing a cure. It can even show what the rejection of the remedy can lead to. Opera is closer to me, and I can say with certainty that its plots contain lessons that can be learned when events unfold before our eyes, triggered by vanity and greed, betrayal and impurity, etc. I am sure that just as the world around us is filled with springtime blossoms, so the sounds of musical instruments and the voices of vocalists provide the emotions to which our inner world responds. My worst dream is an office, a desk, a business suit, as once described by Gogol. I'm grateful to the Almighty for giving me a chance to be part of the fabric of the Universe, which embraces the beauty of everything."