Already 25 years in paradise

I loved the State Opera even before I was allowed to perform here myself. Just looking at the building from the outside as a music connoisseur, you realize that you are standing in front of the actual center of the musical capital of Vienna. Even as a child, back in Romania, I knew that this mythical, paradisiacal place, the Vienna State Opera, existed - especially as my older half-brother Alexandru Agache had been singing regularly on this stage since 1990. When I was finally allowed to stand on these very special boards, which mean a very special world, I realized that the reality is even greater than I had hoped for in my wildest dreams. The State Opera Orchestra alone, which breathes and plays along with the singers in a unique way and dresses everything up with its famous, incomparable warm sound, makes a performer's heart skip a beat. And so, as an audience member, I am already looking forward to this orchestra in advance!

Of course I was very nervous. Firstly, the role of Figaro was also being played by someone of Leo Nucci's caliber at the same time, and secondly, at not even 25 years old, I felt unfinished and inexperienced, which I actually was. I had never actually expected to ever get an engagement at the Vienna State Opera, and then this important role came along - and so early!

If, in addition to vocal skills, you also have a sense of timing, a theatrical instinct, something special that really draws you into the spotlight, then yes. After all, Barbiere is a descendant of commedia dell'arte, the original form of entertainment theater. However, the challenge at the time - but it was no different for the entire company - was that there were no more than three days of rehearsal time and only on a rehearsal stage. I only got to know the sets, spotlights, costumes and acoustics of the theater during the performance. Exciting. On the other hand, the assistant director who rehearsed the production with us was excellent, so I was well prepared.

I love doing it! This thrill is a special spice of our singing life. My most exhilarating experience at this house was a stand-in in the French Don Carlos as Posa. The request reached me on a Saturday. With the request to take on the role, I was also sent the sheet music - by fax. The younger generation may not be able to fully appreciate what this means: some of the bars were like guesswork due to the lack of legibility. However, by Monday morning I had already mastered the score, but unfortunately not yet by heart. I no longer know how I managed to memorize the part in the few hours so that I could perform in the evening. But the performance was one of my greatest successes in this house.

It's true, I feel very comfortable with Verdi. On the one hand, vocally: his baritone tessitura is usually somewhat higher than in bel canto or Puccini, and that suits my voice just as well as the fusion of lyrical bel canto and drama, including preludes to verismo. I also appreciate the complexity of Verdi's music, which reminds me in passages of the entire European music of the 18th and 19th centuries - of Bach as well as Chopin, Schubert or Donizetti. On the other hand, what I appreciate about Verdi's baritone roles is that they are very often characters with the ability to love. In other words, although they make mistakes and sometimes do fatal things that break them, they still have a loving heart. Take Rigoletto, for example, who wants to save his daughter from the destructive world and causes her death as a result. Or Simon Boccanegra, who, like Miller, is not prepared to leave his daughter to some unloved man just so that he can succeed personally. And even a Giorgio Germont, who is usually looked at rather shyly, only destroys Violetta and Alfredo's happiness because he wants to pave the way for his own daughter. Yes, even a criminal like Macbeth shows remorse, insight and scruples. The good-evil pigeonhole is rarely suitable for Verdi's roles, which is why the interpreter must listen and feel into all facets and soul angles of the character to be portrayed in order to do justice to these characters.

You know, I love music. As a child and teenager, I looked for my place in it in different ways: I played the piano, studied the trombone and played in ensembles and orchestras, sang in choirs, took steps in jazz and as a guitarist in a heavy metal band; my treasures included records of piano concertos by Mozart and Beethoven, which I listened to up and down. I was then particularly influenced by my brother Alexandru Agache, whom I already mentioned, whom I admired as my hero and whom I was able to assist in studying various parts. From all this, the path of a singer emerged for me, but without me pursuing any ambitious goals. I was happy to be able to work on the opera stage. I see my international career as an encore and as a gift because it allows me to perform with the best of the present day. That's why, to this day, I can listen to all my colleagues without any competitive jealousy and share in their success.

(laughs) I am a hopeless idealist. Nevertheless, my chances of solving the world's many problems and crises are, by their very nature, infinitesimal. But I do believe in the positive power of music. What does that have to do with the Jedi Knights? Well, as a child I loved the Star Wars movie - it gave me strength, among other things, when my parents were both ill. And because I was able to retain a bit of my childhood, I see myself as a knight who constantly stands up for a better world through music and song.