Andrea Battistoni & Diego Torre: Interview With OA Mefistofele Stars

Opera Australia stars Andrea Battistoni and Diego Torre are set to star in the Melbourne production of Mefistofele on 25 & 27 May 2022. Ahead of this rarely performed opera, we talk to the world-renowned conductor and tenor about the production, their ties to the music, and what we can look forward to from Opera Australia’s interpretation.

Mefistofele In Concert In Melbourne

Come dance with the devil in this garden of demonic delights.

Mefistofele has made a bargain with God that he does not intend to lose: he can win Faust’s soul for himself. Disillusioned with his own life, Faust makes his famous pact, and embarks on a journey through life’s wildest pleasures with the devil himself. But it’s not just Faust’s soul that hangs in the balance … and this bargain has some unexpected losers.

Renowned for his work as a librettist for Verdi, Boito left only one complete opera: Mefistofele. It is a distinctive, lush work, full of stunning choral pieces, magnificent orchestration and one of the great bass-baritone roles.

Ferruccio Furlanetto incarnates the devil, Mefistofele. Leah Crocetto soars as the beautiful Margherita and Diego Torre gives us Faust at his most disillusioned. Natalie Aroyan sings the role of Elena.

Hear the Orchestra Victoria in all its glory celebrating both the sacred and profane, and the magnificent sound of the Opera Australia Chorus on stage in this rare concert performance of Boito’s work.

Sensational young maestro Andrea Battistoni conducts.

Diego Torre

Diego Torre’s recent international engagements have included Dick Johnson (La fanciulla del West)in Mexico City, Canio for the Grand Théâtre de Genève and Calaf (Turandot) and Manrico (Il trovatore) for Teatro Regio di Torino; he sang Cavaradossi (Tosca) in China and Saarbrücken, Calaf in Oslo, Corrado (Il corsaro) in Parma and Cavaradossi, Canio and Turiddu (Cavalleria Rusticana) in Genoa.

A leading tenor at Opera Australia for many years, Diego’s most celebrated roles include Radames, Turiddu, Canio, Calaf, Cavaradossi, Pinkerton (Madama Butterfly), Edgardo (Lucia di Lammermoor), Rodolfo (La bohème), Gustavus (Un ballo in maschera), The Duke (Rigoletto), Gabriele Adorno (Simon Boccanegra), Rodolfo (Luisa Miller) and the title role in Don Carlo.

Hi Diego, it’s great to speak with you again – we connected earlier in the year in the run up to your performance in the Australian premiere of La Juive. You’re currently preparing for the role of Faust in Mefistofele – how are rehearsals going and how has 2022 been for you so far?

Hello, yes 2022 has been a good year for me. La Juive was an enormous success, I enjoyed very much playing the role of Éleazar. Then, I could finally pay a visit to my mom in Mexico after almost three years without seeing her. And now, preparing the wonderful opera Mefistofele for our audience in Melbourne, I couldn’t be happier or more grateful. The rehearsals are going very well, and I look forward to our first performance.

I understand that Mefistofele is rarely performed, and is the only opera composed by Arrigo Boito? What do you enjoy about this unique production and why do you feel it is not performed more?

Well, Mefistofele is the only opera Boito completed – he wrote a second opera called Nerone that was never finished, but it was complete enough to be performed by Arturo Toscanini.

Mefistofele is based on the big Goethe drama Faust, and I think that the opera is not performed very often due to the cost that a production of that size would require.

I’m enjoying very much this opportunity to bring alive the character of Faust. The music, roles and chorus written for this opera are very exciting.

The role of Faust has been performed by many notable names from Caruso to Pavarotti, and now yourself. I’m interested how do you prepare for putting your ‘stamp’ or interpretation on the character? Do you have a process to gain inspiration and direction when refining your performance?

Certainly, most tenors in history have sung this opera. Normally after I have studied the score, I try to listen as many recordings as I can get, in order to enrich my perception of the work, and finally give my own interpretation.

Also, when I’m trying to get inspiration, I go to an art gallery and stay looking at the paintings. It feeds my creativity.

You’re sharing the stage with fellow stars Ferruccio Furlanetto, Leah Crocetto and Natalie Aroyan in Mefistofele – can you give us a ‘behind the scenes’ insight to what you and your colleagues do to stay happy, healthy, and productive in such demanding roles?

We are having a wonderful time singing together. Some of us met many years ago, and there is a real friendship. It makes everything easier. Of course, sleeping well, eating well, and staying hydrated is very important for us as performers.

Andrea Battistoni

Born in Verona in 1987, conductor Andrea Battistoni is one of the rising young talent in the international music scene. In 2006, a surprising career conducting in important theatres began, and in 2012 Battistoni became at only 24 years old, the youngest conductor who ever tread the stage of the Teatro alla Scala of Milan, with Le Nozze di Figaro. After a short time, he made his debut with the Filarmonica della Scala in a symphonic concert. Battistoni believes that art belongs to everybody, and that the widest audience has to approach her. He is known for often bringing music to unusual places, and has conducted a symphonic orchestra on the mountains near Verona every summer, with the goal of bringing an audience of young people to the music.

Hi Andrea, thanks so much for talking with us at TheatreArtLife! How are you doing, and how are the preparations going for the upcoming Melbourne production of Mefistofele?

I’m glad the pandemic situation seems to be under control all over the world and it is finally possible to get back to work on the great musical masterpieces we are blessed to study and perform as artists.

Mefistofele is among my very favourite operas a journey from darkness to light, from heaven to hell, which I am looking forward to performing with Opera Australia.

You’ve enjoyed a very accomplished career conducting from a young age, and were the youngest conductor at the Teatro alla Scala of Milan with Le Nozze di Figaro aged 24. I’m interested in what first drew you to conducting, after initially training as a cellist and also studying composition?

Everything changed as soon as I started to play the cello in the Conservatory orchestra: I was blown away by the power and expressive possibilities of an ensemble of many musicians. I also understood why I was supposed to practice and sacrifice many hours every day: to become a better musician who can share his sound with the sounds of others. But I became obsessed by this unique musical creature, the orchestra, and soon I wanted to know all its secrets and “play” it as if it was my instrument. That’s why I became a conductor.

Mefistofele is an interesting concert work. What are the musical features that you enjoy in the opera, and are there any parts that you favour or find particularly unique or challenging?

Boito tried to mix the traditional Italian melodrama with the progressive instances of Wagner’s philosophy, writing both music and libretto.

The result is a weird, flamboyant concoction of great literature, engaging melodies, exuberant orchestral writing, satire, extravagant mysticism and overwhelming climaxes.

The introduction, the so called ‘Prologo in Cielo’ (Prologue in Heaven) is the perfect depiction of all these characteristics: it opens with a demon’s monologue in the style of comic and lyrical opera and it closes with a vision of God unsurpassed, in terms of decibels and excitement, by any other Italian musical work.

I understand you regularly work with Opera Australia and are also returning to conduct Il Trovatore in July and Attila in October-November at Sydney Opera House this year. What keeps you coming back to work with OA, and what do you love about the productions?

I really enjoy the welcoming atmosphere at Opera Australia, and I deeply admire the commitment of its soloists, its chorus, and its orchestras. I treasure our past collaborations among the most rewarding experiences in my musical life for the great results achieved through teamwork and collective passion.

Mefistofele is in concert at Arts Centre Melbourne on 25^th & 27^th May 2022.

Tickets are available from the Opera Australia Box Office.

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