Opera Australia Interview With La Juive’s Diego Torre And Francisco Brito

Opera Australia presents Halévy’s most successful opera, La Juive. The opera still delivers a relevant and important message of religious tolerance where audiences can’t help but empathise with the doomed Jewish woman and Christian man who love each other but can’t be together. Ahead of the exciting Australian premiere of La Juive this March, we speak to two of its stars, Diego Torre and Francisco Brito.

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, thanks so much for talking with us at TheatreArtLife! This is an exciting time as you’re performing the role of Eléazar in La Juive this March. How are you feeling as you prepare for the production?

Currently I’m in rehearsals with the company and I’ve been enjoying them a lot. It’s always fun to work with OA. I’m very excited to debut this role.

This opera is rarely performed, and set in 1930s France, pre-World War II, and covers themes of love and persecution and religious tolerance. While this is a dramatic and sombre story, what do you love about it and the message it portrays?

Well, in spite of the controversial themes, the music is fantastic, and the paternal love Eléazar displays for his daughter touches me deeply.

I’m very happy to live in a country where empathy and tolerance is embraced.

Musically, La Juive is a really interesting opera – there are sacred choruses and impassioned arias, and ensemble combinations with the two tenors, two sopranos and bass singing together. Do you have any favourite passages you perform as Eléazar, or any notable sections from your colleagues that you appreciate?

The whole opera is amazing. But the part I enjoy most is when Eléazar and his daughter pray together at the beginning of the second act.

As an international artist now resident in Australia, have you found there are differences living and working around the world, and what attracted you to stay?

Yes, there are differences when living in one country to another. What I found in Australia, and what made me stay, is the beautiful values that people share, like generosity, empathy and tolerance. These values are what I want to instill in my kids, so my wife and I decided to stay.

Looking ahead, I see that you are performing in a great number of Opera Australia’s 2022 and 2023 programming including Mefistofele, Attila, Carmen on Cockatoo Island, and Aida. How does it feel looking at your calendar with so many wonderful OA productions ahead of you?

I am very honoured and grateful that Opera Australia entrusts me with such beautiful and demanding roles. It is always a privilege to work with such a fantastic company.

Francisco Brito

Born in Argentina in 1985, Francisco Brito began his musical studies at the age of 11 with M° Guillermo Romero Ismael. After his arrival in Italy in 2004, he improved his Rossini repertoire with M° William Matteuzzi at Accademia d’Arte Lirica in Osimo, and then at Scuola dell’Opera Italiana (a partnership with Teatro Comunale in Bologna). He debuted in 2006, at Rossini Opera Festival in Pesaro with the Accademia Rossiniana, under the baton of M° Alberto Zedda, making Rossini’s repertoire the most important part of his musical growth.

He then sang several Rossini roles, among them: Lindoro L’italiana in Algeri at Teatro Comunale in Piacenza and Modena; Belfiore, Il viaggio a Reims at La Plata; Eacide in Zelmira and Bruschino Jr, Signor Bruschino at Rossini Opera Festival.

Hi Francisco, thanks so much for talking with us at TheatreArtLife! This is an exciting time as you’re performing the role of Leopold in La Juive this March. How are you feeling as you prepare for the production?

Firstly I’m really enjoying being in Australia. Sydney is a beautiful city! I’ve been loving the weather, the beaches, and the cultural diversity.

As for Leopold, I have sung this role once before. I was lucky enough to do it in Konstanz – right in the German city where the story takes place. So I’m looking forward to performing it with Opera Australia and in the Sydney Opera House.

This opera is rarely performed, and set in 1930s France pre-World War II, it covers themes of love and persecution and religious tolerance. While this is a dramatic and sombre story, what do you love about it and the message it portrays?

From my point of view the opera shows that the human being is very fragile no matter your religion or social class. In this opera nobody wins, everybody loses because they focus on their own selfishness; Leopoldo, Eléazar, and Brogni all seek to fill their egos.

I think it touches on racist themes but it does not leave a racist message, or at least that is not the story that this staging wants to tell.

Musically, La Juive is a really interesting opera – there are sacred choruses and impassioned arias, and ensemble combinations with the two tenors, two sopranos and bass singing together. Do you have any favourite passages you perform as Leopold, or any notable sections from your colleagues that you appreciate?

I love this opera because is one of those pieces that connects different styles. There are many things from La Juive in Il Trovatore: 20 years later Verdi took the hammer scene as a theatrical instrument.

I love my lines in this opera, especially my duet with Rachel and the terzetto with Eléazar and Rachel. But the most beautiful moment is Eléazar’s last romanza; it is so so touching and you can hear the genius of Halévy.

As an international artist, have you found there are differences living and working around the world, and are you looking forward to working with Opera Australia?

I come from Salta, which is in north-west Argentina and there is a huge cultural mix as it borders Bolivia, Paraguay and Chile. This also makes our music very rich. Although it is a city of almost one million habitants, you breathe the air of a small town.

Now, I have sung in several opera houses. My favourites are Zurich, Frankfurt, Dresden, Toronto, Napoli, Venezia, the Bolshoi, and I am more than sure that the Sydney Opera House will join the list. I’m really enjoying working with Opera Australia.

The biggest barrier for me in working around the world is enduring being away from those I love; my parents in Argentina and my daughter in Italy.

Looking to the future, what can we look forward to next from you, and do you have any upcoming roles for 2022 that you can share with us?

The future awaits me with many beautiful things: theatre in Frankfurt, the Erl Rossini Opera Festival in 2024 and I also hope to finish the release of my album ‘Serenatas de Argentina’.

I can’t wait to spend time with my girlfriend Luna, and of course enjoy my daughter, I’ll be taking her to Argentina to spend time with her grandparents soon.

Opera Australia Website

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