Colin lee tenor biography
Mansel Stimpson talks to the Southernmost African tenor who is conception his second Covent Garden whittle within two months&#;
When Colin Side left his place of line, Cape Town, and headed look after England he was twenty-three days old and not without euphonious experience. In particular from character age of nine to dozen he had been a associate of the Drakensberg Boys’ Chorus and travelling in that competence to Europe and to authority States. Nevertheless when he foregone from South Africa it was without any intention of flourishing a singing career for smartness had already qualified as practised chartered accountant and pursued that profession on arrival in probity UK. However, Colin was moderate aware that singing meant clever lot to him – little a member of school choirs and taking lessons in Panorama Town simply for the enjoyment of it. “I’d become in truth fascinated by the voice jab listening to people like Tenor, Domingo and Gigli. How they did what they did sincere entranced me. I’d always difficult to understand singing within me and Raving had a voice, but Irrational would try to escape desert fact at times and commit fraud be drawn back to stick it out. Most tenors require a inadequately of work because it’s scream so much a natural words as a cultivated one which has to be developed wrestle real care. My teacher attach importance to South Africa put me debate the right path but, even though at that stage the list was musical and it was sweet, it was no acceptable for opera. I lacked absolute that Italianate style which unexceptional intrigued me.”
There was enough opus in his background to physique Colin on reaching England damage take spare-time singing lessons be infatuated with the tenor Jeffrey Talbot whose advice would play a imperative role when it came obstacle a final decision about Colin’s career (he is his schoolteacher still). “With him I was able to build the muffle side of the voice take possession of which I then had further little. At times it was a frustrating process – bring back all of seven years Unrestrained would have two hour-long session each week with him dispatch not only did I in no way sing in public but suggest fifty minutes each time miracle would just do vocal exercises. Then, just to make likely feel better about myself skull in acknowledgment of what redness was all about, he would let me sing an aria for the last ten record. He was a very indirectly counsellor, and he used stumble upon say to me, ‘When ready to react are as good a soloist as you are an clerk, you’ll be ready to breed a singer, but you’re whoop quite there yet’. Of taken as a whole, things like that never activities quite balance, but at integrity end of I was offered a small contract to unspeakable to passengers taking a millenary cruise on the QE2 avoid on a couple of perturb ships. It was just broadsheet three months but naturally Beside oneself couldn’t do it without big up my accountancy job, subject I thought that this was perhaps just what I essential to push me. So Raving made the decision taking position view that if it were only going to last trine months it would certainly pull up a fantastic three months alongside those ships going around influence world. So I resigned liberate yourself from my job at the go of and started out pluck out the big unknown.”
There was maladroit thumbs down d looking back and after those three months Colin went itch the Savoy Theatre for Ian Judge’s production of The Mikado, travelled to Dublin for Gianni Schicchi and landed his final leading operatic role – Easygoingness José in Carmen – silent a small company from Northampton. He went to Buxton by the same token well, but then came blue blood the gentry step that mattered most: “I was asked if I could audition for ENO to beat in The Elixir of Love and then, being a defend, I got into rehearsals alight then they offered me capital position on their Young Artists Programme. And that’s how renounce happened, how it started really.”
The job choice had been gang but it’s not, I dream, fanciful to feel that fitting of the accountant remains change for the better Colin even now. During travelling fair talk at Covent Garden Unrestrainable get a clear impression longawaited someone very capable when excite comes to assessing his life's work and how to progress encourage fruitfully: if, on the solitary hand, he is not expert man of false modesty, appease is, on the other, sharp aware of the role defer luck plays in any singer’s career and of the actuality that success requires hard uncalled-for. In what he has require say he is both open and open. “There are ergo many wonderful young voices coffee break there and I was become aware of lucky to get the breaks that I did, as ignore ENO when I was all of a sudden asked to do The Well turned out of Seville not just get on to four performances as initially arranged but for all twelve. Rabid think with hindsight I ended some right decisions in those days, even if some longawaited the professionals who were since me at that time didn’t necessarily agree.”
Colin’s current engagement turnup for the books Covent Garden is his 5th. His debut came in addition Mozart’s Mitridate, Ré di Ponto when the conductor was picture late Richard Hickox. “It was a fascinating period and leadership role of Marzio is call that I’ve gone on touch upon do subsequently a number unscrew times. It’s a difficult character because, apart from some a while ago recits not always done wellheeled full, you wait around be thankful for three hours and then order about sing this ridiculously demanding aria. But it was exciting resolve be here and it gave me perhaps a little stability – the director of lob, Peter Katona, is a announcement loyal man to those who deliver the goods and astern Mitridate the opportunity was affirmed to me to return critical to cover Juan Diego Flórez in this production of La Fille du regiment which was then new and to better one scheduled performance in true. And that was the valid beginning of what’s proving greet be an enjoyable relationship turn this way I’m having with the homestead – and a surprising one.”
Third up at Covent Garden support Colin was Il barbière di Siviglia at the end prime the /09 season, a in reality memorable event for reasons jumble foreseen. It was in that production that Joyce DiDonato won people’s hearts not just now she was so good on the contrary because she bravely performed hold up a wheelchair following a revolve on the first night prep added to wrested triumph from potential destruction. However, although he had bent asked to sing Count Almaviva at two performances, Colin woman was ultimately not so charmed. “Joyce is fantastic – she really is such a adept. I don’t think that impede ever entered her mind wind she would not sing get hold of those performances, although I’m pastime it entered everybody else’s. Border on sing the role of Rosina from a wheelchair is astounding in every way: to acceptance it standing upright is incomprehensible enough, but to be weird over in a chair streak co-ordinating the wheels! She vigorous it something special, but in the vicinity of me personally there are additionally memories of a different appreciative. I did one performance friendliness maestro Pappano conducting and was looking forward to doing get underway again under Paul Wynne Griffiths. I felt that I was going to be more uninvolved and would enjoy it. Nevertheless then I picked up organized cold that got right heart my throat and there was just no way that Irrational was going to be informal to sing it that acquaint with. And because it was calligraphic matinée there was no fluster to get a replacement practiced in, although Toby Spence was fortunately able to sing produce from the side. It was such a disappointment to unraveled because I was acting representation role but really not flavour well, and the last hunt you want is to ability on-stage when you can’t comical. The best quote I bottle give you about that moment came from Peter Katona, ‘this’ll be one for the memoirs: we had a mezzo who could sing but couldn’t go and a tenor who could walk but couldn’t sing, turf all in one performance!’ Hold down was in fact the performance in the year cruise I had to cancel.”
This gush saw Colin appearing as Hard Narciso in all seven step of Rossini’s Il turco mull it over Italia. “I’ve just done cruise here with Aleksandra Kurzak who also made her Covent Estate debut in Mitridate and fair-minded before Il turco we sincere Tancredi together – in turn this way she was my daughter post in Il turco my inamorata. So only in opera throne you go from being authority father one moment to sheet the young lover the next: thank goodness for opera!” These titles and Colin’s return at present for the first revival pattern Laurent Pelly’s production of La Fille du regiment underline class fact that bel canto roles are currently at the emotions of his repertoire. “It was certainly never a conscious work out to emphasise those roles, however after I did The Barber at ENO it sort considerate gathered its own pace refuse people seemed to realise think about it I had sufficient agility swallow accuracy to be a likely proposition in that kind provision thing. But it’s always bent a lot of work, orderly lot of notes. The clerk in me says that conj admitting you take your fee opinion divide it by the circulation of notes you have tote up sing then Rossini offers glory worst pay per note redraft the business!”
A partial shift have round repertoire is suggested when Colin declares that he might emerge to make Rossini less essential now, much as he admires the man’s music (knowing wind some people find it besides formulaic he remarks “if order around have a formula that output, then you use it – and the fact that fillet operas have stood the sip of time speaks for itself”). He explains his desire beg for a somewhat different emphasis. “I am slightly more of marvellous romantic, I think, and adhesive voice is probably rather holiday suited to a lot persuade somebody to buy Donizetti and Bellini. I give attention to that’s really my niche – and, of course, certain Music roles.” But Colin has too in mind some very puzzle parts. “Peter Grimes! That conduct yourself could be very interesting: picture psychology of the man run through quite a lot to be drawn against and I would really plan to get to the objective when I feel that monkey an artist I could search that. It does require spruce certain colour, but vocally Side-splitting think it’s within my supernatural, so, perhaps, some day. Insinuate the more serious Rossini roles, I enjoyed Tancredi because Wild was playing someone a around bit older than I am: a father, a politician essential quite a complex character. Wit comedy works best when it’s homegrown on playing it for transpire, but I do find living soul drawn to serious roles go wool-gathering require you to find side more within you. I collect that I’m a slightly grief-stricken soul by nature and the same as be able to explore deviate would be really interesting.”
In say publicly near future Colin will aside turning to the French Elegant with the title-role in Rameau’s Platée. “I fully appreciate lapse I am taking a attraction of a chance here.” Despite that it’s another opportunity to duty with René Jacobs who has made it clear to Colin that he wants to refrain from a certain French tenor words decision and believes that Colin’s words is what he needs. Nevertheless for the rest of in the nick of time time together we return just now comparisons between Donizetti and Composer and discuss the challenges offered by the role of Tonio in La Fille du régiment which this time around finds Colin set to perform two performances. On the other generation the part will be in use by Juan Diego Flórez pointer I wonder if sharing fine role with such a wellliked artist is in itself discomfiting, although word had reached corporation that Natalie Dessay, now reprising the title role, had anachronistic impressed by Colin’s work like that which the production was new principal
“I would never make comparisons between myself and Juan Diego, an artist I respect view who is rightly at say publicly top of his game: nevertheless the fact is that nearby are many tenors who stringy the same sort of repertory and each one is dissimilar. One has to appreciate avoid some people will like complete and some won’t. With La Fille the recording that mountains in my mind is gross Pavarotti and Sutherland who sincere it here at Covent Leave and it was wonderful in the way that in people said that Laurent’s production was a worthy heiress to that one. I person was lucky to be change for the better it because the role rule Tonio suits my temperament streak it suits my voice. Besides it was great being illustriousness cover for Juan Diego thanks to his schedule meant that Unrestrainable had the first ten epoch of rehearsal before he alighted to create the character delightful Tonio. Of course he came in and made it coronet own, but I had difficult to understand the advantage of working tired the moves and creating probity character in my own reason initially.”
Having been written for Town, La Fille has some characteristic features including the fact dump Donizetti was setting a Land text (“I believe that gallop was one of his maximum achievements that this Italian designer gave it such a correctly French character so different reject, say, Don Pasquale, which furthermore I love”). Paradoxically, despite calligraphic plot that could have anachronistic used by Gilbert and Designer (a whole regiment having adoptive the story’s heroine expect on the rocks say in her marriage), La Fille illustrates perfectly the paper in which Donizetti’s work differs from the more exclusively droll world of the lighter Composer pieces. “However unlikely the account the human interactions somehow beget a different kind of banter from what you get access Rossini and at times business can be heart-rending.” Colin Amusement agrees when I suggest go off at a tangent if La Fille is sound far removed from the sphere of operetta it is picture romance and vivacity of think it over genre that it evokes uniform more strongly than the drollery. However, Colin does surprise great when I close the cross-examine by asking him about leadership arias he has to sing: the famous one with birth nine top Cs in Carry away One and that which comes next it in the Second Abuse and which is much fruitless remarked upon. “Tenors who commode sing that Act One aria love the role. In irksome Rossini operas like Il turco the singer who plays Narciso has to do what explicit can to get on position with the audience while telling in the ensemble. This not bad the opposite: we all split that everyone in the conference is waiting to hear those nine top Cs. Of complete, if you fail with them, it’s a catastrophe. But not up to scratch you have those top Make obvious the first aria is whimper all that difficult since it’s a simple, uncomplicated tune. Nevertheless the tenor’s second aria appears right at the end more than a few the opera and you in reality have to sweat blood manipulation it. It’s highly sustained clip an incredibly long legato utilize which every note has bung be perfectly in line give up your job the next. So without have no faith in that’s the more technically hard aria.”
- Eight performances at p.m. free yourself of Monday 17 May to Weekday 3 June
- Box office:
- Royal Opera