An Interview with an Adina

One of our fantastic Adinas for our upcoming production of L’Elisir d’Amore has graciously offered her thoughts in an informal interview:

AN INTERVIEW WITH VALENTINA FARCASPBO: Tell us a bit about your hometown. VF: I was born and raised in Bucharest, Romania. The city at that time was already an exciting mix of the “little Paris” of its history and the typical, large block buildings of the communist period. Even though the period was a difficult one and life was not easy, the city was full of cultural and intellectual energy. I loved that Bucharest was a city full of nature – filled with parks and lakes. It was also beautifully located where within two hours you could either be in the mountains or at the Black Sea. My life there was centered around the Romanian National Opera where my father was the lead tenor for 35 years. My mother was also an opera singer, so during my childhood, Bucharest consisted mainly of the backstage of the opera house and my father’s dressing room. PBO: What is your first musical memory? VF: My first musical memory was watching a video my father brought from Germany. This sounds like such a cliche, but it sticks in my mind so well – I remember clearly that it was the moment that I knew I wanted to be an opera singer. The video was Rigoletto with Pavarotti and Gruberova – I think it was 1983. In fact, I even remember that on days when I stayed home sick from school, it was my joy that I got to lay in my mother’s bed and watch that video on TV. This and also the Carmen with Julia Migenes and Domingo. These were my treasures. PBO: If you weren’t a singer, what career would you choose? VF: There are three things – one would be to be a coach in a theater as a pianist (my first “career”); second would be to be an actress and the third thing is I would love to study psychology. PBO: You also have a degree in piano. How has that affected your career as a singer? VF: I think that being a pianist is the best thing that could happen to a singer. It provided me with a solid musical base which has helped me to see a clear view of the entire musical world of the opera I sing. Indeed, because of this foundation, I do not need a pianist to learn my roles – in fact, I learn my music with only a pitch fork. I contribute this ability to the theory and harmony I learned from my study of the piano.

Tags: adina, donizetti, l'elisir d'amore, Palm Beach Opera, the elixir of love, valentina farcas