She turned down her dream role three times, and when she felt she was ready, magic happened. The mezzo-soprano from Moldova, Lilia Istratii, lived her dream on another continent, debuting in the role of Carmen at one of the biggest opera houses in Brazil. From the fear of the unknown and the burden of responsibility, to the ovations, roars of applause, autographs and even "stealing" from the fans, all were scenes as if taken from soap operas. In an exclusive interview for TV8, Lilia told us how she "melted" the hearts of Brazilians and how she conquered her own Everest in the most "burning" experience of her lifeexperience of her life.
It was fire and pear! To debut on a foreign and such a big stage, it was like being thrown into an ocean without being able to swim. I felt like my Carmen was born. A new Carmen has appeared!
More than a week after the Brazilian adventure ended, Lilia Istratii still feels the euphoria of the moments when she opened her soul on stage, and the audience flooded her with admiration and gratitude. Although half a year ago, everything seemed like a dream...
"Carmen" - the dream role
Like most opera soloists, mezzo-soprano Lilia Istratii wanted one day to be in the role of Carmen...
“Yes, it was the dream role, my dream role. It was on my list of goals, but I refused about three times to sing in Moldova and Romania. Or, "Carmen" is a kind of hit in the opera, it is well-known, practically every aria is known. There are also a lot of clichés, that's why I refused. I was thinking that it is too early to debut when you still have nothing to say".
He admits that he did not yet have all the "ingredients" for this important role.
"Carmen is all love and how can I tell the world about love, if I hadn't tasted it myself. What should I tell him? That love is a rebellious bird and if you don't hold it well it escapes you (these are lyrics from the aria)? How to say what you didn't feel? But I'm proud that I refused then".
She was aware that her dream could come true, but her time for Carmen had not yet come. Things took a sudden turn in the fall of 2023.
When the student is ready, the teacher appears
"In September, I felt I was ready, then the opportunity came. As they say: "When the student is ready, then the teacher appears." I baked this idea in my mind and the offer came in about two weeks".
Then, Lilia's agent informed her about a contract with the Municipal Theater of Sao Paulo, for the main role in the opera Carmen. The novelty pleased and frightened her at the same time, considering the responsibility she carried. But now he had all the necessary "ingredients".
"The surprise was that the offer was from another continent. It was magic that I was invited and called there because I signed a contract with an agent without ever seeing me perform live. The theater was also at risk, as it was not an ordinary show, but a premiere. The last time they performed the opera "Carmen" was 10 years ago and now, they have resumed it in a new direction and they call a Moldovan woman who has never set foot on that continent. Being a rather complicated role both morally and vocally, to debut on a foreign and such a big stage, it was as if I was thrown into an ocean without being able to swim. It was also luck and a challenge and happiness."
From a rainy March, in the heat of Brazilian telenovelas
On March 24, he was already landing on another continent, in the country he knew only from telenovelas.
"I'm a child of the 90s, I grew up with Brazilian soap operas. Now I could see with my own eyes those special mountains, those landscapes. I was amazed and scared at the same time."
But the first meeting with the theater team and the director Jorge Takla cleared the situation. The agent had warned her that there would be a warm atmosphere, but she hadn't imagined that it would be this hot.
"Brazil is felt in the air and even in the theater. It doesn't mean everything is relaxing or you have to put in less effort. No, the standards are very high, but you don't feel so much this authoritative relationship between conductor and soloist, for example. They are all on the same level, there is respect for everyone from the costume designer to the soloist and theater director, and that made me calm down".
And the first rehearsal, where all the team members were to present what they had prepared up to that moment, left her speechless:
“The first rehearsal was beyond my expectations. After I finished singing the score, I didn't expect such ovations and roars of applause, there being a lot of people, the choir, the artists, I felt like I was at a concert. And then I understood that the theater welcomed me, that is, if you are applauded like this, it means that the soul of the theater welcomed you".
She reacted modestly and gratefully, she thought it was a way to meet the artists, but later, the team members explained to her that it was actually a recognition of her talent.
"The choreography was no joke, even though I had to sing at the same time"
Until the beginning of May, he had a program full of difficult rehearsals, in which he combined singing, choreography, dramaturgy...
“The choreography was no joke, regardless of the fact that we had to breathe and sing. I even went to the gym to train my breathing and endurance. The choreography was staged by two professionals, one of whom is the main choreographer of Brazil. But as long as the work process was also fun, it was less difficult, it was like a celebration not a rehearsal".
Meanwhile, the costumes were being made for each of the 700 participants in the show.
"There was a well-known designer in Spain, Pablo Romires, who came up with his new collection, specially designed for this work. All were created individually for each artist. And all the shoes were made available by two creators from Armenia".
"I consider my debut to be at the dress rehearsal"
Since the tickets for the three planned shows were already sold out, at the request of music lovers, it was decided to sell tickets for the dress rehearsal as well. The hall with a capacity of 2000 people was packed. Therefore, the emotions were also up to par.
"I consider that my debut was precisely at the dress rehearsal. It was probably the most beautiful day of all the shows. I am very, very lucky and thank you for the opportunity to debut in Carmen on such a big, huge stage".
She admits that it was a double responsibility: her own debut as Carmen and the premiere for the Teatro de Sao Paulo.
"The very idea of debuting in Carmen is very stressful, whether in Chisinau, Craiova or in a cultural house, it's still stressful, but as long as you're in a very big theater that you have to fill with sound without microphone..."
I felt like my Carmen was born... A new Carmen appeared! I bared my soul in front of the audience and came with my own message, which is probably why I was received so warmly. Pure feelings and true living are understood on any continent, if you reach the human soul, the continent or the language no longer matter".
And the public reaction was beyond expectations.
"It was fatal for me. At the show there was an ovation that I have never heard of before, they were also stomping their feet, I thought an earthquake wave was coming. I had the feeling that I had conquered Everest".
"They looked at me like a deity"
In the theater of Sao Paulo there is a tradition that after each performance, the soloists go out into the hall to meet the audience.
"I went out into the hall, I knew the tradition. I came out, everyone was kind, polite, they applauded and looked at me like a god, which scared me, I'm human too".
But what followed was like a broken scene from a movie.
"The craziness started, someone from the audience wanted a picture and an autograph, I smiled at him, I said yes, and suddenly a huge line of people formed and they started arguing among themselves who was first. At one point, they surrounded me, crowded me, I felt like I was in a trolleybus from Chisinau. They were pulling my hand, my coat, they broke the train of my dress a little. It was like pop fan behavior, but not operatic. And when they saw that I wanted to leave, a kind of panic started and at that moment I even felt a little scared".
Someone from the theater staff tried to pull her out of the crowd, but failed and the security guards had to intervene to actually "steal" her from the fans.
I can't play, I have to live
After the dress rehearsal, which created a sensation, followed the premiere and two more performances that filled the hall of the Municipal Theater of Sao Paolo to capacity.
“Every show was different. I had to restart new emotions and states, because the others were expired and I didn't believe them either. I can't play, I have to live. It's a professional minus, but it's a plus for the public. I had to go through a marathon of four shows, without giving space and time to my voice, that's why it was a challenge".
But it was worth every emotion, because what he experienced on the stage in Brazil was "hot".
"It was fire and pear. I probably haven't found the right words yet. I am still in a vacuum, I have to analyze very well, but I can declare with certainty that it is one of the most intense experiences of my life and the most beautiful. Plus it's a new step for me, for my career. With this project, I also stepped to another level, in a very short time".
Carmen from the land of wine and polenta
The premiere of "Carmen" at the Theatro Municipal de São Paulo, with a Moldovan woman in the lead role, was widely covered in the specialized press. The reviews were mostly positive and above expectations, but there were also some more special ones.
"One of the critics was well documented and in addition to the professional comments, he mentioned that he was from Moldova, he wrote about wine and polenta that would be famous in our country, in a funny way."
Last week, Lilia returned to Romania, where she has been living for almost two years. She admits that she needs time to process the Brazilian experience, but at the same time she already has to return to notes and scores, because soon a new premiere awaits her at the Opera in Bucharest, as well as a new project in Italy. In fact, he says he has signed contracts until 2025.
Mezzo-soprano Lilia Istratii studied at the Academy of Music, Theater and Fine Arts in Chisinau, between 2013 and 2019, graduating with a master's degree, majoring in bel canto. She made her debut at Teatr Wielki Opera Narodowa (Poland) in 2019 as Olga in "Eugene Onegin". She was employed by the "Maria Bieșu" National Theater of Opera and Ballet in Chisinau until 2022, after which she was a soloist at the Craiova Opera. Now it is established in Bucharest.
*"Carmen" is an opera, composed by Georges Bizet, based on the anonymous novel by Prosper Merimee. The action takes place in the former tobacco factory in Seville, where the non-commissioned officer Don Jose Lizarrabengoa fell in love with the beautiful gypsy Carmen.
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