Haruko Kabayama: The Charm of Opera

2022/04/20

It is difficult to give a direct answer to the question, "Why did you aim to become a vocal artist after graduating from university?" For me, singing is a part of daily life, and my activities as a vocal artist are simply an extension of that. Whether I was attending the opera studio, participating in a masterclass in Sicily, or performing on an opera stage while seven months pregnant, I was a company employee. Even now, I perform in concerts when invited. I suppose you could call me a vocal artist on the side.

Yes, my life has always been with song. My father wrote a book titled "Introduction to Yodeling," my mother sang Latin music, and by the time I was old enough to remember, I was singing yodels with my sister and was a member of a choir. I recall my dream in my graduation yearbook was to be an "opera singer or a children's song performer," but I am not sure how concretely I could imagine opera at that time. In fact, the first time I watched an opera of my own volition was "The Barber of Seville" when I was 25 and living in San Francisco for work; even though it was supposed to be a comedy, I didn't really get it and fell asleep halfway through. Now, after attending the Nikikai Opera Institute and encountering various works, I am completely captivated. This is because I learned that opera is a classical art form that is best enjoyed when you have prepared in advance.

Generally speaking, the appeal of opera is said to be its nature as a comprehensive art form combining music, drama, and stagecraft, as well as the solo songs called arias. However, I believe the true charm of opera lies in the ensemble. For example, sisters grieving upon hearing that their lovers are to be enlisted, the lovers watching them from the side, and the old schemer who set it all up. Each character sings their own, sometimes conflicting, thoughts with their own melodies, which then unite with the orchestra to form a single piece. I should also add that ensembles are where mezzo-sopranos—who rarely get to be the heroine except in French works like "Carmen"—can truly show off their skills.

Incidentally, the work that left the deepest impression on me is W.A. Mozart's "Così fan tutte." Part of the reason is that my opera debut was as Dorabella in this work, but more than that, passing the audition for the Keio University Collegium Musicum Opera Project and performing with an orchestra of current Keio students at Fujiwara Hiroshi Hall was the greatest honor as a Keio University alumni.