Vesselina Kasarova 1991 - Rossini: Il Barbiere di Siviglia "

26 years old Vesselina Kasarova 1991 - Rossini: Il Barbiere di Siviglia "Una voce poco fa" Geneva Opera House

Early life and education

Vesselina Kasarova (pronounced ka-TSA-ro-va) was born in the central Bulgarian town of Stara Zagora in July 1965. Under the communist regime that supported the arts, she studied Russian as a second language and began her music education in early childhood, taking her first piano lesson when she was only 4 years old. She gave her first stage performance as a 16 yrs old pianist performing Mozart sonatas in 1981 in her home town. As she studied piano and worked as accompanist at recitals, Kasarova became drawn to the voice as musical instrument.

After earning her concert pianist diploma in 1987, Kasarova switched to study singing under the watchful eyes of Ressa Koleva at Sofia's Music Academy. A stroke of luck, since Madame Koleva protected her from the prevailing Verdi singing culture that might have ruined her voice early and steering her toward Mozart and Rossini instead. She gave her first singing performance in Stara Zagora singing "Habanera" from Bizet's Carmen. The prodigious Bulgarian also performed at Sofia National Opera while still a student. She performed the part of Rosina in the Barber of Seville for her graduation exam.

[edit] Singing career

In 1988, while still a student, a demo tape recording of her performance was given to the renown conductor Herbert von Karajan, who, upon hearing it, asked her to sing for him at the Vienna State Opera. Though Karajan died a week later, upon hearing this engaging singer his successor offered her 2 annual contracts starting in 1991.

Vesselina Kasarova graduated from the Conservatoire of Sofia in 1989; spending her 2 years gap engaged by the Zurich Opera. There she soon became a favorite with audiences appreciative of her intense characterization of all the roles she plays, her expressive clarinet-ish voice, and virtuosic vocal agility. Her first role being two minor parts (2nd Norn and Wellgunde) in Wagner's Götterdämmerung. In the same year she won first prize in the "Neue Stimmen (New Voices)" international singing competition in Gütersloh, Germany, sponsored by Bertelsmann, owner of BMG Classics. In 1991, she made her debut at the Salzburg Festival singing 2 concerts in commemoration of Mozart's 200th death anniversary and as Annio in Mozart's La Clemenza di Tito under Sir Colin Davis. In that same year she left Zurich to fulfill her contract at the Vienna State Opera debuting in the role of Rosina in Rossini's The Barber of Seville, and remained with company for 2 years. There she married her Swiss husband.

Category:

Music

Tags:

• Vesselina
• Kasarova
• 1991
• Rossini:
• Il
• Barbiere
• di
• Siviglia
• Una voce poco fa
• Geneva
• Opera
• House

[Arashi110]

Oh goodness, how lovely! ^_^ Young charming Vesselina! This is great!

[leporello89]

Great performance!! Where did you get this video! Could you post Dunque io son or Ah qual colpo inaspetatto please? I love Kasarova, she's the best mezzo (with Elina Garanca of course XD)

[misticvsevolution]

"Vesselina Kasarova"!!!! -THE GREAT LADY MASTER"!!!!-"OH,HELL YEAH"!!!

[zamyrabyrd]

@robert111k Yes, she is flat at times, especially when there is too much air pressure given. This is a habit, or rather failing of many Russian and East European singers, women mainly, who think "Bel Canto' is "Can Belto".

[robert111k]

is it my ear or is there something weird with her tuning and her breathing?

[robert111k]

is it my ear or is there something weird with her breathing and her tuning?

[SDCmorg]

@cantanteporsiempre I like Kaufmann very much now. :o) Didn't like him as much before he let his dark voice out, actually. I tend to believe him that the dark voice is his natural one since he can comfortably do all sort of tricks with it (and, like Kasarova, he uses it expressively).

To tell the truth I'm suspicious of the modern singing convention now. Singers sang less seamlessly & cleanly in the 1800s and their career were longer then. Something is off, I think. :o)

[cantanteporsiempre]

@SDCmorg Yes, but in this particular case, I am not so sure, she sounds artifitial now, she pushes the sound and darken it according to my ears, but anyway I love her, because she dares to do things other singers don´t and her voice is really interesting. What do you really think about Kaufmann? I have heard so many horrible things about his voice. I think that the time will say if he is voice is really that dark or not, I like him, he sings incredible and he is very handsome. Greatings!!

[SDCmorg]

@cantanteporsiempre She got older... Thanks goodness. :o) Can't wait to hear what she'll sound like when she's 50. That voice is a fascinating one in all of its many colors.

PS: Don't assume people intentionally change their voice or what 'natural' is. A lot of singers (Jonas Kaufmann is one of them) have came forward that their natural voice is quite darker than what modern convention want to hear. Perhaps a lot of the lighter voices are the ones that are being artificially produced.

[cantanteporsiempre]

Why did she change the color of her voice. This sounds so much better and natural.

[bassfanne45]

I'm hearing some notes off-pitch, but she was quite young then. Or it may be the recording. I usually love Kasarova's recordings.

[JacobSScottv]

huhuich bin heute richtig gut bei laune wer will mit mir chatn oder telen