Israeli Star of Ukrainian Stage
Two Saturdays ago the young Israeli singer Karin Caspi debuted at the stage of the National Opera of Ukraine in the performance Don Giovanni or Punished Profligate by Mozart. It is remarkable that she learned the part of Cerlina in record short time specially for the Kyiv performance. And one more nuance is that with her Ukrainian partners Karin rehearsed only two times, but she managed the part brilliantly both in vocal and dramatic aspect. For the public it was an unforgettable evening. Because Don Giovanni staged twelve years ago by Iryna Molostova (libretto by Lorenzo Da Ponte), has not been shown frequently lately. Artist Mariya Levystka had to order the stage decorations herself, while the stagehands were busy with the requirements of the Lviv company that had performed on the eve on the hundredth anniversary of their opera theater. That’s why the mise-en-scene of Don Giovanni were shown to Karin Caspi only on the day of performance. If the singer was nervous, she did not show it. She was pleasantly smiling to all her new colleagues and saying, “Spasibo, diakuyu, OK!”.
“The impromptu came off successfully,” emphasized Israeli Ambassador to Ukraine Anna Azari. “I think that the harmony reigning onstage during the performance should transfer into all spheres of life. I hope that in the future there will be more events that unite our nations.”
After the performance audience did not let the actors leave the stage for a long time. When Karin came out the crowd literally flooded her with its ovation. We agreed to an interview with her, but while looking for an interpreter we got assistance from Ambassadress Azari, an initiator of the appearance of her young compatriot in Kyiv. Here is what we managed to learn about Caspi.
Born in Tel Aviv, she started her musical career in America: studied vocal art in New York’s Julliard School of Music and the San Francisco Conservatory. The singer successfully performs in various opera theaters in Israel and the USA. Currently Karin combines tournament activity with studies at the Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia. Her repertoire includes the parts of Carmen in the Tragedy of Carmen, Hippolyta in the opera A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Cerubino from The Marriage of Figaro and Hansel in Hansel und Gretel. When she starts working on a new opera she goes deeply into all the details. While learning her part, she first polishes the vocal nuances and only then goes on to the dramaturgy of the image.
After her Kyiv debut Karin is now going on to Lviv, where she will perform a solo program. She included into her concert the parts from operas and the romances of her favorite composers — Mozart, Verdi and Schumann. In Caspi’s words, she is charmed by the friendliness of such Ukrainian colleagues as Petro Pryimak, Iryna Dats, Taras Bohdan, and by the warm reception accorded her by Kyivans. She hopes to come to our capital once again. “We recently expanded our relations with foreign representative offices and cultural centers of various countries, in particular with the Israeli Embassy in Ukraine,” National Opera Director Petro Chupryna says. “I believe that the participation of Karin Caspi in the opera Don Giovanni has been made a great contribution to our theater. Israeli singer has a strong and beautiful voice (mezzo-soprano). She is organic onstage.
“This season our theater will mark the centennial of the construction of the building designed by architect Viktor Shreter. To this event we want not only to prepare our own new performances but also to invite musicians and performers from different countries to our stage. In November the tournament of the Great Theater and the State Academic Theater of Classical Ballet under the management of Natalka Kasatkina and Volodymyr Vasyliev are to take place.
“We coordinated joint schedules with Olha Mykytenko, which will permit the singer to combine her training in Spain with performances in her native theater. For example, on October 29 she sang the part of Gilda in Rigoletto. Volodymyr Hryshko has now left for the long-term foreign tour but we agreed that as soon as he returns to Ukraine he will participate in the performances. With Viktoriya Lukyanets and Anatoly Kocherha the situation is more complicated. Their schedules are composed several years ahead. Still, they promised to find a gap in their calendars and to come to Kyiv. We also discussed quite a delicate issue, that is the issue of their remuneration. I must say that the actors understand the situation in the theater and did not mention fantastic figures.
“Jointly with the Italian Cultural Center we are planning to hold an Ave, Verdi! Festival next January. Leading Italian soloists and conductors will perform at the National Opera. The invitations to participate in this action have been sent to singers from other countries also. Consent in principal has already been received from Japanese vocalists. I will tell you one more secret: while speaking with the director of the Rome Opera we were discussing the issue of inviting his choir singers to perform Verdi’s Requiem. This unusual concert is to take place on January 27, on the day of the centennial of the death of the great composer. Taking advantage of the occasion, I want to thank all the diplomats that are not only our permanent spectators but also assist in expanding the cultural borders between our countries.”
