Canadian soprano Anne-Marie MacIntosh takes us to Lüneburg, where she is singing Violetta in Verdi‘s La traviata at Theater Lüneburg from November 9th to March 9th (info and tickets here).
Anne-Marie was hailed by the Globe and Mail as one of “The Voices of a Generation.” She has been seen on stages all over North America and Europe including San Francisco Opera, San Diego Opera, Calgary Opera and Against the Grain Theatre. She is a graduate of both Calgary Opera’s McPhee Artist Development Program and the Adler Fellowship at San Francisco Opera.
While in Lüneburg, Anne-Marie shares her favourite place to grab a coffee between rehearsals and the best concert venues in the city. Read on to find out more.
City where you’re working?
Lüneburg, Germany.
How long are you working on contract?
I am a guest at Theater Lüneburg this season for their new production of La traviata. We had rehearsals for five weeks starting at the beginning of October, and opened on November 9. We have 11 performances total that run until March 9.
What’s the opera house like?
Theater Lüneburg is an amazing company that puts on opera, musicals, plays, ballet, orchestral concerts and outreach programs. The building has several performing spaces, including the main hall where we are doing La traviata (which is also a converted former cinema)!
Where is the most peaceful place in the city?
The most peaceful place in the city is the path along the river, although I also love just walking through the centre of town, which is a pedestrian zone. The historical architecture is so beautiful and I am always finding new buildings that I am obsessed with.
Best coffee or tea?
Holy Coffee is just a quick walk away from the theatre, and I spent many afternoons there in my rehearsal break reading a book and enjoying a coffee. The owner is a gem and can speak German, Chinese and English – she is super friendly and will remember your name when you come in for a second time!
Coolest bar or restaurant you’ve been to?
There is a really cute local brewery called Mälzer Brau – und Tafelhaus that has a warm and rustic atmosphere, great beers and traditional German food. Plus, they are one of the only places that is still open after we finish our evening performances of La traviata, so they have loyal customers amongst the theatre folk!
An activity you have done that is unique to the area?
I went to a really fun concert that the theatre orchestra performed out of a converted barn in the countryside neighbouring Lüneburg. It was a unique concert venue, and you had a beautiful view of a field that you could enjoy with your refreshments during intermission.
Is there something unexpected that happens locally that you discovered?
At Christmastime, there were tons of cute Christmas markets scattered all across town, as there are in every city and town in Germany. However, they also had a special medieval Christmas market that ran for one weekend only, where the vendors all dressed up in medieval garb and served Glühwein out of large pots over a fire – it was so much fun!
How did you find accommodation?
I am staying in a Theater Wohnung (apartment that is owned by the theatre and rented out at a reduced rate to visiting performers). It is extremely tiny and bare bones, but it was so nice to save money and avoid the stress of AirBnB hunting!
What’s the most important thing you think of when it comes to finding accommodation as a singer?
The most important thing is proximity to the opera house (to make those 10 am rehearsals and to get home quickly to bed during tech week), as well as QUIET. In the German regional opera houses, rehearsals often run 10 am to 2 pm and 6 pm to 10 pm, so a quick afternoon nap is a must!
Have you had a chance to explore some galleries or museums?
I haven’t had the opportunity to explore the museums yet, although there is, interestingly enough, a Salt Museum in town. This area used to be known for their salt production.
Is there anything else you’d recommend?
I’ve taken part in a few concerts in Lüneburg at the stadium, run by an amazing musician and conductor named Alexander Eissele. He gathers musicians and soloists from the area and puts on huge collaborative concerts – last spring I sang the Montserrat Caballé part in “Barcelona” during a Queen tribute concert, and in December I took part in the Christmas gala that involved leagues of people on stage and behind the scenes. The energy is always so high and everyone who is involved has the time of their lives! This spring he is doing a Michael Jackson tribute concert that I just know will also be fantastic.
LEARN MORE ABOUT ANNE-MARIE MACINTOSH
VISIT HER WEBSITE
© Jochen Quast
La Traviata at Theatre Lüneburg
© Anne-Marie MacIntosh
Beverage from Holy Coffee
© Jochen Quast
La Traviata at Theatre Lüneburg
La Traviata
Theatre Lüneberg
November 9 – March 9
STAGING: Kerstin Steeb
MUSICAL DIRECTION: Gaudens Bieri
STAGE DESIGN: Margarethe Mast
COSTUME DESIGN: Hanne Lenze-Lauch
SOUND DESIGN: Dong Zhou
VOICE RECORDINGS AND POST-PRODUCTION: Salomé Balthus
VIOLETTA VALERY:
Anne-Marie MacIntosh
FLORA BERVOIX: Lavinia Husmann
ANNINA/JOSEPH: Alexsandra Nygaard
ALFREDO GERMONT: Jakob Kleinschrot
GIORGIO GERMONT:
Christian Oldenburg
GASTON/DIENER: Andrea Marchetti
BARON DOUPHOL: Steffen Neutze
MARQUIS VON OBIGNY: Yinghao Liu
CRENVIL/KOMMISSAR: Eric Keller
LÜNEBURGER SYMPHONIKER
CHOR UND EXTRACHOR
Violetta Valéry invites them to celebrate, to lust, to debauchery. Among the guests is Alfredo Germont. Against all reason, the two fall in love and try to escape, to live together far away from bourgeois conventions and Violetta’s position as a “courtesan” in Parisian society. But soon, at the urging of Alfredo’s father, who fears for his family’s good reputation, Violetta gives up her lover. She tells Alfredo nothing about the conversation with his father. Instead, she leaves him and returns to her old life and to Baron Douphol. But Alfredo cannot accept the end of their relationship. Violetta brusquely rejects him. After a duel between the two opponents, Alfredo rushes off. Only shortly before Violetta’s death does Alfredo’s father explain the true circumstances to his son. Both rush to her sickbed. Too late: Violetta dies forgiving in the arms of her lover. Or does she?
Giuseppe Verdi had a penchant for putting outsiders at the center of his operas. “La Traviata,” translated as “the one who has gone astray,” portrays a “courtesan,” a prostitute, and the supposed impossibility of forming real bonds with people in bourgeois society as such. In the Lüneburg work, director Kerstin Steeb examines the relevance of this probably most famous Verdi opera – do these mechanisms of bourgeois double standards still exist today?
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Máiri Demings is Opera Canada’s digital content specialist. She’s also a mezzo-soprano who has sung with Tapestry Opera, performs regularly with VOICEBOX: Opera in Concert and Toronto Operetta Theatre, and is one half of duo mezzopiano with pianist Zain Solinski.
