Adela Zaharia, how many times have you taken the role of Violetta?
The first time was in 2019 and I’ve done it about once a year since then. But I was only 22 when I was first asked to do it. They must have thought »She looks like a Violetta, so why wouldn’t she be able to sing her?« I waited eight years before I signed up.

Why did you keep declining?
The role of Violetta is a huge one to take on. I wanted to be sure that I was up to task – voice-wise and psychologically.

What are the demands placed on the singer?
You need a voice that’s developed enough to pull off everything that’s needed to do justice to the musical heart of the work. It’s got to span the coloraturas and high tessituras of Act 1, the drawn-out lines, the legato and the despair of Act 2 and the drama and hopelessness of the final act shortly before she dies. You’ve got the ups and downs of an entire life – in a single evening.

How does a soprano convey that despair?
I try to feel what she’s going through, up to the point where it would be altering my voice.

…and causing your vocal chords to fail.
Exactly. It’s a bit of a balancing act. I go in deep, but not so far in that it has a negative affect on my singing technique.

Violetta is at once saint and harlot, lover and fighter. Which aspect touches you most?
Her vulnerability. As early as the party in the first act she knows she’s ill. High society treats her like a plaything. She’s acting out a role that has been foisted upon her. In the book »La Dame aux camélias« she’s presented as a child who’s been despatched to Paris and is taking the route of many a poor girl of the time. She carries this darkness within her throughout her life, and despite the exuberance of the circles she moves in she knows she has no sparkling future ahead of her. None of the people around her really see her; she has much to offer but remains unappreciated. Alfredo shows an interest, but it triggers her gloom and she throws up barriers. Then in her duet with Germont she can contain herself no longer, telling him she’s alone and at death’s door and her only joyful moments had been those spent with Alfredo. And now she’s got to say goodbye to all that.
That’s what LA TRAVIATA feels like for me, an avalanche of drama and tragedy. The intensity builds right up to the point in the final act when she faces up to death and rails against God and her destiny. And when Alfredo arrives to apologise and tell her that he gets her, it’s like, »Oh well, bit late, but thanks anyway.«

You’ve pretty much nailed it.
It breaks my heart, it really does.

So you sang Violetta for the first time in 2019. How many Violettas has it been now?
You mean different productions?

Yes.
I’ve never counted. Let’s see: the first time was in Düsseldorf, then came Los Angeles, then Düsseldorf again, then the Deutsche Oper Berlin, Amsterdam, just recently in Madrid in Willy Decker’s amazing version that I saw when I was a student. So it’s been six in all.

What’s the difference between the first time you sang the role and now?
I was petrified the first time because of the size of the shoes I was meant to be filling. It was tough and at the end of each performance I was utterly spent. But it’s like with any role, you sing it over and over, you know the character inside out, you add layers and shades, so now I’m exerting myself quite differently to how I did five, six years ago. Every shred of my energy goes into the performance.

How many hours does it take you to recover from a shift as Violetta?
I’d say more like days, weeks even. Roles like that take it out of you, especially if it’s a period production like the one in Berlin. After all, it’s not just a one-off performance; she inhabits me for the duration of the run. It dampens my mood to the extent that I don’t go to parties or meet up with people. I’m in withdrawn mode, going for walks, resting. My energy levels are way down.

Sounds a bit like Strasberg’s Method acting process for actors.
If the performance is good, then it’s an intense experience for me too. And it sits in my bones for a while afterwards.

The Deutsche Oper Berlin has a long Verdi tradition. What are you most looking forward to?
The Deutsche Oper Berlin has a long and complex tradition period, with everything! I step out on stage and I know I’ve got an audience in front of me that’s seen huge sopranos singing all the roles out there. It never stops being a big responsibility, an honour and a joy to be treading those boards.