Dubai’s World Classical Music Series wraps up on May 29 with a performance by globetrotting opera star Edwin Crossley-Mercer. The young French tenor will perform a romantic repertoire backed by pianist Semjon Skigin. Here’s what he has to say.
It’s your first time in the UAE – what do you expect, and what can we expect from you?
What I expect from Dubai is a cosmopolitan city with its roots in Arabic culture. Something I have never witnessed before. And also to be blown away by the modern architecture and implantation of the city in the desert area – it seems to be defying nature. I am expecting to be in a city of modern pharaohs. As to what you can expect from me? Simple – to be blown off your seat by the best song concert you will have ever attended [laughs].
Talk us through the repertoire you will be performing.
Most of them are love songs ranging from French, to English, German and Russian. They are truly romantic and it is going to be a broad array of styles on the universal theme of human love.
Yes, the title of your show is It’s All About Love. Is it really? And what is “it”?
All I know is that we live to love and be loved. But we also suffer when we don’t. But loving is suffering and not loving is also suffering. Being happy is to love; therefore, to be happy is to suffer. But suffering generally makes you unhappy.
Therefore to be unhappy one must love, or even love to suffer, or maybe even suffer from too much happiness. It’s clear as crystal. Do you follow me?
Not really. So what is the concert?
We will be singing some Nocturne pieces, a typical romantic setting, where the atmosphere is quiet, suave and dreamy. Some songs about despair, regrets, about broken promises or bittersweet memories, and some American and French 20th-century classics about the special one you care about. Each style, French or German, has its own refined and specific identity, thanks to the composer and his choice of poets. This is a travel through different parts of my culture, also. I heard the great [Egyptian singer] Oum Kalthoum’s songs could last up to several hours of uninterrupted sung poems about love and beauty. I wish I could understand her when I hear her voice on recordings. She amazes me, and also how the public knew all the verses of the songs she performed and knew when to applaud although the orchestra goes on.
Our style is more of a “recital”, where my pianist and I chose pieces we think you will enjoy individually.
Your scheduled Dubai performance in February was cancelled. What happened?
I tried to learn Arabic to sing a song by Oum Kalthoum but didn’t make it for February [laughs]. Thinking about it, maybe only women can sing her songs… You see, I need to fall in love with Dubai and find out more about all these interesting things.
You must be a romantic man. What’s the most romantic thing you’ve ever done for anybody?
To this day, making my mother a necklace out of pasta, dried sweetcorn and chickpeas when I was four.
Do you approach singing in different languages differently? Is it true that some languages are more “musical” than others? Or more romantic?
I am lucky to speak fluent French, English and German. Each language has its own technical difficulties, such as the nasals in French, some vowels in English, consonants in German and Russian. We are not doing a course on music history about who wrote how at a specific period. You should just all come along to hear some of my favourite love songs. It’s up to you to decide whether it’s more worthy of love to be Don José stabbing your Carmen out of jealousy, or whether it’s probably nicer to just whisper tender words about the moonlight glistening in your eyes in German. A question of taste. I’d love to sing both, although I’m not a tenor.
As a baritone, what classic opera role do you consider the most intimidating, and why?
Any role that will ruin my voice.
How healthy do you think the state of classical music, and opera in particular, is today?
Classical music is extremely healthy – I would prescribe it to anyone on a daily basis. Opera can be a bit of a screech at times, but it’s exhilarating.
How much of musical talent is nature, and how much nurture?
Talent is luck. Passion is realising how lucky you are. If you are wise, you get responsible towards that bit of luck you were given in life. Until the day you forget all of this blether and start believing you owe it only to your genius self [laughs].
* Edwin Crossley-Mercer performs as part of the World Classical Music Series on Friday May 29 from 8pm at the The One&Only Royal Mirage, Dubai. Tickets from Dh250 at platinumlist.ae.
