Celebrated Polish soprano Iwona Socha will be performing two free concerts in Abu Dhabi; the first on Europe Day, Monday May 9, and a second to mark Constitution Day of the Republic of Poland, hosted on Tuesday May 10.
A noted soloist with the Kraków Opera, Socha will be accompanied by Joanna Steczek on piano for the recital, to perform classic arias by Mozart, Puccini, Verdi, Gounod and Bizet, alongside vocal pieces by celebrated Polish composers Chopin and Moniuszko.
The concert will celebrate Europe Day. How can music help bring us together? Especially at such trying times as today.
Music has a charm that calms us down, bringing relief and joy as well as mutual understanding and acceptance, beyond any cultural differences. As it was said by Plato, music enriches life in its goodness, beauty and truth. Music mutes us, assuages pain but also strengthens and teaches creativity. It is one of the most important and indispensable parts of our temporal existence. Quoting [French poet] Paul Claudel – only silence is more beautiful than the music.
Tell us about the Polish pieces you will bring.
Chopin is one of the most liked composers of all times. Until today, the virtuosity present in his pieces and the unique, deeply emotional harmony of his compositions impress music lovers all over the world. His compositions are full of Polishness – folk motives in combination with lyricism and melancholy that give an impression of unique sensitivity and inner tension. For me, performing Chopin’s pieces is like a journey to the inner part of his soul.
The pieces by Moniuszko fascinate me because of their equally intense expressiveness, but completely different from Chopin’s musical language. They also use the elements of Polish folk music but above all, they allude to Polish traditions – numerous songs and arias have texts that directly describe the customs of the Polish nobility and their life in the countryside.
You will be performing with just a piano for accompaniment – how does this change your approach when compared with performing alongside a full orchestra?
There are fundamental differences between solo accompaniment of a pianist assisting the singer and the support of an orchestra during a recital. The aim of the accompaniment is to complete and emphasise the leading melody sung by the soloist. In case of opera arias, piano provides harmonic and melodic support and tries to realise the parts written for the orchestra. In case of songs written originally for piano and voice, piano usually has its own unique melody that nicely interweaves by the melody sung by the soloist. The accompaniment of an orchestra enriches the overall quality of the sound and thanks to the variety of instruments gives a fuller character of a given piece.
Of all the musicians and public figures you’ve met in your life, who intimidated or surprised you the most?
Not an easy question. Certainly the cooperation with the most famous opera soloists such as Ileana Cotrubas or Mariusz Kwiecien, as well as concerts with great conductors, directors and working with other actors. I often meet unique individuals from whom I can learn a lot – the individuals who help me to look at my life according to the refrain of the famous song “always look on the bright side of life”.
What role has offered you the greatest challenge, and why?
Every role is demanding. I mean, both the roles I play in particular operas, and the roles we have to play in everyday life – for example, I have the role of a mother. Long preparations, rehearsals and finally the performance is usually a long but passionate, and sometimes hard, path that an artist has to finish. One of the hardest roles I've ever played was the role of Roxana from the opera King Roger by Szymanowski. Another one was the famous role of Violetta from La Traviata by Verdi. Both of them were difficult in their own way and eventually I was absolutely fascinated with either. So far, they have been the peak that I managed to reach with a success.
Opera is often stereotyped as an art form for the elite. How could/should we challenge these ideas?
There have always been a false conviction that the genre of opera is dedicated to some kind of a special, elite audience. There are no doubts about the fact that this form of music will not be favoured by everyone, but at the same time I don’t think that we should excessively emphasise its complexity. I do believe that a well-managed opera theatre will have in its repertoire a wide spectrum of pieces that can be attractive for most kinds of audience. In such a repertoire there should be both the most famous works of opera as well as more complicated pieces that require some background knowledge from a listener. It is our task – the management, directors and performers – to make the audience interested in all musical events of a theatre. Personally, I can say that I do my best to promote opera as the most exciting form of art that is a synthesis of all the other arts.
Have you ever been to the UAE before? What do you expect, and what can we expect from you?
It will be my first visit to the UAE, and by performing in this part of the world I would like to promote the musical part of the Polish culture, especially the one crafted by composers such as Chopin, Moniuszko or Rozycki. I would like to familiarise the UAE citizens as well as the expats with the musical culture of Poland, but I also aim to support the Polish community living in the UAE.
Iwona Socha performs at the Paris-Sorbonne University Abu Dhabi on Monday May 9 from 8pm, and at New York University Abu Dhabi, Saadiyat Island, on Tuesday May 10 from 7.30pm, both concerts are free to attend.
