The Icelandic Canadian - 01.03.1994, Qupperneq 28

138
THE ICELANDIC CANADIAN
SPRING, 1994
kind of voice you have and you would
never go beyond that. Everyone’s
quality is different, but they know the
size of your voice and what your voice
can do. Over here (in Canada) there is
a little more “give and take” and a
soprano is allowed to do “this” or
“that” - I think mainly because our
concert halls are not a standard size
the way they are in Europe. In
Europe, a lyric soprano would sing in
a certain size of hall, and a dramatic
soprano would sing in a larger size of
hall.
Tjelga: How interesting! I understand
that you have an interest in modem
music, “new music” as it is called.
Valdine: Yes, I do. I love it. Almost
half my work is in modem music. I’m
so pleased to do it and enjoy it a lot.
There aren’t many who work in
modern music, so it’s nice to have
speciality. I think in this day and age
you really do need something
different. If it is not that you can sing
higher or louder than anybody, it may
as well be that you are willing to
interpret the music.
Ijelga: Do you learn this music in the
same way as traditional music?
Valdine: It tends to be more time con-
suming because there’s not usually a
recording in the library, so it’s
something you have to work out on
the piano or try to hear in your head,
rather than listen to a tape, and say,
“Oh, this is how it goes.” You hope
that you are right and you try to do
what the composer had in mind.
Often the composer conducts his own
work. It must be similar to what
singers did in earlier times when they
worked with Mozart or Schubert,
having the composer speak directiy to
you. Most composers want their work
optimally performed so they need to
help with the interpretation, yet not
to be too dogmatic about it.
Ijelga: I find that the new music
sometimes is not as melodic as the
music audiences are used to hearing
- some people might even have
difficulty listening to certain pieces. Is
it difficult to sing this type of music?
Valdine: Learning the pitches is
tricky, but you keep in mind that you
have to make some kind of music out
of it. It is only difficult if you can’t do
that. I have found that there is always
a thread of a musical thought that I
can see. Maybe that doesn’t always
come through in the performance.
You just never know how it comes
across - it is less concrete and I find
it quite intense.
Ijelga: I’m learning to like this music.
In the past, I have tended to have a
fairly closed mind towards it.
Valdine: Most people do, but there’s
sometimes a drive and intensity that
you just can’t get with the harmonic
or lyric work. We have to keep in
mind that this music is an expression
of our times. It will take awhile, but
already it is beginning to be accepted.
Ijelga: Yes, that’s true, it being an
expression of our times - the noise,
the busyness...
Valdine: And the discord and tension.
It’s exciting.
Ijelga: Have you ever had difficulties
during rehearsals or productions -
difficulties working with certain
personalities, directors...
Valdine: I haven’t experienced any.
Nothing along the line of the great
diva stories. I’ve heard of some others
having difficulties, but for the most
part, people now are just so delighted
to be working, and so happy to work
together, that it is like old home week
when we are in a production!
Ijelga: Maybe the public is condi-
tioned to expect temperamental
personalities in opera.