She is called nothing less than “a singer from God,” “ opera diva"or "one of the best sopranos of our time." Her name is well known not only because Veronika Dzhioeva comes from long-suffering Tskhinvali or because the singer’s husband, conductor Alim Shakhmametyev, leads the Chamber Orchestra of the Novosibirsk Philharmonic. Veronica's talent itself makes people talk about her, write about her and run to her concerts. In Novosibirsk they are rare, because Veronica Dzhioeva is a person of peace. This is how it is usually expressed when you were born in one place, live in another, are on your way to a third, and the whole world is your stage. But it’s also good that Novosibirsk residents can at least occasionally - in the Philharmonic where our meeting took place, or in the Opera and Ballet Theater - hear this free and strong voice.
– You are a visiting bird with us, Veronica, so I would like to first find out: what marked the beginning of your cooperation with Novosibirsk?
– It all started in 2005, when I participated in the Maria Callas competition (the competition takes place in Athens. – Author’s note). When I performed in the third round, conductor Teodor Currentzis, who had arrived there, approached me. He said that he is musical director and chief conductor of the Novosibirsk State Orchestra academic theater opera and ballet. And he really wants me to sing in his theater. And then I had just got to the Mariinsky Theater after graduating from the St. Petersburg Conservatory and at first shrugged my shoulders in bewilderment: why should I go to Siberia? Back then I had no idea what the level was here! Now I know that Novosibirsk has strong singers and musicians, wonderful orchestras. And the Philharmonic Chamber Orchestra, led by Alim (the singer’s husband, Alim Anvyarovich Shakhmametyev. – Author’s note), – he will give odds to many orchestras of St. Petersburg and Moscow. And then I was in no hurry to go to Siberia. But Currentzis did not calm down, he called me periodically, and this is the result - I am here. Since 2006 I have been working as a guest soloist.
– What was the final argument in favor of Novosibirsk?
– At first I came just to hear the Currentzis orchestra, to see how Theodor works...
-...We even have this expression: “Theodore of Opera and Ballet.” Did you hear?
– No, but in St. Petersburg they told me a lot about Currentzis. And it also had an impact that he studied with my classmate, a Greek tenor, who after some time began to sing incomparably better. I came to the exam to cheer on a classmate, and was amazed at the changes. Now I’ve experienced it myself: no one else works the way Currentzis works with vocalists! After him it is difficult to return to other conductors. Now I am again, since November last year, working at the Mariinsky Theater. I just sang two “La Traviatas”... Now the Mariinsky Theater will perform “Don Carlos” with my participation, then “Aida”. Lots of things. The productions are one more interesting than the other! There will be work in Tallinn - there the Germans are staging Thais, an opera by Jules Massenet. An interesting opera, it is extremely rarely translated into a stage version. By the way, on March 12, I will have a concert at the Novosibirsk Opera House, at which I will sing excerpts from this opera. Under the piano. Come!
I work with great enthusiasm both here, with Theodore, and there, in St. Petersburg, abroad. I am grateful to Theodore for believing in me and the possibilities of my voice, and this gave me impetus. We singers, on the one hand, are such a commodity - you either like it or not, your school is criticized or praised. And all this is subjective! Intrigue is a well-known thing in the creative community. But Theodore is far from them. On the other hand, we are narcissistic people. It is very important for us to know that you are artistic, that you are admired, that you have good voice. Currentzis gave me confidence and drive. Besides, he is my person in spirit. If you see how we communicate during rehearsals, you will understand everything. I’m the same way myself – eccentric, impulsive. And he is unexpected, irrepressible, works 15 hours a day. You can see this at the concert: he feels me - I understand him.
– Did you ever give him some musical ideas?
- No, it’s better not to argue with him. In music he is a tyrant: as he said, so it should be. But then you realize: everything is justified. The projects I did with him prove this. "Cosi Fantutti", for example (another name for this opera by Mozart is “This is what everyone does.” – Author’s note).
– But you said that you are now also working with other orchestras, with other conductors?
- Yes. Just yesterday, in Moscow, in the Great Hall of the Conservatory, I sang Mozart’s “Requiem”. The orchestra was led by conductor Vladimir Minin. It was big concert, dedicated to memory Patriarch of Moscow and All Rus' Alexy II. The whole elite was present, famous people– musicians, actors, directors.
- So you are going from the ball to the ship, that is, to the plane? And to us?
- Yes, yes, yes! (Laughs.) And Moscow began to invite me, I think, precisely thanks to Currentzis. After his “Cosi Fantutti” the press was especially favorable to me. They even noted that this was the best debut of the year. With Currentzis I also sang Vatican music from the 20th century. Also in Moscow. And after that, the reviews wrote that I became a sensation because I sang in an unusual manner, in a very low voice. “Cosi Fantutti”, “Don Carlos”, Macbeth”, “The Marriage of Figaro” - I did all these projects with Currentzis. As a matter of fact, “La Traviata” also goes into this piggy bank. After Theodore heard me sing La Traviata, he said, “Let’s do a concert performance of the opera.” This is where it all started. He conducted, convincing me that it was not the coloratura who was called upon to sing this part, but voices like mine, strong and with technique. It's no secret that people from the Caucasus are distinguished by their strong timbre. And also the Italians. Many people tell me: “You have a voice of Italian quality.” This means a strong soprano, with mobility. The soprano is most often characterized by legato (“legato” is a musical term meaning “coherent, smooth.” – Author’s note), but to have technology is rare.
– A few years ago I found myself accredited at the Budapest Spring music festival. And we worked together with a Frenchwoman, Monique, a critic from Paris. When at one of the opera performances there was a replacement and a Russian tenor appeared on stage instead of a sick English artist, Monique immediately reacted: “The Russian is singing.” She didn't need the program! And the opera was performed in Italian. Tell me, is it really possible to immediately determine one’s nationality just by the timbre of one’s voice?
– Not the nationality itself, but rather the school. But nature is also important, of course. The conditions in which the voice was formed, heredity - all together. The most beautiful voices, in my opinion, are in multinational Russia. We were just in Erfurt, visiting a very famous professor, a friend of my husband, who now teaches Russian music in Germany. So he told us: “When you come to the opera, if you like the voice, it means the singer is from Russia.”
– What about the famous Italian bel canto? And your voice, as you said, is also compared to Italian?
– Yes, that’s true, but it’s still no coincidence that our people sing everywhere abroad. We are in great demand. Perhaps the reason for this is also the fact that we sing everything: Russian music, German, Italian. Italians cannot sing so well in such a repertoire range.
– Do you speak Italian sufficiently?
– The Italians themselves say that my Italian is good, with correct pronunciation. Recently, La Scala agents approached me, and after some time during the conversation they asked: “Besides Italian, what other language do you speak?” They took it for granted that I spoke Italian fluently. Although music taught me Italian.
– Here’s another question, almost intimate for people in your profession. How does your condition affect the sound of your voice?
- Oh, in different ways. People sometimes don’t even know what we are like when we go on stage. Sick, upset, anxious. Or lovers, happy but overly worried. Life breaks into music all the time. And there’s nothing you can do about it. But an artist is an artist to overcome himself. Everyone has failures, believe me. I sang in the best theaters peace, I know what I'm talking about. But failure depends on many things, and success depends only on you. And also from those who work with you: from musicians, from other singers, from the conductor. Good luck doesn't just happen!
– Veronica, talking to the singer about life without talking about her work is nonsense. That's why we started our conversation from the stage. And perhaps one more question from an amateur... Do you have a favorite composer?
– Verdi and Puccini are meant for me, for my voice. This oil is what you need. But I would like to perform more: Bellini, Donizetti, Rossini. And, of course, Mozart. Puccini, if it were up to me, I would start singing later. In the meantime, the voice is young, beautiful and strong - Bellini would sing. The operas “The Puritans”, “Norma”, “Lucrezia Borgia”... This is mine!
– But any woman, even if she is a singer, and maybe especially if she is a singer, has something else in life that also makes up the meaning of her existence. Relatives, home... Were you born in Ossetia?
– I was born in Tskhinvali. Tom himself. I'll tell you about my parents. My dad - unique person, he had an amazing voice. And he worked in the Nakaduli group in Tbilisi. This is “Spring” in Georgian. Everything was peaceful before... And even now among my father’s friends there are Georgians, because in art there are no such barriers as in politics. Moreover, it was these people who helped dad move to Germany, where he now lives. At one time they told him: “You should become an opera singer.” And he became a weightlifter! Honored coach. In the Caucasus, it was a shame to sing if you were a man. Dad's name is Roman Dzhioev. He plays the piano, plays the guitar beautifully, and has an unusual voice.
– And your mother, is she also related to music?
– No, my mother has nothing to do with music. She is a calm family person. She devoted herself to her husband and children. We have three parents. My sister Inga is very musical, she now lives in Ossetia. Inga and I sang a lot together as children. She also studied vocals, but... became a lawyer. And we also have a younger brother, Shamil. I'm proud of it, I live by it. We all raised him! Shamil speaks five languages, he is very capable, you know, an athlete with books. Dad went to Germany for him; he wanted to give the guy the opportunity to study in Europe. In Ossetia, you know, life is difficult now. And the other side of my personal life is my husband Alim. If it weren't for him, there wouldn't be much out of me. I would not go to any Callas competition. And I wouldn’t have met Theodora there. Alim is a gift for me as a woman.
– Tell me how you and your husband met? What is your love story?
– We were inspired to love by the opera La Bohème. This is the first opera I did with Alim. He was a young conductor who worked at our conservatory. I came to the rehearsal. I saw him and thought: “So young and so talented.” And then a current ran between us... The music contributed to this, of course. I sang seven performances with him - and from the overture our romance moved to the denouement... Alim really was given a lot from God. Just as he was a child prodigy in childhood, he remains an outstanding personality: he succeeds in everything. And he also studied with such musicians, such masters as Kozlov and Musin. He found great professors and was imbued with the spirit of their music. What can I say if Tishchenko himself dedicated a symphony to him! And Tishchenko is unique! The most brilliant composer, student of Shostakovich. My husband has given me a lot both as a musician and as a man. This is my other half. I will only develop next to such a person! And his family is wonderful. Remember the Soviet adventure film "Dirk"? So, little boy who played in this film is Alim’s dad. As a child, he was taken all over the Union to meet with audiences when the film was released. And my husband’s mother, my mother-in-law... Despite what they usually say about the relationship between mother-in-law and daughter-in-law... She always supports me. We come - it’s a joy for her. Cooks a lot of delicious things at once. And thanks to her, I have no life! I don't go near the stove at all!
- But you have your own house?
- I’m not at home. (Whispers, jokingly.) Everything is scattered! We have an apartment in St. Petersburg, but when I come there it’s like going to a hotel. St. Petersburg, Moscow, Novosibirsk, a little abroad... And I also have a son who lives in Ossetia. His name is the same as my father’s, Roman. He is 13 years old, he is already a big boy and he made his own choice. He said his manly word: “I am Ossetian - and I will live in my homeland, in Ossetia.” He didn’t like St. Petersburg.
– During the war, I read in the press, your son was in Tskhinvali?
- Yes. Two days before the war I went on tour. Even then, shots were heard from the outskirts of the city, but Sister Inga calmed me down, saying that everything would calm down soon. I left, but my son stayed there. And two days later on TV I saw my sister’s destroyed house. And I was shocked by the words of the presenter: “At night, Georgian troops attacked South Ossetia...”. This was already the third Georgian attack on South Ossetia! The first happened back in 1920, yes, we were exterminated. And the second one is already in my memory, in 1992, when I was in school. And here’s the third... I almost went crazy at that moment. I started calling my family – both on their home phones and on their mobile phones. The answer is silence. I hung up on my phone for three days. Only on the fourth day did I find out that everything was fine with my family, and I talked to my son. He said: “Mom, we are all alive!” And then he cried: “I saw how my dead classmates were carried out of their houses.” It's very scary. I wouldn't wish this on anyone. My boy showed courage. He a real man, although he is still so young. But we grow up early!
– Would you like more children, Veronica?
- Yes, I would like to. And Alim. If I get a little on the western rails, then I can afford it. Perhaps then I’ll learn how to nurse and educate. When my first child was born, his Ossetian grandmother did all this for me. I was married for the first time at the age of fifteen - in Ossetia, people get married early, not only do they grow up - and at sixteen I had Roman.
– So you said “I’ll get on Western rails.” What do you need for this, besides talent? A good impresario?
- Not only that. I have a professional agent, everything is going as it should, in the right direction, but there are quite a few nuances if we talk about “Western rails”... In our world, a lot is decided by both money and the dishonest play of those who... not only with their voices pave the way to big stage. I seek recognition for my art. There is progress. First “Tais”, then...
I won’t speak for now, I have to live. But I assume that 2010 will be very busy for me. This July I’m leaving for La Scala... I won’t say that I have everything planned for five years, but I always have a year interesting work. It’s unpleasant when good offers coincide in time. For example, in Erfurt I was supposed to sing Marguerite in Gounod’s Mephistopheles. It didn't work out.
But there was something else. In general, for me, every concert and every performance is a victory. I'm from small town in South Ossetia. Who helped me? I tried my best! And I was lucky with the teachers. I graduated from college in Vladikavkaz, studied with an excellent teacher Nelly Ilyinichna Khestanova, she gave me a lot. She then entered the St. Petersburg Conservatory. I was among 447 applicants! Can you imagine the influx? Then there was the biggest competition among vocalists in the entire history of the conservatory! Out of almost 500 people who want to study vocals, 350 are sopranos! They liked my voice for its timbre, and they hired me. I completed my studies with the great professor, honorable. Russian artist, professor Tamara Dmitrievna Novichenko, who made such singers as Anna Netrebko and prima Mariinsky Theater Ira Dzhioeva, who also worked here, as you probably know.
– Are you related to Irina Dzhioeva?
- Namesakes. We have another Dzhioeva, in Ossetia they call her “the third Dzhioeva”, Inga, she now lives in Italy, also a singer, soloist of the La Scala choir.
– Do you sometimes... sing in the mountains, Veronica?
– No, although I know that many singers do this. I screamed as a child! Now I'm afraid I'll lose my voice...
– What are you like outside the stage and art?
– Not a housewife or a homebody, that’s for sure. We often have an empty refrigerator and nothing to eat for breakfast. But it doesn’t matter – we go to restaurants! Otherwise, I am an exemplary wife: I love to clean the house and, like a true Ossetian woman, serve my husband, bring him slippers... I am pleased with this. Outside the house, my element is shops. Shopping is almost a passion. If I don’t buy myself something I like, my voice doesn’t even sound! A special point is perfume. For example, when I was in Moscow now, the first thing I did was go to a perfume store and pick up hands full of cosmetics and perfume from Christian Dior. When your makeup bag is in order, your soul sings! But I am not constant: today I need Christian Dior, tomorrow – Chanel. Today it’s an evening dress, tomorrow it’s a different one. I have forty of these dresses, they don’t fit in the dressing room. And some, once I put them on, I immediately lost interest! But what to do! This is how I was born! (Laughs.)
Iraida FEDOROVA,
"New Siberia", April 2010
Diploma winner of the competition " Golden mask”, winner of the “Big Opera” competition, Honored Artist of South Ossetia... but this singer prefers to be announced simply as Veronica Dzhioeva, because her name is famous enough to tell the public more than any honorary titles. The future opera star was born in Tskhinvali. Her father had a wonderful tenor, but during his youth music career was not considered prestigious for a man, and he became a professional athlete. Having recognized his daughter’s talent in time, he wanted her to become a singer and instilled in her a love of music. In a beautiful voice Veronica had it already in childhood, and together with her sister Inga she performed at competitions. True, she performed at her first solo concert at the age of thirteen not as a singer, but as a performer of folk dances.
Veronika Dzhioeva received her musical education in Tskhinvali music school, then at the Vladikavkaz College of Arts with Nelly Khestanova. At the end of this educational institution she went to St. Petersburg to enter the conservatory. Before the entrance exam, an unexpected difficulty arose - her voice disappeared, but the mentor who accompanied her told her: “Go out, tear your ligaments, but sing!” And Veronica sang - as it seemed to her, she sang better than ever. She became a student at the conservatory, where she studied with Tamara Novichenko. The singer calls her mentor “a teacher with a capital T” - not only because her graduates sing all over the world, but also for her reverent attitude towards her students.
Even before graduating from the conservatory - in 2004 - Veronika Dzhioeva made her debut, performing the role of Mimi in the opera studio of the conservatory. After two years, the young performer makes herself known in the capital: on the stage of the Moscow International House of Music she plays the role of Fiordiligi in "". He conducted this performance. In the same year, the premiere of the work, the opera “Boyarina Morozova”, took place in the Russian capital, and the role of Princess Urusova was performed by Dzhioeva. A year later, the work was presented in Italy - and again with her participation.
Since that time, the singer has gone from success to success: performing in the role of Zemfira in “” under the direction of , performing the same role at the Mariinsky Theater in Baden-Baden, Michaela in “” in Seoul. Subsequently, the artist performed this part more than once. Michaela may not seem the most in an interesting way– especially in comparison with the main character– but Veronica Dzhioeva has a special attitude towards her. In her interpretation, Michaela does not look like a “naive blonde,” but a strong girl, despite her rustic simplicity, capable of fighting for her own happiness. There was a case in the singer’s career when the audience applauded her Michaela so much that the performer of the role of Escamillo refused to bow.
Whatever roles Dzhioeva performed, wherever she sang: Yaroslavna in Hamburg, the title role in “Sister Angelica” in Madrid, Maria Stuart in Palermo, Elvira in “” at the Houston Opera. At the Bolshoi Theater, her first role was the same role with which her career in opera began - Mimi, then there were Elizaveta in "", Gorislava in "". The singer's voice is surprisingly deep and rich, its range even includes low, “chest” notes, which to a greater extent are associated with mezzo-soprano than with soprano. There is both passion and tenderness in her voice. He has such power that in the West sometimes it is difficult to select a composition for such a “large” voice. The singer embodies and lyrical images(Martha in "", Tatiana), and dramatic (Lady Macbeth). Especially close to the artist Italian opera-, Giacomo Puccini, and she calls her favorite opera “”. She doesn’t see herself in the role of a cruel princess, but she happily plays the part of Liu.
The singer's concert repertoire is no less rich than her operatic one. She participated in the performance of Requiems and, "The Bells", Ludwig van Beethoven and. Special significance gives Dzhioeva the performance of romances, considering this genre as a kind of “test” for belonging to the Russian world. She started with romances by Bulakhov and Varlamov, then works appeared in her chamber repertoire, and she considers the latter the most complex. According to Veronica Dzhioeva, working on romances helps in working on opera roles.
Veronica Dzhioeva does not like the dictates of directors at the opera house - and not only because it is offensive when the director’s name is written on the poster in large letters, and the names of the singers are barely visible. The artist is worried about thoughtless “innovation” that has nothing to do with art. For example, the singer experienced great irritation when girls in the image of... Pussy Riot appeared on stage in the play "" in Hamburg, and then the same thing happened in "" in Madrid. Dzhioeva herself prefers classical productions, which make it possible to feel like a person from a different era.
Musical Seasons
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Honored Artist of Russia
People's Artist of the Republics of South Ossetia and North Ossetia
Laureate of international competitions
Diploma of National theater festivals"Golden Mask"
She graduated from the St. Petersburg Conservatory named after N. Rimsky-Korsakov in vocal class (class of Prof. T. D. Novichenko). Member of the Novosibirsk Opera and Ballet Theater since 2006.
On the stage of the theater she performed about 20 leading opera roles, including: Marfa (“ The Tsar's Bride"by Rimsky-Korsakov), Zemfira ("Aleko" by Rachmaninov), Princess Urusova ("Boyaryna Morozova" by Shchedrin), Fiordiligi ("This is what everyone does" by Mozart), Countess ("The Marriage of Figaro" by Mozart), Tatyana ("Eugene Onegin" by Tchaikovsky ), Elizabeth (“Don Carlos” by Verdi), Lady Macbeth (“Macbeth” by Verdi), Violetta (“La Traviata” by Verdi), Aida (“Aida” by Verdi), Mimi and Musetta (“La bohème” by Puccini), Liu and Turandot ( “Turandot” by Puccini), Michaela (“Carmen” by Bizet), Tosca (“Tosca” by Puccini), Amelia (“Un ballo in maschera” by Verdi), Yaroslavna (“Prince Igor” by Borodin), as well as solo parts in “Requiem” by Mozart , Beethoven's Ninth Symphony, Verdi's Requiem, Mahler's Second Symphony, Rossini's Stabat mater. Has an extensive repertoire of works modern composers, including works by R. Shchedrin, B. Tishchenko, M. Minkov, M. Tanonov and others. She toured with the troupe of the Novosibirsk Opera and Ballet Theater to South Korea, Thailand.
Guest soloist Bolshoi Theater Russia. He performs on the stages of leading theaters and concert halls around the world, takes part in productions and concert programs in Russia, China, South Korea, Great Britain, Spain, Italy, Japan, USA, Estonia and Lithuania, Germany, Finland and other countries. Fruitfully collaborates with European theaters, including Teatro Petruzzelli (Bari), Teatro Comunale (Bologna), Teatro Real (Madrid). In Palermo (Teatro Massimo) she sang the title role in Donizetti's opera Mary Stuart, and at the Hamburg Opera she performed the role of Yaroslavna (Prince Igor). The Teatro Real successfully hosted the premiere of Puccini's Sister Angelica with the participation of Veronica Dzhioeva. In the USA, the singer made her debut on the stage of the Houston Opera as Donna Elvira. In 2011, in Munich and Lucerne, she performed the role of Tatiana in Eugene Onegin with the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra conducted by Maris Jansons, with whom she continued to perform the soprano role in Mahler's 2nd Symphony with the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra in Amsterdam, St. Petersburg and Moscow. In past seasons she performed as Elvira at the Teatro Fiharmonico in Verona, then on the stage of the Finnish Opera she performed the role of Aida with maestro P. Fournillier. On the stage of the Prague Opera she sang the premiere as Iolanta (maestro Jan Latham König), then the premiere of the opera Un ballo in maschera. In the same year, she performed the soprano part in Verdi’s Requiem in Prague under the baton of maestro Jaroslav Kinzling. She toured with the London Symphony Orchestra and with maestro Jacques van Steen in the UK (London, Warwick, Bedford). Heanheal performed the soprano part on stage with maestro Hartmut Heanheal concert hall Bozar in Brussels. In Valencia she performed the role of Madina in the opera “The Breach” staged famous director P. Azorina. On the stage of the main concert hall in Stockholm she performed the soprano part in Verdi's Requiem. In March 2016, Veronica performed on stage opera house Geneva in the Fiordiligi party. In November 2017, she sang the role of Tatiana in Japan with maestro Vladimir Fedoseev.
Constantly participates in music festivals in Russia and abroad. In 2017, the first Veronica Dzhioeva festival took place on the stage of the Novosibirsk Opera. The singer’s personal festivals are also held in her homeland in Alanya and Moscow.
The singer's immediate plans include performing the part of Amelia on the stage of the Czech Opera, the part of Aida on the stage of the Zurich Opera, and Leonora and Turandot on the stage of the Finnish Opera.
In May 2018, Veronica Dzhioeva was awarded the honorary title “Honored Artist of the Russian Federation.”
On April 29, the Small Glazunov Hall of the St. Petersburg Conservatory will host a vocal evening of the world opera star Veronica Dzhioeva. The diva's performance will be accompanied by Symphony orchestra Opera and Ballet Theater of the St. Petersburg Conservatory, conductor - Alim Shakhmametyev. The concert starts at 19.00.
The bright southern beauty of opera singer Veronica Dzhioeva seems to have been created for the role of Carmen. And in this image she is truly amazingly good. But her most famous lyrical parts are from “La Traviata”, “Eugene Onegin”, “Rusalka”...
Veronica Dzhioeva became known to a wide audience two years ago, after she won the “Big Opera” television project. However, even without this, she was and remains one of the most sought-after opera singers. When asked about the house, Veronica just laughs and waves it off: she sings at the Novosibirsk Opera and Ballet Theater, the Moscow Bolshoi Theater, the St. Petersburg Mariinsky Theater, and also at the best opera scenes peace. All life is continuous touring. “And you know, I really like it all,” admits Veronica. “I have absolutely no desire to register in any one theater.”
Are you a mezzo or a soprano?
Veronica, you were born and raised in a family of weightlifters. How did the daughter of a weightlifter manage to become an opera singer?
Veronica Dzhioeva: Dad, by the way, had a very good voice. Tenor. But in the Caucasus, being a professional singer is, to put it mildly, not prestigious. For a real man, it’s sports or business. Therefore, my dad devoted himself to sports, and from childhood he inspired me that I should sing. It was to please my parents that I started studying music. And not right away, but I realized that dad was right (although at first he wanted to see me as a gynecologist).
Veronica Dzhioeva: Yes, I am often asked: “Are you a mezzo or a soprano?” I have a lyric-dramatic soprano, but with a large range, including low notes - chest, “non-chemical”. At the same time, it so happened that my character did not match my voice.
Do you mean you have to play roles that are difficult to get into?
Veronica Dzhioeva: It’s difficult for me to sing Tatyana - not because of her voice, but because of her image. I'm not like that. In life I am Turandot, Carmen, Macbeth... Oh, Macbeth is my dream! I would like to sing that same Macbeth - beautiful, proud and majestic, who pushes to murder.
At the same time, I succeed in lyrical images: Mimi, Michaela, Traviata, sister Angelica, Yaroslavna, Tatyana. Everyone is surprised: “How did you manage to create such thin touching images? To you, who has never loved anyone?..”
How is it that you have never loved anyone?
Veronica Dzhioeva: That is, she did not love tragically, unrequitedly. I am designed in such a way that I cannot suffer for a person who does not reciprocate my feelings.
Russians sing
There is now expansion in the West Russian singers. For example, Anna Netrebko will open the season at the Metropolitan Opera for the third time this year. Don't you have foreign singers jealousy towards our people: they say, have they come in large numbers?..
Veronica Dzhioeva: Oh yes! For example, in Italy there definitely is. But here, do you know what the paradox is? In Russia, visiting singers are more popular. And there - our own! And in this regard, I am very upset for our people. No one is helping the Russians make their way, unlike, say, the Koreans, for whom the state pays for their studies in best conservatories peace. Meanwhile, it is no secret that Russians have the most luxurious “overtone” voices with the deepest timbres. And on top of that - breadth and passion. European singers take their cue from others: their voices are meager, but they always know their parts by heart and sing with mathematical precision and correctness.
What about knowledge foreign languages? Opera singers After all, you have to sing in both Italian and French...
Veronica Dzhioeva: For some reason, in the West it is believed that if the opera is Russian, then you can cut yourself some slack and sing in a difficult language as best you can. Quite often you hear instead of “eye movements” - “visenya blas”... And even in Russia the public does not find fault with foreign singers, even touches: “Oh, what a sweetie, she’s trying!..” There is no condescension towards Russians abroad - the pronunciation must be impeccable. Without exaggeration, I can say that Russians sing best in all European languages.
Maybe this is the key to the current success of Russian singers?
Veronica Dzhioeva: Perhaps... Although not. The secret is in our nature. Russians give such emotions! You see, you can surprise with a well-honed technique, but you can touch, hook so much that you close your eyes and enjoy - only with sincere passion.
And a sense of style is also very important. When I sang in Palermo, they asked me: “How do you know Donizetti’s style so well? Did you study in Italy?” I never studied! I just listen to the right old singers - the so-called "black and white recordings" - and follow the style. I will never sing Tchaikovsky like Donizetti and vice versa. This is something even branded singers sometimes do.
Pussy Riot and "Prince Igor"
How do you feel about so-called director's operas, when classics are presented in an unexpected production?
Veronica Dzhioeva: With understanding. Although I don't like kinks. In the fall I worked in Hamburg in “Prince Igor” directed by David Pountney. Strange, ugly look. Prince Galitsky and the choir rape a pioneer girl - they tear off her clothes, everything happens in the toilet... And at the end Pussy Riot came out - stupid girls in hats and torn tights. In "Prince Igor"! The German public didn’t like it, although there were those who squealed with delight... After that, I went to sing in Madrid - at the same time I went there to support my friends who were busy in “Boris Godunov”. The director is different. The opera is over - Pussy Riot is released again. Well, what kind of fashion is this?! It’s as if there is nothing else in Russia. It was very unpleasant.
Another fashionable thing - television shows. In 2011, you took first place in the all-Russian television competition "Big Opera". Although, frankly speaking, there were no worthy opponents for you there. Why did you need this?
Veronica Dzhioeva: It’s just that the project fit well into my work schedule: filming took place exactly on the days when I was free. Well, I thought it would be interesting experience. Although the conditions were terrible: the orchestra was placed far behind the singer, rehearsals lasted three minutes, the aria could not be sung to the end. All this, of course, is terribly far from professionalism. However, such projects work to popularize opera. What is good in itself is something that is sorely lacking in Russia.
As one would expect, after " Grand Opera“I was showered with invitations from everywhere to come with a concert: Ufa, Dnepropetrovsk, Alma-Ata. I never thought that they could even know me there! But there’s no time. The only city, in which I found the opportunity to perform in the near future, is Petrozavodsk. They say in there musical theater They have done a luxurious renovation, and the hall has very good acoustics. The performance is scheduled for April 22. The main reason I agreed is that the proceeds from this concert will go towards the restoration of the temple.
Do you have any desire to go on stage?
Veronica Dzhioeva: There is such an idea. I had the experience of performing Time to say good bye in a duet with Italian tenor Alessandro Safina. It worked out well, we should continue. There is no time yet to start recording and implement a full-fledged project. But I really want to demonstrate that I can sing well not only opera, but also pop works. These are, you know, completely different things.
"I'm not a cockroach vocalist"
Your husband Alim Shakhmametyev - famous musician: chief conductor Chamber Orchestra of the Novosibirsk Philharmonic, artistic director of the orchestra of the Opera and Ballet Theater of the St. Petersburg Conservatory... How do two stars get along in one family?
Veronica Dzhioeva: One star - me. True, Alim tells me: “Nature has given you too much, and you are lazy, using only ten percent of your talent.”
But seriously, I obey my husband in everything. When I’m “flying away,” he will stop, advise, and guide. He is the one who manages all my affairs, so everything is always organized flawlessly.
At the same time, for some reason you don’t have your own website. There is no place to see the tour schedule, to hear the recordings that you yourself consider successful...
Veronica Dzhioeva: Oh, but I don’t like anything! I used to be very upset when I saw what kind of recordings from my performances were posted on YouTube. And I don’t always sing well there, and I don’t look very good. However, it was thanks to online videos that I got a great agent. So it's not so bad.
And how I shake every time after a performance - horror! I can’t sleep all night, I worry: well, I could have done better! Why didn’t she sing like that, why didn’t she turn like that? By morning you’ll sing the whole part again in your head several times. But from conversations with other singers I know that this is normal. Walking around like a gogol after a performance and saying: “Oh, how good I was today,” is not something a real artist will do. So, compared to some people, I am not a “cockroach” vocalist.
About Ossetia
The war did not spare my family. In the early 1990s, shells flew into our house and bullets ricocheted. I had to live in the basement. Then dad took us out of the combat zone, but mom stayed behind - she was afraid for the apartment. Like many after that war, I gave birth very early - at seventeen years old. The son still lives in Ossetia. In August 2008, he also experienced the war. And Alim and I had just left for a week’s vacation in Africa. And suddenly this! It’s impossible to reach my family, I can’t fly home quickly - it’s impossible to convey this nightmare... Thank God, everyone is alive and well.
My homeland is Ossetia, but I always position myself as Russian singer. More than once I had serious conflicts abroad, when they wrote on posters or in theater magazines: “Veronica Dzhioeva, Georgian soprano.” Why on earth?!
I sing beautifully in Georgian, and I have been invited to perform in Georgia more than once. I have great respect for Georgian culture and traditions. IN recent years they have done a lot in terms of development opera art. But how can I come with a concert to a country whose people killed my people? You can talk as much as you like about the fact that art is outside of politics, but Ossetians - those who have lost children, friends, loved ones - will not understand this. I sincerely hope that soon the relations between our peoples will change for the better - and then I will be happy to perform in Georgia. After all, we are close, and all the terrible tragedies between us are the result of cynical political speculation.
, South Ossetian Autonomous Okrug, USSR
Veronika Romanovna Dzhioeva(osset. Jyoty Novels chyzg Veronica , January 29, Tskhinvali, South Ossetian Autonomous Okrug, USSR) - Russian opera singer(soprano). People's Artist of the Republic of North Ossetia-Alania (). People's Artist of South Ossetia ().
Biography
Parties
At the Bolshoi Theater:
- Mimi (La Bohème by G. Puccini)
- Donna Elvira (Don Giovanni by W. A. Mozart)
- Gorislava (Ruslan and Lyudmila by M. Glinka)
- Liu (Turandot by G. Puccini)
- Elizabeth (Don Carlos by G. Verdi)
In other theaters:
- Leonora (Force of Destiny by G. Verdi)
- Musetta (La bohème by G. Puccini)
- Fiordiligi (“This is what everyone does” by W. A. Mozart)
- Countess (The Marriage of Figaro by W. A. Mozart)
- Urusova (“Boyaryna Morozova” by R. Shchedrin)
- Zemfira (Aleko by S. Rachmaninov)
- Tatyana (Eugene Onegin by P. Tchaikovsky)
- Violetta (La Traviata by G. Verdi)
- Michaela (Carmen by J. Bizet)
- Elizabeth (Don Carlos by G. Verdi)
- Lady Macbeth (Macbeth by G. Verdi)
- Thais (“Thais” by J. Massenet)
- Marfa ("The Tsar's Bride" by N. Rimsky-Korsakov)
She performed soprano roles in Verdi and Mozart's Requiems, Mahler's Second Symphony, Beethoven's Ninth Symphony, Mozart's Grand Mass, and Rachmaninoff's poem The Bells.
Family
Awards
- People's Artist of North Ossetia-Alania (2014)
- Honored Artist of North Ossetia-Alania (2009)
- Honored Artist of South Ossetia
- Diploma of the Golden Mask festival (2008)
- Winner of the Grand Opera competition
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An excerpt characterizing Dzhioev, Veronika Romanovna
- Whose company? – Prince Bagration asked the fireworksman standing by the boxes.He asked: whose company? but in essence he asked: aren’t you shy here? And the fireworksman understood this.
“Captain Tushin, your Excellency,” the red-haired fireworksman, with a freckled face covered in freckles, shouted, stretching out in a cheerful voice.
“Well, well,” Bagration said, thinking something, and drove past the limbers to the outermost gun.
While he was approaching, a shot rang out from this gun, deafening him and his retinue, and in the smoke that suddenly surrounded the gun, the artillerymen were visible, picking up the gun and, hastily straining, rolling it to its original place. The broad-shouldered, huge soldier 1st with a banner, legs spread wide, jumped towards the wheel. The 2nd, with a shaking hand, put the charge into the barrel. A small, stooped man, Officer Tushin, tripped over his trunk and ran forward, not noticing the general and looking out from under his small hand.
“Add two more lines, it will be just like that,” he shouted in a thin voice, to which he tried to give a youthful appearance that did not suit his figure. - Second! - he squeaked. - Smash it, Medvedev!
Bagration called out to the officer, and Tushin, with a timid and awkward movement, not at all in the way the military salutes, but in the way the priests bless, placing three fingers on the visor, approached the general. Although Tushin’s guns were intended to bombard the ravine, he fired firebrand guns at the village of Shengraben visible ahead, in front of which they advanced large masses French.
No one ordered Tushin where or with what to shoot, and he, after consulting with his sergeant major Zakharchenko, for whom he had great respect, decided that it would be good to set the village on fire. "Fine!" Bagration said to the officer’s report and began to look around the entire battlefield opening before him, as if thinking something. WITH right side The French came closest. Below the height at which the Kiev regiment stood, in the ravine of the river, the soul-grabbing rolling chatter of guns was heard, and much to the right, behind the dragoons, a retinue officer pointed out to the prince the French column encircling our flank. To the left, the horizon was limited to a nearby forest. Prince Bagration ordered two battalions from the center to go to the right for reinforcements. The retinue officer dared to notice to the prince that after these battalions left, the guns would be left without cover. Prince Bagration turned to the retinue officer and looked at him silently with dull eyes. It seemed to Prince Andrei that the retinue officer’s remark was fair and that there was really nothing to say. But at that time an adjutant from the regimental commander, who was in the ravine, rode up with the news that huge masses of French were coming down, that the regiment was upset and was retreating to the Kyiv grenadiers. Prince Bagration bowed his head as a sign of agreement and approval. He walked to the right and sent an adjutant to the dragoons with orders to attack the French. But the adjutant sent there arrived half an hour later with the news that the dragoon regimental commander had already retreated beyond the ravine, for strong fire was directed against him, and he was losing people in vain and therefore hurried the riflemen into the forest.
- Fine! – said Bagration.
While he was driving away from the battery, shots were also heard in the forest to the left, and since it was too far to the left flank to arrive on time himself, Prince Bagration sent Zherkov there to tell the senior general, the same one who represented the regiment to Kutuzov in Braunau to retreat as quickly as possible beyond the ravine, because the right flank will probably not be able to hold the enemy for long. About Tushin and the battalion covering him were forgotten. Prince Andrei carefully listened to the conversations of Prince Bagration with the commanders and to the orders given to them and was surprised to notice that no orders were given, and that Prince Bagration only tried to pretend that everything that was done by necessity, chance and the will of private commanders, that all this was done, although not on his orders, but in accordance with his intentions. Thanks to the tact shown by Prince Bagration, Prince Andrei noticed that, despite this randomness of events and their independence from the will of their superior, his presence did an enormous amount. The commanders, who approached Prince Bagration with upset faces, became calm, the soldiers and officers cheerfully greeted him and became more animated in his presence and, apparently, flaunted their courage in front of him.