Interview

                                                            Interviewing the Artist

1. What were the circumstances in your early life that helped you get interested in the arts?

As you can see, I was born into a noble family which means my family was very wealthy.  Therefore, my brothers and I were exposed to the arts at a very young age. Also, I was born in Venice which was one of the major art centers of the world. This was quite beneficial. There was music everywhere I went. The government leaders would bring great composers from all over the world to perform in my amazing home town of Venice. (Bernstein)

Another thing that helped me become interested in the arts was that both of my brothers
Benedetto and Alessandro, were successful opera composers. My oldest brother Benedetto, who was eleven years older than me, was a student of the well-known singing teachers and composers, Antonio Lotti and Gasparini. My brother had a lot of experience and information to pass down to me. I attended many of my brother’s concerts when they were singers and composers and I was able to get a feeling of what performing would be like. (Ferris 7-31) I fell in love with the music and I have been performing it ever since.

2. In your opinion, who were your biggest musical influences and how did they help you become such a great opera singer?

 Well, growing up I had two amazing brothers. My older brother Benedetto Marcello sort of…how do you say… Um, set the stage for me. My father made him become a lawyer, but at the same time he managed to be a great opera composer. He showed me that I could handle being a musician and mother at the same time. He was a great role model for me because he composed all types of music such as duets, church music, orations, solo cantatas, sonatas, and symphonies. ("Benedetto Marcello" 1-2)

Michelangelo Gasparini, my vocal teacher, had a huge impact on my career as well. He
established a singing school that I attended. Gasparini taught me how to sing the way songs should be sung. He made me better than I already was. Gasparini was a well-known opera singer and composer. He composed many operas for famous musicians who performed in Venice. I was one of Gasparini’s most famous students. (Riemann 266-329)

3. What was the world of art like in your particular art field when you entered it?

 During the early 18th century when I was growing up, there was baroque music everywhere. Baroque music was said to have “a soaring sense of light and space.” ( Sanderson ) It was used for operas which was fortunate for me at this time. In the one hundred and fifty years between 1600 through 1759, thousands of operas were written. I had the honor of working with some of the greatest composers such as Handel, Scarlatti, and my wonderful husband, Hasse. ("Baroque opera, opera, opera..." 1)

At first, baroque music was just instrumental. Then the serenata and cantata forms grew very popular. People traveled from all over the world to hear this amazing music. The stories combined with the fabulous singers such as myself, became popular in operas. ("Baroque opera, opera, opera..." 1) Between the cities of Venice and Dresden, there was great deal of travel and exchange of musical ideas and styles. (Sartorius 1-13) Gasparini, my music teacher was trained by a famous composer named Lotti. Lotti was one of the main teachers and composers linking Dresden to my home city of Venice. My husband Hasse and I continued to carry on Lotti’s tradition of exchanging music between these great cities. (Riemann 174-329)

4. How did the major economic, political, and cultural circumstances of the time impact your work?

 Before I was born, Venice was a major European trading center. Venice was a very wealthy city. There was lots of trading in Venice because it was located on the Adriatic Sea. This meant that many ships were bringing travelers and goods to Venice. This popular city, which was in the Republic of Venice, had an interesting political structure. The people who had political power were the chief executive of the state and the assembly of nobles. (“Venice” 1-20) Fortunately, I was born into a wealthy noble family and had relatives who were involved in politics. This brought me into contact with famous people who helped me throughout my career. (Ferris 7-31)

In addition to being a trading center, Venice was a leader in culture, arts, music, and literature. People came from all over the world to see the arts and to hear the music. Venice did suffer through a dark period, but had a rebirth during my life time. It was very common for political and religious leaders to hire musicians and artists to perform for cultural events within their states. Most people were Roman Catholic and the church leaders hired many composers to write large pieces for the church masses. My city of Venice built the very first public opera house around 1637. (“Venice” 1-20) Obviously, it wasn’t half as good of an opera house until I came along. Venice was so dedicated to music that children who were orphaned and people who were unemployed were trained to be musicians to fill the city with beautiful sounds. ( Stevens)

5. What were some accomplishments and musical techniques that made you such a unique opera singer?

One of my many accomplishments is being incredibly famous in places like Germany, Italy, England, and Austria. Because I started my singing career around the age of fifteen, I got to work with some of the most famous opera composers of my time such as Leonardo Vinci, Michelangelo, Gaspirini and many more. I was part of Handel’s Royal Academy of Music in London, England and I sang for the Saxton Court at Dresden. Another accomplishment was, unlike some of the other opera singers of my era, I ended up making enough money to continue to live a fulfilling life. My biggest accomplishment was marrying my wonderful and talented husband Johann Adolf Hasse. (Dean 1-3)

Even though I am just so talented and it’s hard to talk about, I do have some singing methods I used to become one of the most famous mezzo- soprano opera singers. They called me the “New Siren.” ("Faustina Bordoni" 1-3) One technique that I am known for is having good artistic expressions, which means I’m very articulate and have good facial expression. (Dean 1-3) Another method I used was I have a very full power voice which is really good for roles where I was able to express joy and happiness. Next, I have a strong, “flexible throat” and a range from “B flat to G alto.” Finally, I have good musical memory and excellent breathe control. (Ferris 7-31)

6. What were some major opportunities you had that helped change your musical career and life?

 George Frederic Handel was a German composer and considered one of the best baroque opera composers of the time. When I was twenty-nine years old, I was invited to work in London for Handel’s famous opera company called the Royal Academy of Music (1776). This amazing composer wrote five operas with roles in his play just for me! Let me name them for you. The roles were Roxana in Alessando, Alcestis in Admento (1727), Puleria in Riccardo Primo (1727), Emira in Siroe (1780), and Elisa in Tolomeo (1728). (Bernstein)

 I had so many opportunities throughout Europe where I was paid very well and I had many great loyal fans. They even continued to support me after I had a scandalous fight on stage with my rival, Francesca Cuzzoni. Our fight led to a lot of crazy rumors and many stories were written in the newspapers. This resulted in my becoming more famous than I already was. ("Faustina Bordoni" 1-3)
Can you believe it?

7. Were there any personal choices you made in order to become as successful as you are now?

Well, in 1730 I got married to my husband Johann Adolf Hassie. He’s the love of my life! Hasse was a very famous German opera composer. In fact, I starred in fifteen of his operas of which Cleofide was the most famous. (Ventere) Right after we were married, my husband was called to work as the Kapellmeister or the Mistro de Compella in Dresden of the Saxton Court. (Bernstein) During this time, Dresden, like Venice, was one of the centers of the arts. Because we were so popular here, we made lots of money. (Sartorius) I was even paid double the salary of my husband which was very unusual for
this time. (Dean 1-3)

Between 1730 and 1757, I was an extremely busy woman! While living in Germany, I traveled back to many Italian cities where I starred in many operas. I continued to perform in operas while trying to manage raising our three children. Hasse and I had two beautiful daughters and one son. My daughters grew up to become trained singers. It was very hard to take care of two kids and still manage both of our careers, yet somehow we did it. (Dean 1-3)

8. Were there any obstacles or problems that you had to overcome to be one of the best opera singers of your time?

 My biggest problem that I faced was dealing with and competing with my arch rival, Francesca Cuzzoni. Cuzzoni was a very famous opera singer in London until someone much more talented arrived on the scene. ("Faustina Bordoni" 1-3) Obviously, it was me! At first Handel wrote operas just for Cuzzoni. However, when I was invited to join Handel’s Royal Academy of Music, I became his favorite singer. Handel began to write operas just for me. Cuzzoni, who was arrogant, selfish, and much less attractive than I, tried to constantly pick fights with me. She was quite the diva! Cuzzoni and Handel got into many fights too. (Ferris 7-31) I assume that I was Handel’s favorite because he even hung a portrait of me in his house. (Handel House Museum)

 Having two rivals working on the same stage together was not the best idea and created many problems. An example of this is when Cuzzoni and I got into a bad fight while singing in one of Handel’s operas. Our loyal fans were hissing and booing which was disturbing our performance. Throughout the performance, Cuzzoni and I were saying mean and nasty things to each other. This just so happened to lead to an ugly fight. All of this tension and fighting caused Handel’s opera company to close. ("Faustina Bordoni" 1-3) Fortunately, I had plenty of other opera companies throughout Europe that desperately wanted me to work for them. On the other hand, Cuzzoni went to jail for debt and died in poverty. (Riemann 174-329)

9. Do you feel you had any limitations as an artist? If not, do you think there were any limitations you had to face in your personal life?

You see, I didn’t really have very many limitations as an artist. I was so lucky to have many opportunities to work with some of the greatest composers of my time. I was hired to work for the Saxton Court at Dresden and worked closely with Handel. Also, teaming up with my talented husband Hasse, I was able to star in many of his famous operas. We were quite the popular musical couple. (Riemann 174-329)

However in my personal life, I must admit that I might have been a disappointment to my family. It was pretty hard being a mother while I was at the high point of my career. I was constantly performing and traveling. I sang in at least thirty operas in Italy and I feel that I didn’t get to spend as much time with my kids or my husband. I felt a lot of quilt and shame that I missed some of the most important memories of their childhood. Sometimes I wonder if I should have been like other women of my time and stayed home to spend more time being a mother and a wife. (Dean 1-3) Oh, but what talent the world would have missed!

10. What memorable stories best describe how you became successful in the world of music?

 One thing that I remember most is how Hasse and I were quite the popular couple! We were known throughout Europe. People were always watching us and writing about us because it was so unusual for such talented musicians to be a couple. People were curious how we were able to combine our musical and personal lives for so many years. In fact, a man named Metastio called us an “exquisite
couple.” (Bernstein)

When I was part of Handel’s Royal Academy of Music, he made a singing group called the “Dream Team”. Cuzzoni, Senesino, and I were all a part of it. Cuzzoni was the primary singer of Handel’s company until I came along. Unfortunately, that created a big rivalry between Cuzzoni and me. However, it filled the opera houses and brought in lots of money. (Bernstein) One night during a performance, Cuzzoni and I got into a fight. The audience cheered it on. It was such a memorable night that a play was written about it. The play, which was called Contretemps or The Rival Queens, made fun of our fight! Haha! (Ferris 7-31) Not only is this something I will always remember, but people still ask me about that night!




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