We were also given an exclusive backstage tour, which gives a whole new meaning to the phrase, “I’m with the band.”
Vienna Würstelstand (VW): How is the Vienna Opera House different from other opera houses you have worked in?
David (D): Almost all of my favourite singers of the past have performed here, so it’s a great thrill for me to be on the same stage where they once stood.
VW: What is your favourite thing about living in Vienna?
D: My favourite thing about living here is going to the Christmas markets with my family. It’s great fun to sip a hot drink and enjoy the lights and shops. I also love the architecture and the ease of getting around the city.
VW: What is the Viennese public like in the opera during a performance?
D: They show up and they care! It is an intimate space and it’s wonderful to experience the audience’s reactions. They really let you know when they love it or hate it. The rumours that the audience will “boo” a performer are true! And yet, they will also scream out “BRAVO!” when they love a performance. It adds a different dimension to your performance when performing in front of an Austrian crowd.
VW: What role do you love to perform?
D: I have many favourite roles for different reasons. I love playing Figaro in Barbiere di Siviglia because he is clever and an effervescent personality with wonderful music! I also love the tragic hero parts, so like Hamlet or Rodrigo in Don Carlo.
VW: Who is your favourite Austrian composer?
D: Well that’s a bit tricky because Austria has had more than a few wonderful composers who were either born here, or came here to study. My favourites are Mahler, Brahms, and Mozart.
VW: What Austrian food do you consider to be your go-to dish?
D: My favourite Austrian dish is Wiener Schnitzel and my favourite restaurant here is the Wirr Kaffee.
VW: Does Opera continue to be as popular as it was in the past, or has there been a loss of interest in the arts?
D: There has been a loss of interest in the arts in certain parts of the world, but I don’t think that it is true for Austria, or Vienna in particular. Opera is well attended here and the public has a keen interest in the arts in general. This is part of what makes Vienna such an enjoyable city to live in and work in as an artist. Recently, I was with my family in Leiner and we started talking to the salesperson. She found out I was an opera singer and said she enjoyed going to the opera. She declared that the Viennese are “cultured,” so of course everybody goes to the opera! It seems that every Austrian has attended the opera at least once in their life, which nowadays seems like an oddity in other parts of the world.
David will be playing the role of Sebastian in the Tempest in June at the Staatsoper and will be spending July and August performing at the Oper Burg Gars as Rodrigo, in Don Carlo. He will also be at the Metropolitan Opera in New York this winter playing Figaro in the Barber of Seville, as well as Schaunard, in La Boheme.
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