Interview with Erwin Schrott

[This is also translated from Opernglas. The interview in the magazine is longer, but these are the parts which concern his relationship with Netrebko.]

THE INTERVIEW ERWIN SCRAP IRON

The career curve of Erwin Schrott points steeply upward. In addition comes for some months the bustle around his private life. He told our coworker Johannes Schmitz in Berlin how he deals with it all. Cutouts from the interview.

Since your last “Opernglas” interview one and a half years ago, much has happened in your life, vocationally as well as privately. You are one of the most asked for world-wide Don Giovannis, and Donna Anna - Anna Netrebko - expects your child. It seems that the opera and the real life have an intersection.

They will understand that I treat my private life extremely carefully and do not talk gladly about it.

Absolutely. But which consequences result for you from the fact that Anna Netrebko and you are a pair?

Now, today I cook better, and she likes what I cook…, and I now learn Russian and try to teach Anna some Spanish.

And professionally? Are there common plans?

No, not really. We hardly talk about our vocational careers.

But do you not support each other mutually, sometimes, in questions of singing technique or if it concerns interpretation?

We do that occasionally. Because I naturally admire her very much as an artist. She is very consistent in everything that she does, and she possesses a tremendous professionalism. Nevertheless we do not talk at all so much about our work. If we are together, our private life is the center of attention.

So you don't feel like the new dream pair of the opera scene?

Oh God, no. We are really, we are completely normal people. We have the luck to have common interests and have been able to share this love for music, but otherwise we are like every other pair in the world and live a completely normal life. Our life rhythm is different, is naturally faster, due to the frequent travel.

It is surely very pleasant to have a partner to which one does not have to explain what the job requirements for a singer are.

Yes. It allows us for that reason more easily to respect each other and mutually understand us. Since I am an opera singer, I know naturally, what Anna needs as a singer before an appearance. But you do not forget: She is a woman and particularly in these questions a very intelligent one in addition. She lives her own life, when it concerns her career. She has so many obligations and is under an enormous pressure. I admire her for this.

[Dr.B. One of the bloggers has made this into Schrott blowing off Netrebko. Two things: from all I know about Anna I know that she insists that her professional and private lives stay separate. She deliberately hangs out with people who would not want to discuss her work professionally. Everything he says is consistent with this. If he insisted on talking about work all the time, she would have dumped him.

And second Erwin Schrott is not at the same place in his professional career as Netrebko. I'm sure he does not want to be seen as having a coattails career. He is to be admired for this.

In the magazine he goes on to talk about music. In particular he talks about playing Leporello, and how much more complex he is than Giovanni.]