<<  -- 2 --  Tess Crebbin    NABUCCO, SILESIA STYLE

'I don't find a lot to relate to, on a personal level, inside the character of Abigaille', Krzekotowska, who initially studied to be a school teacher until she discovered a calling as an opera singer, said after the show, 'because she comes across as a power-hungry and very unsympathetic woman who is only out for her own gain. This is not what I am like and I find it difficult to identify with her. But when she begs for forgiveness before she dies and finally lets out all those human qualities -- that have obviously always been dormant inside of her although she spent all her life trying to hide that softer side not only from others but also from herself -- that is when I can really put myself into the character and identify with her. Until then, what you see is pure acting, but in her final aria, that is me.'

Pawel Kajzderski as Nabucco evoked memories of a King from old fairytales with his flashy costume and he sang clearly and focused. 'For us as Polish native speakers', he said after the performance, 'we do not have that much of a problem with Italian diction. Italian is rather similar to Polish as far as pronunciation goes, and I always enjoy singing an Italian opera.'

The cast did not have a phonetic coach for their Italian diction, but were aided by Iwona Noszczyk who sang Fenena in the production and who has been working with an Italian conductor. 'Of course, this helps enormously in getting a feeling for the nuances of the language', the outgoing, charming young singer relates, 'and then I was able to pass some of what I have learned on to my colleagues.'

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