OCTOBER 27, 2023
CLASSICA N°257, NOVEMBER 2023
“Of course, I tried to imitate her.”
The first time I heard Maria Callas, I was 10 years old, it was also my first encounter with opera singing.
I was at my grandmother’s house when she played me a record. I don’t remember exactly what Callas was singing, but I was absolutely mesmerized by that voice.
I asked her to play it again, and from that moment on, something was set in motion.
My mother signed me up for singing lessons, and later, at the Paris Conservatoire (CNSM), my teacher once again introduced me to Maria Callas.
He recommended I listen to La Sonnambula by Bellini, believing it might one day suit me.
My vocal world naturally gravitates toward bel canto (Adina, Norina,Traviata) and French opera (Marguerite, Juliette)...
I don’t seek to sing like her but rather to preserve the artistic essence she embodies and let it inspire me to grow my own voice, my own path.
Even now, I still listen to her regularly. Every time, I feel as though I’m in the theatre, watching her on stage, her voice creates a world of its own.
— Alain Duault
