Ferruccio Furlanetto. Photo - Igor Sakharov

„Winterreise ist für mich das Paradies“
Ferruccio Furlanetto in the Prolog interview

Ferruccio Furlanetto’s interview conducted by Andreas Lang was published in the November Prolog – monthly Wiener Staatsoper magazine. The whole layout is dedicated to his vision of the Winterreise: Ferruccio Furlanetto performance of the Schubert’s cycle on November 24 is very much anticipated at the House of the Ring. Igor Tchetuev at the piano.

The Italian bass confesses that Winterreise is simply paradise to him, like Massenet’s Don Quichotte or Boris Godunov by Mussorgsky. The first idea of singing Winterreise came from Alexis Weisenberg, but it took long time until he brought it to the world stages. The only inspiration which he got from the other interpreters of this cycle was from the Hans Hotter’s recording of it done in 1942.

Being may be the only Italian who ever sang or recorded this cycle, Furlanetto understands that technically Winterreise is “no particular challenge, and it is possible to perform it three times a day, without any vocal injuries. The real difficulties lies in finding the myriad colors, in the working out and conveying the respective song atmosphere. And after an hour and a half which takes to perform this cycle you feel completely exhausted, because of the psychology and emotional tension which these 24 songs requires from the interpreter”.

Has he his own favorites among 24 Schubert lieds of the cycle?

“I would put it this way: it is 24 favorites, like the love to your own children which all are different…On the other hand the second part of the cycle is more intimate and at the same time more intense than the first twelve songs, and Wirsthaus, Nebensonnen and Leiermann are very special strokes of genius of this second part, small masterpieces…”

Some Schubert scholars find out the idea of a suicide in the Lindenbaum, did he agree with that?

“I belong to the other part, to those who still see the glimmer of hope in Lindenbaum. But it is clear for me that the suicide at the end is the only way out for the hero. It is is evident for instance in the Nebensonnen with the sentence: „Nun sind hinab die besten zwei, ging nur die dritt´erst hinterdrein, im Dunkein wird mir wohler sein“. Der Leiermann after all symbolizes for me the asystolie, the zero line at the ECG, in other words, death.”

Can he imagine singing Winterreise with the orchestra?

“Some songs by Mussorgsky, which exists both with piano and with orchestral accompaniment, the orchestral version is clearly more interesting. Die Winterreise lieds are extremely fragile, delicate, intimate - they can be awakened only with the original piano accompaniment optimal for their life. The singer would have to be more vocal with a large orchestra, which would go at the expense of colors and valuable nuances. No, the Winter travel can be done only with a pianist-partner on stage”.

Original intervew at the Wienerstaatsoper blog