0:00:08 > 0:00:11HE SINGS IN ITALIAN
0:00:57 > 0:00:59I think Jonas is a one-off.
0:00:59 > 0:01:03His voice has a power and a beauty combined.
0:01:03 > 0:01:07And he's so musical and speaks all these languages, and he's like...
0:01:07 > 0:01:11- He has it all.- The thing about Jonas Kaufmann is that he's a
0:01:11 > 0:01:13phenomenally intelligent guy.
0:01:13 > 0:01:15He thinks about everything.
0:01:15 > 0:01:17I mean, of course he's a good-looking, very handsome tenor.
0:01:17 > 0:01:19Very often, they are fat or ugly
0:01:19 > 0:01:23not so good looking, and he has everything.
0:01:23 > 0:01:25Jonas has gone through a rough patch.
0:01:25 > 0:01:27I mean, he's not been well.
0:01:27 > 0:01:32So, there's a lot of expectation and we're all rooting for him, you know.
0:01:32 > 0:01:35Where he fits in the pantheon of the great tenors...
0:01:35 > 0:01:38..certainly he's one for the ages. No question.
0:01:38 > 0:01:41HE SINGS IN ITALIAN
0:02:28 > 0:02:33Jonas Kaufmann is arguably the greatest singer of his generation.
0:02:33 > 0:02:35At the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden,
0:02:35 > 0:02:39he's been tackling one of the most taxing roles in Italian opera.
0:02:39 > 0:02:41Verdi's Otello.
0:02:41 > 0:02:43In the final hour before going on stage,
0:02:43 > 0:02:46there was little peace in his dressing room.
0:02:46 > 0:02:47One thing in the fourth act...
0:02:47 > 0:02:50HE SINGS IN ITALIAN
0:02:50 > 0:02:52Yes, two times...
0:02:52 > 0:02:54Yeah, it just surprises you.
0:02:54 > 0:02:57It comes right... It comes right up-tempo...
0:02:57 > 0:02:58HE SINGS A NOTE
0:02:58 > 0:03:02- We've got to find a way to make that work. OK?- Yeah.
0:03:02 > 0:03:04- Wah.- Wah.
0:03:04 > 0:03:07HE SINGS SCALES
0:03:09 > 0:03:12HE GARGLES
0:03:12 > 0:03:13Hey, Jonas.
0:03:13 > 0:03:15Just try not to breathe.
0:03:15 > 0:03:16HE CLEARS HIS THROAT
0:03:16 > 0:03:17All this powder.
0:03:17 > 0:03:19HE SINGS IN ITALIAN
0:03:19 > 0:03:23That's dead easy. And I think these guys are correct.
0:03:23 > 0:03:25HE SPEAKS IN ITALIAN
0:03:27 > 0:03:29Yes, yes, yes.
0:03:29 > 0:03:30I started late.
0:03:30 > 0:03:32- I don't know why.- You terrible man.
0:03:32 > 0:03:34I asked whether he can really...
0:03:34 > 0:03:36- Come in sooner?- No, where it's supposed to be.
0:03:36 > 0:03:39Tony's encouraging him to come sooner.
0:03:39 > 0:03:41Oh, why?
0:03:44 > 0:03:46Otello is seen as the Everest.
0:03:46 > 0:03:51A role that requires a certain amount of self-torture
0:03:51 > 0:03:54and, of course, physically, that can cramp you up.
0:03:54 > 0:03:55HE CLEARS HIS THROAT
0:03:55 > 0:03:58It is lots of fun to play.
0:03:58 > 0:04:03Once you know how to deal with it vocally and how to somehow control
0:04:03 > 0:04:06your emotions, then it's fantastic.
0:04:06 > 0:04:08Well, have fun.
0:04:08 > 0:04:09- Yes.- Have fun. I mean it.
0:04:09 > 0:04:11- Fun.- Have fun. Well...
0:04:11 > 0:04:13Don't tell Maria!
0:04:13 > 0:04:14THEY LAUGH
0:04:14 > 0:04:16You always have fun with Maria.
0:04:20 > 0:04:22- PA:- Calling for Otello.
0:04:22 > 0:04:24Good evening, ladies and gentlemen,
0:04:24 > 0:04:27this is your call for this evening's performance.
0:04:27 > 0:04:29No, no...
0:04:29 > 0:04:32Mr Atkins, Mr Kaufmann...
0:04:32 > 0:04:36..ladies and gentlemen of the chorus, actors, children,
0:04:36 > 0:04:39ladies and gentlemen of the orchestra, organ player,
0:04:39 > 0:04:41offstage trumpets and drums...
0:04:43 > 0:04:45..trap and balcony operators,
0:04:45 > 0:04:47wardrobe and wig staff for the actors' quick change.
0:04:47 > 0:04:50This is your act one call, thank you.
0:04:51 > 0:04:53- Vamos.- Yep.
0:04:55 > 0:04:57Four minutes before the opera is due to start,
0:04:57 > 0:04:59Otello sets off for the stage.
0:04:59 > 0:05:01Nothing can be left to chance.
0:05:01 > 0:05:03HE LAUGHS
0:05:03 > 0:05:06His arrival as the victorious general will be precisely
0:05:06 > 0:05:08four minutes into the opera,
0:05:08 > 0:05:11with his song of triumph, Esultate - Rejoice.
0:05:11 > 0:05:15But the performance can't begin until he's in position in the wings.
0:05:15 > 0:05:19Only then can Shakespeare's arch manipulator, Iago,
0:05:19 > 0:05:23launch the evening's drama with the tumult of a storm at sea.
0:05:23 > 0:05:26CRASHING SCORE
0:05:30 > 0:05:33Backstage, one minute, 20 seconds after the start,
0:05:33 > 0:05:37the door from the wings flew open and Kaufmann in full costume
0:05:37 > 0:05:39sprinted away from the stage,
0:05:39 > 0:05:41all the way back to his dressing room.
0:05:41 > 0:05:43He had forgotten his sword.
0:05:43 > 0:05:46I said, "I'll be back in a sec," and they were under shock.
0:05:46 > 0:05:48I mean, everyone, the dresser,
0:05:48 > 0:05:50the make-up lady,
0:05:50 > 0:05:54the stagehands, the stage managers, they just thought,
0:05:54 > 0:05:58"He's never going to make it."
0:05:58 > 0:06:00THEY SING:
0:06:05 > 0:06:09I mean, I know the opera well enough to know that if I really run up and
0:06:09 > 0:06:12run down, I'm going to make it in time.
0:06:14 > 0:06:16Maybe with a little sweat on the forehead,
0:06:16 > 0:06:18but no-one will notice that.
0:06:18 > 0:06:22You come from a battlefield, obviously you can be out of breath.
0:06:22 > 0:06:24Why not?
0:06:24 > 0:06:26THEY SING IN ITALIAN
0:06:32 > 0:06:35HE SINGS IN ITALIAN
0:07:24 > 0:07:26You missed me in the dressing room.
0:07:26 > 0:07:28I went back upstairs because I forgot the sword.
0:07:28 > 0:07:32I just rushed up, got it and went directly on stage.
0:07:32 > 0:07:35How many seconds did you have before you had to start singing?
0:07:35 > 0:07:38I don't know. I mean, I didn't have to stop at all,
0:07:38 > 0:07:39I could just easily go in and...
0:07:39 > 0:07:42..start!
0:07:44 > 0:07:48Kaufmann is not a man to lose his nerve, unlike some other singers.
0:07:48 > 0:07:54Neil Shicoff, he has this habit to just go...
0:07:54 > 0:07:58Not stopping from the dressing room and just goes straight on stage
0:07:58 > 0:08:01because it stresses him out to be on the wings waiting too long.
0:08:01 > 0:08:04That is actually not my problem but...
0:08:04 > 0:08:06..laziness obviously is.
0:08:08 > 0:08:11- It was stupid.- Why didn't you go on without it?
0:08:11 > 0:08:13No, I cannot go on without the sword.
0:08:13 > 0:08:15I mean, Esultate without the sword...
0:08:17 > 0:08:22Few in his home city of Munich would accuse Jonas Kaufmann of being lazy.
0:08:22 > 0:08:24Across 18 months,
0:08:24 > 0:08:27he recently chalked up 13 different operas around the world.
0:08:27 > 0:08:30As well as dozens of concerts and song recitals.
0:08:30 > 0:08:33He is stopped by fans wherever he goes.
0:08:33 > 0:08:36He knows all about their mind-set because he is one himself.
0:08:36 > 0:08:38Mein Name ist Kaufmann.
0:08:38 > 0:08:41Ever since he was a boy, he has backed his home team Bayern Munich.
0:08:41 > 0:08:44- Das ist perfekt.- On this occasion, he reckoned their opponents,
0:08:44 > 0:08:47Hamburg SV, were in for a roasting.
0:08:47 > 0:08:49Oh, here they are.
0:08:49 > 0:08:52HE LAUGHS
0:08:55 > 0:08:57And he was proud to show off the Bayern stadium.
0:08:57 > 0:09:00It is not bad, huh? Is it?
0:09:00 > 0:09:02A place most singers would run a mile from.
0:09:02 > 0:09:06Even if you come and you think, "Oh, I have to save some voice
0:09:06 > 0:09:08"because I have a rehearsal tomorrow," or whatever,
0:09:08 > 0:09:10you can't. I mean, you simply can't.
0:09:10 > 0:09:13I mean, everybody who is into football knows that this sport...
0:09:13 > 0:09:18You cannot stand still, you cannot just silently watch a game.
0:09:18 > 0:09:20Ja!
0:09:22 > 0:09:25Of course, I see myself screaming and shouting,
0:09:25 > 0:09:28and all those wrong decisions that you see from here much better than
0:09:28 > 0:09:29the referee sees.
0:09:35 > 0:09:37Hamburg played very bad.
0:09:37 > 0:09:39I mean, really, really bad.
0:09:39 > 0:09:41When you go to Hamburg for your recital in May...
0:09:41 > 0:09:43- Yeah.- ..perhaps they will hold that against you.
0:09:43 > 0:09:45Yeah.
0:09:45 > 0:09:47Possible. But I mean, come on.
0:09:47 > 0:09:49Just find a better team.
0:09:54 > 0:09:58In this game, the roasting by Bayern Munich was relentless.
0:10:05 > 0:10:09One more goal and their triumph was complete.
0:10:09 > 0:10:11HE LAUGHS
0:10:11 > 0:10:14Not bad. Well, even the most optimistic
0:10:14 > 0:10:16probably wouldn't have guessed on eight goals.
0:10:16 > 0:10:19I mean, they could have scored even more.
0:10:19 > 0:10:21They demolished them completely.
0:10:26 > 0:10:30Compared with the 75,000 fans in the stadium,
0:10:30 > 0:10:34the Royal Albert Hall in London boasts a mere 5,500.
0:10:34 > 0:10:36But on television and radio,
0:10:36 > 0:10:39millions more across the world were waiting for Jonas Kaufmann's
0:10:39 > 0:10:42star turn at the Last Night of the Proms,
0:10:42 > 0:10:46the first time a German singer had been booked for Rule, Britannia.
0:10:46 > 0:10:48Yeah, of course I know the melody.
0:10:48 > 0:10:50Of course, everybody knows Rule, Britannia,
0:10:50 > 0:10:53but I had no clue about the text. Honestly!
0:10:53 > 0:10:58All the other nations are not worthy and they shall fall to a tyrant,
0:10:58 > 0:11:02that is quite, yeah, strong!
0:11:02 > 0:11:05Well, I mean, some hundred years ago. Come on.
0:11:07 > 0:11:10He was very particular about the drive to the hall,
0:11:10 > 0:11:14to be sure he arrived after the audience were safely inside.
0:11:14 > 0:11:16Good evening.
0:11:16 > 0:11:19Hello. How are you?
0:11:19 > 0:11:22My goodness, they haven't even started and they're cheering.
0:11:22 > 0:11:25He always has fan mail waiting for him in his dressing room.
0:11:25 > 0:11:29But this time, a Rule, Britannia veteran had left him a present
0:11:29 > 0:11:31to set the tone of the evening.
0:11:31 > 0:11:32Get out of here!
0:11:32 > 0:11:35Boxers. This is perfect.
0:11:40 > 0:11:41Yeah, well, next time.
0:11:41 > 0:11:45The previous year, when I had been at the Last Night of the Proms,
0:11:45 > 0:11:49my wife had given me a pair of Union Jack boxer shorts, to give me
0:11:49 > 0:11:52inspiration for the evening.
0:11:53 > 0:11:57So I thought it might be a nice idea to continue this tradition.
0:11:57 > 0:12:00"I realise that these may not be the only underwear you receive from
0:12:00 > 0:12:03"strangers this evening."
0:12:03 > 0:12:05Excuse me.
0:12:05 > 0:12:09- Ha!- I thought I'd start things off for him and just give him something
0:12:09 > 0:12:12to remember the UK by.
0:12:12 > 0:12:15"I just wanted to wish you all the very best for this evening.
0:12:15 > 0:12:19"Even if you tripped and fell flat on your face,
0:12:19 > 0:12:23"the audience will still love you."
0:12:23 > 0:12:26- That's nice.- He must know, by this point,
0:12:26 > 0:12:28that his fans can get to him anywhere,
0:12:28 > 0:12:31so I hope it wouldn't spook him out too much.
0:12:31 > 0:12:34This is a very straightforward person but we have people that give
0:12:34 > 0:12:37you the impression that we know each other for ever.
0:12:37 > 0:12:39Because they've known me for many years and they've seen many
0:12:39 > 0:12:43performances, and I'm present in their living room when they put in
0:12:43 > 0:12:46the DVDs and everything, and suddenly, I don't know,
0:12:46 > 0:12:48they forget that I actually have no clue who they are.
0:12:48 > 0:12:50But, well, come on,
0:12:50 > 0:12:53this is an interesting effect that you have on people.
0:12:53 > 0:12:57Yeah, they keep forgetting that it's not real.
0:12:59 > 0:13:01Good colour.
0:13:06 > 0:13:08Lovely curls!
0:13:10 > 0:13:13Jonas. Zero five minute, four minute.
0:13:13 > 0:13:15- Thank you.- Thank you.
0:13:15 > 0:13:19No, actually, something hardwood or something.
0:13:19 > 0:13:20But there's nothing like this.
0:13:21 > 0:13:24No, this is plastic, too.
0:13:24 > 0:13:28That's always dangerous, that you slip.
0:13:30 > 0:13:32I need some scratches on my shoes.
0:13:32 > 0:13:34Oh, yeah, that helped a little bit.
0:13:39 > 0:13:41KNOCK ON DOOR
0:13:41 > 0:13:42- Yes?- Three minutes.
0:13:43 > 0:13:44All right.
0:13:44 > 0:13:46HE SINGS SOME NOTES
0:13:46 > 0:13:47Ready.
0:13:54 > 0:13:57HE SINGS IN ITALIAN
0:14:32 > 0:14:34CHEERING AND APPLAUSE
0:14:40 > 0:14:43It's amazing to have all these people standing just right next to
0:14:43 > 0:14:45the edge of the stage. It's fantastic.
0:14:45 > 0:14:47Is it intimidating?
0:14:47 > 0:14:48Not at all. There's a barrier!
0:14:52 > 0:14:54So they can't climb up.
0:14:55 > 0:14:57No. No, it's not.
0:14:57 > 0:15:00If an audience would be intimidating,
0:15:00 > 0:15:02I think you shouldn't be a performer.
0:15:02 > 0:15:05You unfold in front of an audience.
0:15:06 > 0:15:08It's very boring to sing in your dressing room.
0:15:10 > 0:15:12It's quite tough to do those arias one after the other like that.
0:15:12 > 0:15:17It's true. Yes. Talking about that, I probably have to go right...
0:15:17 > 0:15:19Have you checked your face?
0:15:19 > 0:15:22It was just a three-minute break and then he was back on stage.
0:15:22 > 0:15:25CHORUS SINGS
0:16:40 > 0:16:42CHEERING AND APPLAUSE
0:16:56 > 0:16:58- All right...- Wow.
0:17:01 > 0:17:04I love the way you grinned at the end because you get such a kick out
0:17:04 > 0:17:06- of it.- Absolutely.
0:17:06 > 0:17:11Absolutely. And I was really amazed that they all waited for the end
0:17:11 > 0:17:14because it is so often that some start to clap because they can't
0:17:14 > 0:17:17wait for it, then it all falls apart.
0:17:17 > 0:17:18But this time, they really held it.
0:17:18 > 0:17:22They kept it till the very last note and then, vam!
0:17:23 > 0:17:25This is probably how you feel when...
0:17:25 > 0:17:28..as a...I don't know...
0:17:28 > 0:17:30..a ski jumper or something,
0:17:30 > 0:17:33when you fly down to the stadium and you see all
0:17:33 > 0:17:37the crowd there, and then they see on the leaderboard that you have
0:17:37 > 0:17:41done the new record and then they are all like, "Wow!"
0:17:43 > 0:17:46What makes somebody stand out is ultimately, ultimately,
0:17:46 > 0:17:48is the quality of the voice.
0:17:48 > 0:17:51But what is the quality of the voice?
0:17:51 > 0:17:54Is it just what you're given by the guy upstairs?
0:17:54 > 0:17:58Or is it something that is raw potential
0:17:58 > 0:18:00that you then develop and hone?
0:18:00 > 0:18:01Ah!
0:18:01 > 0:18:03THEY LAUGH
0:18:03 > 0:18:06Because I think that's what it really is.
0:18:06 > 0:18:10And it is the personality behind the voice that is projected.
0:18:10 > 0:18:12- Would you be able to sign the programme?- Of course.
0:18:12 > 0:18:14Thank you so much.
0:18:14 > 0:18:16That was fab. Thank you so much.
0:18:16 > 0:18:19- Brilliant.- That was fabulous.
0:18:19 > 0:18:23The opera world has a certain stake in his success.
0:18:23 > 0:18:27You know, all the big opera houses certainly do, and you want somebody
0:18:27 > 0:18:29like that to succeed.
0:18:29 > 0:18:32At the peak of his success, Kaufmann and his partner,
0:18:32 > 0:18:36the opera director Christiane Lutz, live in Munich.
0:18:36 > 0:18:38It's where he was born.
0:18:38 > 0:18:43In his student singing days, the Cafe Luitpold was a regular haunt.
0:18:43 > 0:18:47But for years, he was a prophet without honour in his own city.
0:18:47 > 0:18:49Or his own opera house.
0:18:49 > 0:18:51I sang a total of four performances.
0:18:51 > 0:18:55Four performances in 15 years.
0:18:55 > 0:18:57So, obviously,
0:18:57 > 0:19:00it was not a good idea to live in Munich at that time because
0:19:00 > 0:19:03if you anyway have to travel so much,
0:19:03 > 0:19:07at least one of the places you're performing should be home.
0:19:07 > 0:19:10When I met Klaus Buchner in Munich, he said to me,
0:19:10 > 0:19:14"Why is it that you don't want to sing in Munich?"
0:19:14 > 0:19:17I said, "Who said I don't want to? "I don't get any jobs here."
0:19:17 > 0:19:19- They missed a trick.- I mean,
0:19:19 > 0:19:23they really missed it because I debuted in 2004 at the
0:19:23 > 0:19:26Royal Opera House in Covent Garden,
0:19:26 > 0:19:292006 at the Met, and that was it.
0:19:29 > 0:19:32Long before, La Scala and so on.
0:19:32 > 0:19:34So, every major house.
0:19:34 > 0:19:38Vienna, and so on. They all realised it except for Munich.
0:19:38 > 0:19:41THUNDER RUMBLES
0:19:44 > 0:19:48Eventually, the Munich opera house woke up to its mistake.
0:19:48 > 0:19:51He's now a regular and recently took the title role there in
0:19:51 > 0:19:56Umberto Giordano's opera about the French Revolution - Andrea Chenier.
0:19:57 > 0:20:00In rehearsals, Kaufmann took an interest in the working of the
0:20:00 > 0:20:04onstage guillotine. Not surprising, as he was the one to be executed.
0:20:04 > 0:20:07TRANSLATED FROM GERMAN:
0:20:13 > 0:20:16I hope the theatre's insurance policy is good.
0:20:16 > 0:20:19Well, I tried it the day before yesterday already.
0:20:19 > 0:20:23We had a first try and they showed me the whole system,
0:20:23 > 0:20:25and I'm very much into tools and technique,
0:20:25 > 0:20:29so I know that nothing can happen, and still it feels odd.
0:20:29 > 0:20:32When you turn around, actually, head up,
0:20:32 > 0:20:34and you see that thing coming towards you,
0:20:34 > 0:20:36it's really frightening.
0:20:40 > 0:20:44Even with all the precautions and all the security, knowing exactly
0:20:44 > 0:20:49nothing will happen, it is worrisome, very much worrisome.
0:20:49 > 0:20:51OK.
0:20:53 > 0:20:54Thank God I had a turtleneck.
0:20:56 > 0:20:58The main issue was what should happen
0:20:58 > 0:21:01in the final bars of the opera, after his execution.
0:21:01 > 0:21:05The original idea was to make a perfect copy of my head and
0:21:05 > 0:21:09show that to the audience. And first, they said,
0:21:09 > 0:21:12"Maybe it looks ridiculous because it's not perfect."
0:21:12 > 0:21:15Then they assured them that they are really capable in doing
0:21:15 > 0:21:19an absolute impeccable copy, which then worried them even more
0:21:19 > 0:21:23because then it means if they show the head to the audience,
0:21:23 > 0:21:25will the elderly ladies faint
0:21:25 > 0:21:28because they believe it really did happen?
0:21:28 > 0:21:30So then they called it off.
0:21:30 > 0:21:32They said, "No, no, we're not going to do it.
0:21:32 > 0:21:35"The guillotine's going to fall down at the very last second and then the
0:21:35 > 0:21:39"curtain comes." And then I think number four was, then they say,
0:21:39 > 0:21:42"OK, we'll do a head but we will only show the back,
0:21:42 > 0:21:45"so you can see the hair - this is enough."
0:21:45 > 0:21:48And now we're on version five, where again they are talking about the
0:21:48 > 0:21:49head being shown to the audience.
0:21:49 > 0:21:52I don't know what ultimately is going to happen.
0:21:52 > 0:21:55THEY SING IN ITALIAN
0:22:28 > 0:22:32It wasn't the only risk to Jonas Kaufmann's health in the past year.
0:22:39 > 0:22:41- Welcome.- In early February,
0:22:41 > 0:22:45he arrived at the Barbican Centre in London for what they called
0:22:45 > 0:22:47the Kaufmann Residency -
0:22:47 > 0:22:48two orchestral concerts,
0:22:48 > 0:22:51a public discussion with young singers and, first up,
0:22:51 > 0:22:55a song recital that very evening with his pianist Helmut Deutsch.
0:22:55 > 0:22:57So, do you guys want to rehearse straightaway?
0:22:57 > 0:23:00Because at some stage, it would be good to just sit down and have a
0:23:00 > 0:23:02- quick chat with you.- Yeah, we can chat.
0:23:02 > 0:23:05You see, I'm not intending to rehearse now for three hours.
0:23:05 > 0:23:07I mean, why would I?
0:23:08 > 0:23:12For the Barbican and for him, it was a high-wire act,
0:23:12 > 0:23:15especially since he'd been out of action for several months
0:23:15 > 0:23:18with a vocal injury. He had returned only two weeks before
0:23:18 > 0:23:22with performances of Wagner's Lohengrin in Paris.
0:23:22 > 0:23:25Lohengrin, you were singing lying down,
0:23:25 > 0:23:27looking up stage, on the floor, upside down.
0:23:27 > 0:23:29Yeah, this is the perfect start.
0:23:29 > 0:23:32I mean, it was really funny because the audience was like,
0:23:32 > 0:23:35"Is that really him? I mean, this is it?
0:23:35 > 0:23:36"Yeah, OK."
0:23:36 > 0:23:39And then I turned round and they said, "OK, it's him - he's back!"
0:23:41 > 0:23:44There's a tremendous air of expectation around tonight
0:23:44 > 0:23:47and I have to say, I have spent the last couple of weeks
0:23:47 > 0:23:50fretting and watching what's happening in Paris with Lohengrin,
0:23:50 > 0:23:54trying to get a sense of, "Is this going to happen or not?"
0:23:54 > 0:23:55Here it makes noises.
0:23:55 > 0:23:58And so, that's why we moved a little bit to that side.
0:23:58 > 0:24:00The alternative would be to move to the other side,
0:24:00 > 0:24:01which is fine with me, too.
0:24:01 > 0:24:04Anything can happen. It's now five o'clock.
0:24:04 > 0:24:06We've got another couple of hours.
0:24:06 > 0:24:09And indeed, tonight is only the first of a number of events.
0:24:09 > 0:24:11Anything can happen. That's our business.
0:24:11 > 0:24:14You saw what happened with the piano.
0:24:14 > 0:24:16PIANO NOTES PLAY
0:24:18 > 0:24:21Let me try...let me try...
0:24:21 > 0:24:25Give me five minutes or four minutes, is that OK?
0:24:25 > 0:24:27I think I can change this.
0:24:27 > 0:24:29First time in this hall,
0:24:29 > 0:24:32first time with this piano and Kaufmann didn't stand back.
0:24:32 > 0:24:35I mean, how complicated is this, to get this other piano up here?
0:24:35 > 0:24:37It's not complicated but...
0:24:37 > 0:24:38So, why don't we do that first?
0:24:38 > 0:24:41- 15 minutes or so.- OK.- Let's do that...
0:24:41 > 0:24:43While you're doing this, I will do what I want to do.
0:24:43 > 0:24:45Yeah, OK, you do what you want.
0:24:45 > 0:24:47Exactly. So, in order to bring in the other one,
0:24:47 > 0:24:49you need to clean this space?
0:24:49 > 0:24:51Where is the lift? Oh, here, OK.
0:24:51 > 0:24:54I didn't see it, that's why I've thought, "Wait, wait!"
0:24:54 > 0:24:56- THEY LAUGH - Wow, huh?
0:25:08 > 0:25:10Let's say it's uneven and sharp.
0:25:10 > 0:25:13The piano is new. It's not an old piano.
0:25:13 > 0:25:14It's maybe four years old.
0:25:14 > 0:25:17But still, you have to constantly keep it in shape.
0:25:18 > 0:25:22Piano tuning, piano voicing is a dark art.
0:25:22 > 0:25:25There is always a degree of subjectivity.
0:25:25 > 0:25:28I've heard...one night, one pianist will say to me,
0:25:28 > 0:25:29"Oh, that's a fabulous piano!"
0:25:29 > 0:25:32The next night, a different pianist will say,
0:25:32 > 0:25:35"That is a disgusting piano, I never want to touch it again."
0:25:35 > 0:25:39I could live with both but, for me, this is the better piano.
0:25:39 > 0:25:40OK. Fine. Decision made.
0:25:40 > 0:25:42Excellent.
0:25:42 > 0:25:44Sometimes, the very last note you have to hit
0:25:44 > 0:25:46is one that doesn't sound nice.
0:25:46 > 0:25:49It's just a shame because it can destroy the whole atmosphere.
0:25:49 > 0:25:51But not in this case, hopefully.
0:25:53 > 0:25:55HE SINGS
0:27:05 > 0:27:08Helmut Deutsch has been Kaufmann's regular accompanist since his
0:27:08 > 0:27:11student days in Munich.
0:27:24 > 0:27:27The voice was light and very, very bright.
0:27:27 > 0:27:30This famous baritone colour did not exist at all.
0:27:44 > 0:27:49Very, very musical but the voice itself was not so impressive.
0:27:49 > 0:27:53I wouldn't have given £1 for a huge career, not at all.
0:27:53 > 0:27:58The young Jonas wanted lessons about German lieder and really grabbed his
0:27:58 > 0:28:02attention with the song you brought from Schumann's Dichterliebe.
0:28:02 > 0:28:06In my long, long career as a teacher, I had so many students,
0:28:06 > 0:28:09I don't remember most of them when they came first but this,
0:28:09 > 0:28:13I never forget because it was extraordinary.
0:28:13 > 0:28:17I knew lots of opera, my grandfather was a big,
0:28:17 > 0:28:21big Wagnerian, so I was listening a lot to Wagner, for instance,
0:28:21 > 0:28:25and to Bruckner and to lots of symphonies and stuff like that.
0:28:25 > 0:28:30But lied, classical lied, I didn't know that repertoire very well.
0:28:30 > 0:28:35So I just picked a songbook that was at home,
0:28:35 > 0:28:37probably 100 years old.
0:28:37 > 0:28:41He chose one song from Dichterliebe, which was Ich Grolle Nicht,
0:28:41 > 0:28:44which many tenors are...
0:28:44 > 0:28:46..baritones even more, but tenors
0:28:46 > 0:28:49are scared of because it has a high A.
0:28:49 > 0:28:51HE SINGS IN GERMAN
0:28:53 > 0:28:55And he gave this.
0:28:55 > 0:28:58"That, please. I would like to sing Ich Grolle Nicht."
0:28:58 > 0:29:00But it was a third higher.
0:29:00 > 0:29:02He said, "What on earth is that?
0:29:02 > 0:29:04"Where did you get that music from?"
0:29:04 > 0:29:06He couldn't believe it.
0:29:06 > 0:29:09So, he reached, in the end, a high C.
0:29:14 > 0:29:15I sang a high C.
0:29:15 > 0:29:17You know, I was completely innocent.
0:29:17 > 0:29:19It was written maybe for high soprano.
0:29:19 > 0:29:22Whatever. I didn't know. I just took it, I said,
0:29:22 > 0:29:26"This is a nice song, I'm a tenor, let's do it."
0:29:26 > 0:29:27What a crazy man.
0:29:27 > 0:29:31But to have the courage to sing something a third higher than the
0:29:31 > 0:29:36original, just to show off with the high C, was impressive.
0:29:36 > 0:29:38JONAS SINGS SCALES
0:29:38 > 0:29:41With the partnership of Helmut Deutsch,
0:29:41 > 0:29:44Kaufmann likes to switch from the heroic roles of grand opera to the
0:29:44 > 0:29:46intimacy of the song recital.
0:29:49 > 0:29:50This is torture...
0:29:51 > 0:29:55..around the neck. I always wonder
0:29:55 > 0:29:58when singers will stop doing that.
0:29:58 > 0:29:59Have you stopped? Ever?
0:29:59 > 0:30:01No.
0:30:01 > 0:30:05- Why not?- If you have tails then you have to have tie.
0:30:05 > 0:30:09He's so fantastic and he's coming tonight.
0:30:09 > 0:30:10He hasn't cancelled.
0:30:10 > 0:30:12That's a miracle.
0:30:12 > 0:30:15He's fabulously handsome, wonderful on stage.
0:30:15 > 0:30:18He looks like Jesus Christ, I always think.
0:30:18 > 0:30:21It's really exciting that he's actually here singing tonight.
0:30:21 > 0:30:23- KNOCK ON DOOR - Yeah.
0:30:23 > 0:30:25Hi, Jonas, ready to go when you are.
0:30:25 > 0:30:26Yeah, good, good, good.
0:30:26 > 0:30:29- Coming.- At this moment, are you excited?
0:30:29 > 0:30:32Are you looking forward to it, or do you get nervous?
0:30:32 > 0:30:36No, it's not real nervousness. It's just a little bit of, yeah,
0:30:36 > 0:30:42excitement, and the blood pressure goes up a bit, which helps you to be
0:30:42 > 0:30:45right in character
0:30:45 > 0:30:48for the...for the performance.
0:30:48 > 0:30:52It's nothing to be worried about, usually.
0:30:52 > 0:30:54There's a big gap between his age and my age,
0:30:54 > 0:30:59and I'm honoured that I'm still his number one as a partner,
0:30:59 > 0:31:03because he could be my son.
0:31:03 > 0:31:05TRANSLATED FROM GERMAN:
0:31:09 > 0:31:13Everybody is waiting to see whether he still deserves that title,
0:31:13 > 0:31:15the world's greatest tenor.
0:31:18 > 0:31:21He had no need to get the audience on his side,
0:31:21 > 0:31:23but he certainly knew how to do it.
0:31:25 > 0:31:28Hello, good evening, ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the Barbican.
0:31:28 > 0:31:30Thank you so much for coming.
0:31:30 > 0:31:32It's my first recital of a, well,
0:31:32 > 0:31:36too-long gap that I had now and I just thought,
0:31:36 > 0:31:40let's play it safe, so this will hopefully help me to not make
0:31:40 > 0:31:43any, any, any mistakes ever and...
0:31:43 > 0:31:44LAUGHTER
0:31:44 > 0:31:46..if you wonder why I'm not standing dead centre,
0:31:46 > 0:31:48there's also a reason for this.
0:31:48 > 0:31:51We realised that the floor makes terrible noises just here.
0:31:51 > 0:31:53LAUGHTER
0:31:53 > 0:31:55Which is the dead centre.
0:31:55 > 0:31:58And I said, probably too much sweat has been spilled here.
0:31:58 > 0:32:03So we decided to go just a bit off-centre.
0:32:03 > 0:32:04I hope you don't mind.
0:32:04 > 0:32:06APPLAUSE
0:32:12 > 0:32:15HE SINGS IN GERMAN
0:34:15 > 0:34:19The last time Kaufmann and Deutsch had performed together was in
0:34:19 > 0:34:21South America the previous August.
0:34:21 > 0:34:24That was where Kaufmann noticed a vocal problem.
0:34:26 > 0:34:28At first there was no cause for alarm,
0:34:28 > 0:34:30but it turned out to be serious.
0:34:30 > 0:34:34We had a recital in Sao Paulo, which went pretty well
0:34:34 > 0:34:39and very, very good and the next one was in Lima,
0:34:39 > 0:34:41and he didn't feel comfortable.
0:34:41 > 0:34:43He said, "I don't know what... What's wrong?"
0:34:43 > 0:34:46And two days later, it was Buenos Aires and it was up again
0:34:46 > 0:34:49and it was very, very good, and then it was down again,
0:34:49 > 0:34:53and then his doctor found the reason for this - Machu Picchu
0:34:53 > 0:34:55in Peru.
0:35:00 > 0:35:03After journeying to high altitude in the Andes,
0:35:03 > 0:35:07Machu Picchu itself is 2,500 metres above sea-level,
0:35:07 > 0:35:10the trouble with his voice began.
0:35:10 > 0:35:13It ruled out all performances for a period
0:35:13 > 0:35:15that, in the end, lasted five months.
0:35:15 > 0:35:17It's very simple.
0:35:17 > 0:35:22A tiny little blood vessel popped open, and vocal cords vibrate
0:35:22 > 0:35:24so many times per minute
0:35:24 > 0:35:26and they touch each other, each and every time,
0:35:26 > 0:35:33and if something goes wrong there, it cannot heal on its own
0:35:33 > 0:35:36when you don't know it and you don't leave it alone,
0:35:36 > 0:35:38meaning when you don't shut up completely.
0:35:49 > 0:35:54It was, step wise, it was not, OK, you have to rest three months.
0:35:54 > 0:35:59It was OK, two weeks, maybe a little bit more, then another two weeks,
0:35:59 > 0:36:01and then three weeks and then, no.
0:36:13 > 0:36:15It was just
0:36:15 > 0:36:20popping open several times and also, there, I wasn't singing at all.
0:36:20 > 0:36:24You sit at the dinner table and talk to friends and from one second
0:36:24 > 0:36:26to the other, you think, "Oh, what happened?"
0:36:34 > 0:36:39It's just constantly... in this...treadmill,
0:36:39 > 0:36:42waiting to finally find the exit.
0:37:14 > 0:37:18Well, the one positive thing obviously was I was home
0:37:18 > 0:37:21and I saw my kids much more than the last couple of years,
0:37:21 > 0:37:23so it was a nice side effect,
0:37:23 > 0:37:27but still, I preferred to have performed, I must say.
0:37:29 > 0:37:33The repeated cancellations upset some of his fans,
0:37:33 > 0:37:35who took to Twitter and online blogs to complain,
0:37:35 > 0:37:38often in patronising terms.
0:37:38 > 0:37:41You probably were aware of some of the social media,
0:37:41 > 0:37:43which was quite unpleasant.
0:37:43 > 0:37:48People who think singers should just battle on, they shouldn't cancel,
0:37:48 > 0:37:51and people saying you hadn't learned the part,
0:37:51 > 0:37:53or you didn't feel like singing.
0:37:53 > 0:37:57What do you think when you read this sort of stuff?
0:37:57 > 0:38:00Mind your own business, to be very frank.
0:38:02 > 0:38:05How can somebody else, who never talked to me,
0:38:05 > 0:38:10never saw me and doesn't know what my status is,
0:38:10 > 0:38:14think they know better than myself or my doctors?
0:38:14 > 0:38:17Of course people are disappointed and I totally understand,
0:38:17 > 0:38:21but don't they think that I'm disappointed, too?
0:38:21 > 0:38:23I mean, you do it because it's your passion,
0:38:23 > 0:38:26and I did it because it's my passion. It's still my passion,
0:38:26 > 0:38:31so why would I want to cancel something if I could do it?
0:38:31 > 0:38:33Drei, zwei, eins!
0:38:33 > 0:38:35CHEERING
0:38:37 > 0:38:41With two of the four Barbican events safely navigated,
0:38:41 > 0:38:44it was time for reinforcements.
0:38:44 > 0:38:46Well, what does a singer do on a free day?
0:38:46 > 0:38:49He goes to his supplier
0:38:49 > 0:38:54to get some more junk food, to get going.
0:38:54 > 0:39:00No, in my case, Fortnum & Mason's, for shortbread.
0:39:00 > 0:39:03It's either gummy bears or shortbread.
0:39:05 > 0:39:08Wow, that's what I call a selection of honey.
0:39:10 > 0:39:15The buckwheat honey is one of the best...mucous relievers.
0:39:15 > 0:39:19Stir it in some tea in the morning, you get rid of everything.
0:39:20 > 0:39:22Shortbread. Mmm!
0:39:22 > 0:39:27This is the traditional one that I know and this is called demerara,
0:39:27 > 0:39:29and I have no clue what that means.
0:39:29 > 0:39:31- Brown sugar.- Brown sugar?
0:39:31 > 0:39:33Ah.
0:39:33 > 0:39:35Why don't they write "brown sugar"?
0:39:37 > 0:39:39I didn't know. That's the one.
0:39:40 > 0:39:44Mocha shortbread, amazing.
0:39:44 > 0:39:47That should be enough for the next couple of concerts.
0:39:47 > 0:39:50Yeah, come on, you have to be reasonable.
0:39:50 > 0:39:53You can't just eat day and night.
0:39:53 > 0:39:55I mean, I could, but...
0:39:56 > 0:39:58It's just for performing.
0:39:58 > 0:40:01Are you the great tenor, Jonas Kaufmann?
0:40:01 > 0:40:04Yeah, I'm Jonas Kaufmann.
0:40:04 > 0:40:05Could you take a photo?
0:40:05 > 0:40:06Yes, of course we could.
0:40:06 > 0:40:07Oh, thank you, thank you very much.
0:40:07 > 0:40:10- Sure.- Do you want to take the picture?- Yeah. OK.
0:40:10 > 0:40:11Press here.
0:40:11 > 0:40:14- So then I probably turn it around, otherwise I can't...- Yeah.
0:40:18 > 0:40:20- Another one.- Oh, thank you, thank you very much.
0:40:20 > 0:40:22You are most welcome, sure.
0:40:22 > 0:40:24Thank you...
0:40:24 > 0:40:26Thank you, merci beaucoup.
0:40:26 > 0:40:29The path to the top hasn't been easy.
0:40:29 > 0:40:3220 years ago, with a punishing schedule as a young opera singer
0:40:32 > 0:40:37in Germany, he found he was horribly in trouble.
0:40:37 > 0:40:39I lost confidence, everything.
0:40:39 > 0:40:43I even lost my voice on stage during a performance, I couldn't sing.
0:40:43 > 0:40:46The conductor looked at me, like, "Hey, what's going on?"
0:40:47 > 0:40:49I can't, I couldn't.
0:40:49 > 0:40:51Kaufmann found a new teacher,
0:40:51 > 0:40:54who showed him how to avoid vocal stress
0:40:54 > 0:40:58by relaxing the root of his tongue and keeping his larynx down.
0:40:58 > 0:41:00It was the making of him.
0:41:00 > 0:41:04For the first time ever, probably, I had a reliable instrument,
0:41:04 > 0:41:08even though it was still edgy and it was not round at all,
0:41:08 > 0:41:12I could sing on and on and on and it wouldn't get tired.
0:41:12 > 0:41:15The day after the second Barbican concert, all Wagner,
0:41:15 > 0:41:18he had the opportunity for some maintenance.
0:41:18 > 0:41:21OK, Jonas, tongue against your teeth.
0:41:21 > 0:41:23Pushing through, perfect.
0:41:23 > 0:41:24Good.
0:41:24 > 0:41:28A little stretch there, you feel the pull round the corner of the jaw.
0:41:28 > 0:41:30- Uh-huh.- Sitting up.
0:41:30 > 0:41:32Looking up for me.
0:41:32 > 0:41:33Open wide.
0:41:33 > 0:41:36It's an incredibly physical pursuit.
0:41:36 > 0:41:40And, you know, the muscular work is enormous.
0:41:40 > 0:41:44Like a sportsman, Kaufmann is alert to any hint of a physical problem.
0:41:44 > 0:41:48Next one is Monday. So, I mean...quite some, yeah.
0:41:48 > 0:41:50- The lung is a little bit...- OK.
0:41:50 > 0:41:53But it's also weather and everything.
0:41:53 > 0:41:58Jonas is perceptive enough to realise that the larynx isn't moving
0:41:58 > 0:42:00as freely as he would like.
0:42:00 > 0:42:04Probably the best analogy is a sports car where the handbrake is on
0:42:04 > 0:42:08slightly and you're just not getting the performance you would expect out
0:42:08 > 0:42:10of the vehicle. It will still get you from A to B,
0:42:10 > 0:42:12but what you're expecting
0:42:12 > 0:42:14is something that is far more responsive.
0:42:14 > 0:42:17Now, as soon as we release those tight muscles,
0:42:17 > 0:42:19then the performance returns to the voice box.
0:42:19 > 0:42:22Ah, wonderful, yes.
0:42:22 > 0:42:27By pushing his tongue out, he's anchoring one end of his tongue,
0:42:27 > 0:42:30which allows me then to stretch the base of the tongue,
0:42:30 > 0:42:33which restores the mobility that we were talking about.
0:42:33 > 0:42:35OK, good.
0:42:35 > 0:42:37Right, lying on your back.
0:42:37 > 0:42:41His reward, afternoon tea at his Westminster hotel,
0:42:41 > 0:42:44where he briefed his press agent, Thomas Voigt,
0:42:44 > 0:42:47ahead of the third Barbican event the following day.
0:42:47 > 0:42:49Christiane was there, she watched it.
0:42:49 > 0:42:52And I told her, just watch carefully, you can do it next time.
0:42:52 > 0:42:55And she said afterwards in the cab,
0:42:55 > 0:42:58"No, actually, I wasn't expecting it so close to the voice."
0:42:58 > 0:43:01So I'm scared. I don't want to do it.
0:43:01 > 0:43:04And that's obviously the reason why I go to this guy.
0:43:04 > 0:43:06TRANSLATED:
0:43:16 > 0:43:19This is clotted cream.
0:43:19 > 0:43:20Cream?
0:43:20 > 0:43:22- Divine.- And honey?
0:43:23 > 0:43:26Ay-ay-ay! Now we're talking. That's nice.
0:43:27 > 0:43:31Wonderful. Fresh scones with clotted cream.
0:43:31 > 0:43:33- Oh, yes.- And strawberry jam.
0:43:33 > 0:43:34That's the thing.
0:43:34 > 0:43:36HE CHUCKLES
0:43:36 > 0:43:38- Enjoy, sir.- Thank you so much.
0:43:38 > 0:43:40- If there's anything else, let me know.- Thank you.
0:43:40 > 0:43:42It's the healthy choice, I have to say,
0:43:42 > 0:43:45but if I would allow myself to eat those every day...
0:43:48 > 0:43:51..hell would break loose.
0:43:57 > 0:43:59This is chicken curry.
0:43:59 > 0:44:01This is egg salad.
0:44:01 > 0:44:03This is tuna, this is cucumber.
0:44:03 > 0:44:05And that's salmon.
0:44:05 > 0:44:07Traditional. Dig in.
0:44:07 > 0:44:09Clotted cream for everyone.
0:44:09 > 0:44:10Yummy.
0:44:12 > 0:44:14Next afternoon was his conversation
0:44:14 > 0:44:17with students from the Guildhall School of Music,
0:44:17 > 0:44:21but the morning brought unwelcome news for the audience.
0:44:21 > 0:44:23We were a little anxious about today,
0:44:23 > 0:44:24because we did wonder on Wednesday
0:44:24 > 0:44:27whether there was a cold in the offing...
0:44:27 > 0:44:28- Did you?- There seemed to be a slight...
0:44:28 > 0:44:31Well, we've been following his health online for months.
0:44:31 > 0:44:34Also, we were sitting very close to the stage.
0:44:34 > 0:44:35- How far have you come?- How far?
0:44:35 > 0:44:38From the South of France.
0:44:38 > 0:44:41And we were really looking forward to this discussion.
0:44:41 > 0:44:43Obviously, we're gutted,
0:44:43 > 0:44:46not least because it's been extraordinary so far, I have to say,
0:44:46 > 0:44:48as I thought it would be.
0:44:48 > 0:44:49HE SIGHS
0:44:49 > 0:44:51Singers are such delicate creatures.
0:44:51 > 0:44:53Have you seen Jonas Kaufmann before?
0:44:53 > 0:44:55- Yes.- Where?
0:44:55 > 0:44:58- A lot.- All over Europe.
0:44:59 > 0:45:01Switzerland, Germany.
0:45:01 > 0:45:02Last time in Paris.
0:45:02 > 0:45:04Last time in Paris.
0:45:04 > 0:45:07London. Vienna.
0:45:07 > 0:45:11The issue now is just to pray that Jonas is well
0:45:11 > 0:45:14for the Strauss Four Last Songs on Monday.
0:45:14 > 0:45:17Monday's concert was planned as the climax of the Kaufmann season.
0:45:19 > 0:45:21The Four Last Songs by Richard Strauss
0:45:21 > 0:45:24are a cornerstone of the soprano repertoire.
0:45:24 > 0:45:27Nobody can remember them being tackled by a tenor before.
0:45:29 > 0:45:31But at the start of the rehearsal on the Saturday,
0:45:31 > 0:45:35it became clear that Kaufmann's health was still in doubt.
0:45:35 > 0:45:37So I shall say hello from Jonas.
0:45:37 > 0:45:40He just told me in e-mail, with a few marks,
0:45:40 > 0:45:43which we can already put into score in our parts.
0:45:43 > 0:45:45Where he takes breaths, where he wants to go on.
0:45:45 > 0:45:47So I think it's a good sign for tomorrow
0:45:47 > 0:45:49that he will be here at least...
0:45:49 > 0:45:53Or at least on Monday evening.
0:45:55 > 0:45:57I rehearse very often without Jonas.
0:45:57 > 0:45:59And he comes just at the last moment.
0:45:59 > 0:46:03So he just can arrive and sing and knows everything's prepared.
0:46:03 > 0:46:04And I will do the same today.
0:46:04 > 0:46:08And if he only can come on Monday night without a general rehearsal,
0:46:08 > 0:46:10it's fine.
0:46:10 > 0:46:11And again.
0:46:13 > 0:46:16I think he's always cancelled quite a lot.
0:46:16 > 0:46:18Singers have to look after their voices.
0:46:18 > 0:46:20It's an instrument, it's their instrument.
0:46:20 > 0:46:21It's the only one they've got.
0:46:21 > 0:46:26He, I think, takes care of his to a huge extent.
0:46:26 > 0:46:31If he's sick or if he really has no voice, I mean, to replace him...
0:46:31 > 0:46:33With who?
0:46:41 > 0:46:45I've heard some people say, isn't there enough tenor music?
0:46:45 > 0:46:47Why does he need to steal the soprano music?
0:46:47 > 0:46:50Well, first of all, it is not a soprano music.
0:46:50 > 0:46:52It is a mistake.
0:46:52 > 0:46:54OK.
0:46:54 > 0:46:57In the first moment, I had no words for it, honestly.
0:46:57 > 0:46:59Second, I'm not stealing.
0:46:59 > 0:47:02It's not that sopranos are no longer allowed to sing that.
0:47:02 > 0:47:05I don't have any exclusive rights on it.
0:47:05 > 0:47:09It's written on the score for high voice and orchestra.
0:47:09 > 0:47:11It's not written for soprano.
0:47:11 > 0:47:13I'm capable in doing it all as written.
0:47:13 > 0:47:18And I hope I can present that to you on Monday, as well.
0:47:18 > 0:47:22Listen, it's his way of staying curious
0:47:22 > 0:47:25and doing things that are unexpected,
0:47:25 > 0:47:28you know? He's not just going to go down the same path
0:47:28 > 0:47:30that everybody's gone down. And good for him.
0:47:30 > 0:47:33Kaufmann did go to the Sunday rehearsal,
0:47:33 > 0:47:36but by the time Jochen Rieder arrived on the Monday,
0:47:36 > 0:47:41the cold had turned into bronchitis, and the bronchitis won.
0:47:41 > 0:47:43So, where do we have to go?
0:47:43 > 0:47:47Most difficult situation is for Jonas himself now.
0:47:47 > 0:47:49Yeah. He so wanted to do it.
0:47:49 > 0:47:52- I know.- I actually thought he might sort of finally almost force himself
0:47:52 > 0:47:55- to do it, which wouldn't have been good.- OK, next time,
0:47:55 > 0:47:58we have to be sure that he won't hug people.
0:47:58 > 0:48:01I mean, fans or, you know...
0:48:01 > 0:48:03I always compare that to sports.
0:48:03 > 0:48:08Since singing is sport, because we do it with our body,
0:48:08 > 0:48:10so what else would it be?
0:48:10 > 0:48:15If I buy tickets for my favourite club and my players, I don't know,
0:48:15 > 0:48:20whether it's Ribery or Robben or Muller or whoever, is injured,
0:48:20 > 0:48:23you really think that I want my money back?
0:48:23 > 0:48:27No. On the contrary, people say, "Ah, that poor creature, come on,
0:48:27 > 0:48:33"six months now he has to go on rehab and it's just such a disaster,
0:48:33 > 0:48:35"that poor guy."
0:48:35 > 0:48:40No-one says, "Ah, why was he so stupid to get injured?"
0:48:40 > 0:48:42The Guildhall's singers,
0:48:42 > 0:48:45who'd volunteered for the conversation with Kaufmann,
0:48:45 > 0:48:47were still bubbling about what they'd wanted to ask him.
0:48:47 > 0:48:50You'd start with, "Oh, my goodness, it's you."
0:48:50 > 0:48:53- And then...- I'd probably ask for a selfie.
0:48:53 > 0:48:55Oh, yeah, of course. That's good.
0:48:55 > 0:48:57- Can I buy you a drink? - Yeah, exactly.
0:48:57 > 0:49:01He's someone who seems to have this raw emotion in his performances,
0:49:01 > 0:49:05but it never, from the point of view of the audience or the listener,
0:49:05 > 0:49:08it never seems strained for him, yet it's so powerful.
0:49:08 > 0:49:12And I wanted to know whether that comes from the text and the words
0:49:12 > 0:49:14or whether he draws from his own personal experiences.
0:49:14 > 0:49:18We're constantly being told, you know, as a matter of fact,
0:49:18 > 0:49:21for good technique, you should take the weight out of the top, right?
0:49:21 > 0:49:24Or you should sing the top gently.
0:49:24 > 0:49:27But he has such colossal high notes.
0:49:27 > 0:49:30He has an incredible top, right?
0:49:30 > 0:49:31How does he do this?
0:49:31 > 0:49:36I'm really interested in how he's managed to keep
0:49:36 > 0:49:42the tenorial qualities whilst having this dark sound.
0:49:42 > 0:49:44The moment you overpower
0:49:44 > 0:49:48a high note by putting too much pressure from the lungs,
0:49:48 > 0:49:53to support it, it will make the sound smaller
0:49:53 > 0:49:55and less beautiful.
0:49:56 > 0:50:00And less rich in high frequencies.
0:50:00 > 0:50:04And the dark side comes from the vocal cords,
0:50:04 > 0:50:09and the brilliance in it comes from the right amount of air.
0:50:10 > 0:50:14His breath control is something of wonder.
0:50:14 > 0:50:19You know, singers need to use very, very little air but constant.
0:50:19 > 0:50:24And the problem is, singers who get into trouble are using too much air
0:50:24 > 0:50:25too quickly.
0:50:36 > 0:50:38I wanted to know if he has a particular routine,
0:50:38 > 0:50:40something that he does before he performs.
0:50:40 > 0:50:42What would he usually do in the daytime?
0:50:42 > 0:50:46Is it completely think of something else or is it looking over the score
0:50:46 > 0:50:49- again?- Do they want to take you for tea before the performance and you
0:50:49 > 0:50:51don't have any time to, like, think of anything?
0:50:51 > 0:50:53You're just chatting away to someone, like, you know,
0:50:53 > 0:50:55how do you deal with that?
0:50:55 > 0:50:57You see, the important thing is,
0:50:57 > 0:51:01you should never be dependent on any routine,
0:51:01 > 0:51:05meaning I cannot perform if I haven't done this and this and this.
0:51:05 > 0:51:08I think that is wrong. Actually, the day of a show,
0:51:08 > 0:51:11they all leave me alone, because they know I have a performance.
0:51:11 > 0:51:13And it's a free day for me,
0:51:13 > 0:51:16so I go for a swim, I walk, I go sightseeing.
0:51:16 > 0:51:19In a way, being distracted is not a bad thing.
0:51:19 > 0:51:24A few years ago, friends invited us on the boat and he wanted to swim...
0:51:24 > 0:51:28I don't know how cold it was. ..in the sea, but it was not warm.
0:51:28 > 0:51:32Of course not. He wanted to swim and he enjoyed it so much.
0:51:32 > 0:51:35And three hours later, he was on stage.
0:51:35 > 0:51:38But I know there's so many other singers, they never would do it.
0:51:41 > 0:51:43At Covent Garden in the summer,
0:51:43 > 0:51:47Jonas Kaufmann embarked on the title role of Verdi's opera Otello.
0:51:47 > 0:51:49HE SINGS IN ITALIAN
0:51:51 > 0:51:53Five weeks of intense rehearsal,
0:51:53 > 0:51:56a major psychological challenge, as well as a musical one,
0:51:56 > 0:51:59guided by the conductor Antonio Pappano
0:51:59 > 0:52:01and the director Keith Warner.
0:52:04 > 0:52:09Otello spars with his evil nemesis Iago, sung here by Marco Vratogna.
0:52:11 > 0:52:15The challenge is to pace the drama without too much happening too soon.
0:52:15 > 0:52:17Question - if that is loud already, what should...
0:52:17 > 0:52:19I think, yeah...
0:52:19 > 0:52:21HE SPEAKS IN ITALIAN
0:52:21 > 0:52:25HE SINGS IN ITALIAN
0:52:26 > 0:52:28Yes.
0:52:28 > 0:52:30MARCO SINGS
0:52:30 > 0:52:33And then you mock him.
0:52:33 > 0:52:36JONAS SINGS
0:52:50 > 0:52:52- OK.- The problem is,
0:52:52 > 0:52:55if we get too physical too soon, I mean, that's why...
0:52:55 > 0:52:58Yeah, you shouldn't get physical. It's about words.
0:52:58 > 0:53:00It's words at the moment, yeah.
0:53:00 > 0:53:05I think it's important to keep Jonas stimulated musically,
0:53:05 > 0:53:09dramatically, because he can take that little bit of information
0:53:09 > 0:53:11and then build a house out of it.
0:53:11 > 0:53:14THEY SPEAK ITALIAN
0:53:18 > 0:53:20Iago professes his loyalty.
0:53:22 > 0:53:25But Otello has to decide whether he's friend or foe.
0:53:25 > 0:53:27Yeah, OK, good. OK, good.
0:53:27 > 0:53:29TRANSLATED FROM ITALIAN:
0:54:01 > 0:54:03Good.
0:54:05 > 0:54:08- And I think what you...- Jealousy is exactly what Iago is planting in
0:54:08 > 0:54:10Otello's mind.
0:54:10 > 0:54:11And let us see it work on you
0:54:11 > 0:54:14step by step by step.
0:54:14 > 0:54:19The suggestion is that Otello's new wife Desdemona is having an affair.
0:54:19 > 0:54:20Yeah, exactly.
0:54:23 > 0:54:26Becomes more and more horrible.
0:54:34 > 0:54:38Otello is torn, but demands proof.
0:54:52 > 0:54:55Yeah, very good. If you've done that, you should notice Desdemona,
0:54:55 > 0:54:58come there and then turn him round on the "yoom-ploom".
0:54:58 > 0:55:01She walks down stage looking beautiful.
0:55:01 > 0:55:04And you just hold him there and if he tries to resist it, you know,
0:55:04 > 0:55:07just hold him and whisper all this shit into his ear.
0:55:07 > 0:55:10This dirt. Yeah.
0:55:10 > 0:55:11It's OK.
0:55:41 > 0:55:46This is the first big production we've done together and it's
0:55:46 > 0:55:49extraordinary, the extent to which he's given to this, actually.
0:55:49 > 0:55:53Time, a lot of care and a lot of good spirit.
0:55:53 > 0:55:56I mean, he's also somebody in the room
0:55:56 > 0:55:58that is sort of generous with other people.
0:55:58 > 0:56:01The other day he was fixing one of the doors on the set.
0:56:01 > 0:56:04I think this hinge is... broken a little bit.
0:56:04 > 0:56:06It's just loose.
0:56:06 > 0:56:09He seems to be interested in every aspect.
0:56:09 > 0:56:11Stop, stop, stop.
0:56:11 > 0:56:13Up there. It gets stuck.
0:56:16 > 0:56:20In rehearsals, Kaufmann will often speak direct to the orchestra.
0:56:20 > 0:56:22It can be a surprise for players
0:56:22 > 0:56:24to find him trespassing on the conductor's turf.
0:56:24 > 0:56:26Yeah. And then in good time.
0:56:26 > 0:56:29Sorry. Be careful, everybody who has the...
0:56:29 > 0:56:31Oh, God, semi-quavers? 16th?
0:56:31 > 0:56:34- Yep.- Each one is really individual.
0:56:34 > 0:56:38So don't rush, don't be too early on the one end.
0:56:38 > 0:56:41Because I also have to sing it, so I would do...
0:56:41 > 0:56:43HE SINGS
0:56:46 > 0:56:49So it's always very rubato.
0:56:49 > 0:56:52But if you start too fast, then we're da-dee-da-dee-da-dee-da.
0:56:52 > 0:56:54He's obviously very specific about what he
0:56:54 > 0:56:58wants the orchestra to sound like. I don't think that's a bad thing.
0:56:58 > 0:57:02It's good to have... As long as the conductor and him can agree.
0:57:02 > 0:57:03Yeah, I'm not shy.
0:57:03 > 0:57:05You see, I remember when I did that
0:57:05 > 0:57:07the first couple of times with Jochen Rieder.
0:57:07 > 0:57:10He was quite upset, because he said, "What are you doing?
0:57:10 > 0:57:11"It's my rehearsal. And you tell me?"
0:57:11 > 0:57:15And I said, yeah, OK. And I whisper it into your ears and you tell them
0:57:15 > 0:57:18and then they don't understand, and we do it again and we do it again.
0:57:18 > 0:57:20Maybe I'm impatient.
0:57:20 > 0:57:23But I think it helps if you give them the right explanation.
0:57:23 > 0:57:25It feels hesitant.
0:57:25 > 0:57:30Has to be quite clear, the structure, otherwise it's like,
0:57:30 > 0:57:31what's going on?
0:57:34 > 0:57:38But once he saw me rehearsing with Tony Pappano, who he admires,
0:57:38 > 0:57:40and I did the same thing,
0:57:40 > 0:57:42he said, "OK, now I'm safe.
0:57:42 > 0:57:46"If you do it with him, it means it's not only me."
0:57:49 > 0:57:52OK, good. Thank you. If he's happy, we're all happy.
0:57:52 > 0:57:55Amazing concentration, he has.
0:57:55 > 0:57:57Amazing concentration on everything
0:57:57 > 0:58:01and that's why I think this is one of his big powers,
0:58:01 > 0:58:04this power to concentrate, it's almost like Zen Buddhism, I think.
0:58:04 > 0:58:07Kaufmann and Eva-Maria Westbroek
0:58:07 > 0:58:10were rehearsing for a concert in Amsterdam.
0:58:10 > 0:58:14One of the highlights was the great love duet from Otello.
0:58:14 > 0:58:17It came two weeks before the opera's opening night at Covent Garden,
0:58:17 > 0:58:19with a different soprano.
0:58:30 > 0:58:32TRANSLATED FROM ITALIAN:
0:59:07 > 0:59:10This has to be quite surprising, this...
0:59:10 > 0:59:12"Tuo" has to come out of nowhere.
0:59:12 > 0:59:15I don't know. It's still not to scare her off, you know what I mean.
0:59:15 > 0:59:17- Oh, no.- That's why.
0:59:17 > 0:59:19- We discussed it. - It's the cor fremebondo.- Yeah.
0:59:19 > 0:59:22And these people, these people make trouble all the time.
0:59:43 > 0:59:45Absolutely fabulous, Jonas.
0:59:58 > 1:00:00At Covent Garden, Otello's bride
1:00:00 > 1:00:03is being played by the Italian soprano Maria Agresta.
1:00:40 > 1:00:42Jonas, she says, "Tell me the story,"
1:00:42 > 1:00:44and then you remember the story.
1:00:44 > 1:00:47And, "Yes, I'm a soldier," so that's one thing,
1:00:47 > 1:00:50and you get into it in a positive way.
1:00:50 > 1:00:57Here, and you "ingentilia", you beautified my story somehow.
1:00:57 > 1:00:59You made them human, you made...
1:00:59 > 1:01:04And this phrase is the deepest part of you somehow,
1:01:04 > 1:01:06it's so beautifully written.
1:01:06 > 1:01:10And so, take your time, is what I'm trying to say, OK?
1:01:10 > 1:01:12THEY SING IN ITALIAN
1:01:47 > 1:01:49Yeah, yeah, I need to take a breath before.
1:01:49 > 1:01:50Yes.
1:01:50 > 1:01:52HE SINGS IN ITALIAN
1:01:55 > 1:01:57And then it's fine for the rest of the phrase.
1:01:58 > 1:02:00It's not beautiful, though.
1:02:00 > 1:02:02Yeah, but otherwise I have to breathe somewhere.
1:02:02 > 1:02:03Why don't you say...
1:02:03 > 1:02:05HE SINGS IN ITALIAN
1:02:09 > 1:02:11Instead of going...
1:02:11 > 1:02:12HE SINGS IN ITALIAN
1:02:12 > 1:02:15Yeah, yeah, but I wouldn't do it that obvious.
1:02:15 > 1:02:18THEY LAUGH
1:02:18 > 1:02:21You can always cover it up with an emotional something.
1:02:21 > 1:02:22Yeah.
1:02:22 > 1:02:24HE SINGS IN ITALIAN
1:02:27 > 1:02:29OK.
1:02:30 > 1:02:31No, no.
1:02:31 > 1:02:34I did two Ls!
1:02:34 > 1:02:35To be discussed...
1:02:35 > 1:02:38Jonas, a little portamento...
1:02:38 > 1:02:39HE SINGS IN ITALIAN
1:02:40 > 1:02:42The second one, Jonas, come on.
1:02:59 > 1:03:01Thank you.
1:03:17 > 1:03:19Wonderful.
1:03:29 > 1:03:31Star.
1:03:46 > 1:03:48Another star.
1:04:26 > 1:04:28He tickles you...
1:04:28 > 1:04:31LAUGHTER
1:04:31 > 1:04:32Of course.
1:04:32 > 1:04:34Yeah, yeah.
1:04:36 > 1:04:39You know, isn't it funny that, Jonas, when you sing Peter Grimes,
1:04:39 > 1:04:43and he says the Great Bear and the Pleiades, he talks about...
1:04:43 > 1:04:47- Yeah. - ..same notes, same words, same key.
1:04:49 > 1:04:50Yeah.
1:05:06 > 1:05:10The part of Peter Grimes in Benjamin Britten's opera,
1:05:10 > 1:05:12originally sung by Peter Pears,
1:05:12 > 1:05:15is one that Kaufmann has had his eye on for some while.
1:05:16 > 1:05:19In the thick of his Otello performances,
1:05:19 > 1:05:22he travelled for the first time to the seafront at Britten's hometown,
1:05:22 > 1:05:25Aldeburgh in Suffolk, and with Christiane,
1:05:25 > 1:05:27visited the composer's house.
1:05:30 > 1:05:32I think Peter Grimes is similar to Otello.
1:05:32 > 1:05:35It's psychologically very dark.
1:05:35 > 1:05:38It has many layers, it's an outsider.
1:05:38 > 1:05:40You see, you have pieces
1:05:40 > 1:05:43where you just want to do it because of the music,
1:05:43 > 1:05:47because of the beautiful melodies and they have a crap plot.
1:05:47 > 1:05:49Um, and...
1:05:49 > 1:05:54..and you have parts where you know that the music is just not good,
1:05:54 > 1:05:56but it would be an interesting part to play,
1:05:56 > 1:06:01and then you have parts like Otello and, I think, Peter Grimes.
1:06:01 > 1:06:03I mean, I haven't sung it so far,
1:06:03 > 1:06:05I'm only looking at it all the time,
1:06:05 > 1:06:07where you have both and I think that's fantastic.
1:06:07 > 1:06:12So on here, Great Bear, Pleiades.
1:06:12 > 1:06:16Sticking on one note for a very long time
1:06:16 > 1:06:18and it's this famous E just as...
1:06:18 > 1:06:20HE SINGS IN ITALIAN
1:06:24 > 1:06:26Untypically for Verdi.
1:06:26 > 1:06:29And here we have the same key and the same subject
1:06:29 > 1:06:32so it can't be a coincidence, I think.
1:06:33 > 1:06:35But also he wrote for Pears in mind,
1:06:35 > 1:06:38so Pears had a very distinctive, I think, range.
1:06:38 > 1:06:39Yes, that is true.
1:06:39 > 1:06:41And I understand
1:06:41 > 1:06:45- that for some tenors it can be a bit of a struggle with the break.- Yes.
1:06:45 > 1:06:49Exactly. I mean, this was probably his cream region,
1:06:49 > 1:06:54whereas most other tenors are like, "Aggh, I can't."
1:06:54 > 1:06:55I'm sure one day he will do Peter Grimes.
1:06:55 > 1:06:59He's talked about it. It's the kind of thing which also is very
1:06:59 > 1:07:03stimulating for a singing actor, but all in its good time.
1:07:03 > 1:07:07My wish for Jonas is that, you know, to be patient.
1:07:07 > 1:07:09There will always be a tendency
1:07:09 > 1:07:12to absolutely devour everything that comes his way.
1:07:13 > 1:07:16He already has other Britten music in his repertoire,
1:07:16 > 1:07:20in particular the Seven Sonnets Of Michelangelo.
1:07:20 > 1:07:22And he was intrigued why the differences
1:07:22 > 1:07:26between the original manuscript and the final published version.
1:07:26 > 1:07:28It starts on the downbeat...
1:07:28 > 1:07:31HE SINGS IN ITALIAN
1:07:31 > 1:07:32But here, it starts earlier
1:07:32 > 1:07:35and the next phrase starts after the downbeat
1:07:35 > 1:07:38and the next phrase starts after the downbeat as well.
1:07:48 > 1:07:49HE SINGS IN ITALIAN
1:08:17 > 1:08:22And suddenly it opens up to one phrase, which is pure beauty,
1:08:22 > 1:08:25so you have all the time this nervousness...
1:08:25 > 1:08:28HE SPEAKS RAPIDLY
1:08:28 > 1:08:29And then suddenly...
1:08:29 > 1:08:34HE SINGS IN ITALIAN
1:08:34 > 1:08:39And it's just one, two bars and it's just immediately another world,
1:08:39 > 1:08:43I mean, the sun opens, like, wow!
1:08:43 > 1:08:44HE SINGS IN ITALIAN
1:08:49 > 1:08:52And then of course you have the idea and you start writing and you're
1:08:52 > 1:08:55running out of paper so you add half a bar,
1:08:55 > 1:08:57so you don't have to write it again,
1:08:57 > 1:09:01because you want to finish the phrase before you forget it.
1:09:01 > 1:09:03HE SINGS IN ITALIAN
1:09:11 > 1:09:14This is always a tricky moment to make this credible.
1:09:14 > 1:09:18The whole plot of Otello turns on Desdemona's handkerchief,
1:09:18 > 1:09:20a love token from her husband.
1:09:20 > 1:09:24Iago will produce it as the apparent proof of her adultery,
1:09:24 > 1:09:26but first, Desdemona has to lose it.
1:09:26 > 1:09:27How, is the problem.
1:09:27 > 1:09:29So you don't need to throw it.
1:09:29 > 1:09:31Well, you can do, you can do.
1:09:31 > 1:09:32Well, I mean, that's what it says.
1:09:32 > 1:09:35That's what it says, I know, but it's, it's...
1:09:35 > 1:09:38I think throw it back to her is what I would do...
1:09:38 > 1:09:40- OK.- ..and then she just lets it go from there.
1:09:40 > 1:09:42It just drops out of your hand.
1:09:42 > 1:09:44THEY SING IN ITALIAN
1:09:53 > 1:09:55It's a tiny detail, but critical to the plot
1:09:55 > 1:09:59and takes up a quarter of an hour of this rehearsal.
1:09:59 > 1:10:00And you then go and pick this up.
1:10:00 > 1:10:02We're still with the hanky, I mean,
1:10:02 > 1:10:06we both believe that she would take more care because, it's, I mean,
1:10:06 > 1:10:08it's the symbol of the love, her love.
1:10:08 > 1:10:10- It's really important. - And everything.
1:10:10 > 1:10:12Of my love, actually, to her.
1:10:12 > 1:10:15Well, I tell you what, throw it down there.
1:10:15 > 1:10:17- Me?- Yeah.
1:10:17 > 1:10:20You don't feel he's being argumentative
1:10:20 > 1:10:22or difficult or anything.
1:10:22 > 1:10:24You know he's searching to find out
1:10:24 > 1:10:27what this is about and of course, you know, any director who thinks
1:10:27 > 1:10:28you've got all the answers is a fool.
1:10:30 > 1:10:31It's funny, I love the idea of her just...
1:10:31 > 1:10:33it drops out of her hand, but, anyway, good.
1:10:36 > 1:10:38Look, it doesn't... Guys, stay with it for a day or two.
1:10:38 > 1:10:39If it doesn't work...
1:10:39 > 1:10:43Because it's very clear here.
1:10:43 > 1:10:46It is very clear, and what you're doing is very clear.
1:10:46 > 1:10:48Yeah, yeah, no, no.
1:10:48 > 1:10:51I changed position now in order to be able to...
1:10:51 > 1:10:54Directors can very easily become intimidated by him.
1:10:54 > 1:10:55Not by his manner,
1:10:55 > 1:10:59but because he wants an intelligent conversation about what's actually
1:10:59 > 1:11:02written about the text and about the music,
1:11:02 > 1:11:04and I find that incredibly stimulating,
1:11:04 > 1:11:06so he's terrific to work with.
1:11:06 > 1:11:07You don't even notice it.
1:11:07 > 1:11:10It drops. This is all such melodrama.
1:11:10 > 1:11:11Stay with it, stay with it.
1:11:11 > 1:11:14- Throwing hankies all over the place. - Stay with it.
1:11:14 > 1:11:16It's surprising that such a star,
1:11:16 > 1:11:18he is not difficult at all, actually.
1:11:18 > 1:11:21But he's also very clear about the things that are important to him.
1:11:21 > 1:11:23I mean, you have to listen to that.
1:11:23 > 1:11:25Very good. Tomorrow, we'll pick it up exactly from here.
1:11:25 > 1:11:27- Yes.- And carry on.
1:11:27 > 1:11:29SHE SINGS IN ITALIAN
1:11:29 > 1:11:32No, no, no. It's not this dropping that is necessary.
1:11:32 > 1:11:34The only thing is that you forget about it.
1:11:37 > 1:11:40The toughest role in Verdi would be enough for most singers.
1:11:40 > 1:11:42Mm-hm?
1:11:42 > 1:11:43HE CLEARS HIS THROAT
1:11:43 > 1:11:47But, at the same time, Kaufmann met one of Wagner's big challenges.
1:11:48 > 1:11:52At the Royal Concertgebouw in Amsterdam, he sang the love duet
1:11:52 > 1:11:57from Die Walkure, with its hair-raising cries of "Walse!"
1:11:57 > 1:12:00"Walse!" - you know, those two Walses, were just, you know... Ah!
1:12:00 > 1:12:03I mean, he held them half an hour, you know.
1:12:03 > 1:12:05It is sort of a tradition with that,
1:12:05 > 1:12:07if you listen to the Melchior recording,
1:12:07 > 1:12:09where he holds it for 11 seconds.
1:12:09 > 1:12:14All tenors are like, "Oh, my God, he's...!" so everybody is...
1:12:14 > 1:12:21Those Walses are famous for people wanting to show their big voice.
1:12:28 > 1:12:30HE SINGS IN GERMAN
1:13:00 > 1:13:014.76.
1:13:01 > 1:13:04Kaufmann insists it's not a stopwatch moment.
1:13:04 > 1:13:08Actually it was nine seconds and then ten, in his case.
1:13:08 > 1:13:10Rather, it's a big cry for help from Wagner's hero.
1:13:13 > 1:13:14On the day before the concert,
1:13:14 > 1:13:18Christiane's unexpected arrival was a relief from the hard sing.
1:13:19 > 1:13:21Of course it's a hard sing, it's Wagner, what do you expect?
1:13:21 > 1:13:23SHE SINGS IN GERMAN
1:13:23 > 1:13:24HE STUMBLES OVER WORDS
1:13:24 > 1:13:26You have to pace it,
1:13:26 > 1:13:30you have to know that you need to have enough stamina and you need
1:13:30 > 1:13:35to have enough power for that big phrase at the very end of the act,
1:13:35 > 1:13:37because it is the climax.
1:13:37 > 1:13:39That fantastic A natural, which seems like a high C,
1:13:39 > 1:13:44because most of the role is quite low, so when that comes,
1:13:44 > 1:13:46it's a tremendous challenge.
1:13:46 > 1:13:48THEY SING IN GERMAN
1:14:11 > 1:14:12It's fantastically written.
1:14:12 > 1:14:16I mean, this build-up, and the way they recognise each other,
1:14:16 > 1:14:17brother and sister,
1:14:17 > 1:14:19but they immediately fall in love with each other and
1:14:19 > 1:14:24they don't care. And this explosion of the orchestra at the very end.
1:14:24 > 1:14:26It's so ecstatic.
1:14:26 > 1:14:28MUSIC BUILDS
1:14:35 > 1:14:37MUSIC STOPS
1:14:39 > 1:14:43When you hear such great music, it's thrilling, thrilling, thrilling.
1:14:43 > 1:14:45I don't know, it makes me crazy.
1:14:45 > 1:14:47APPLAUSE
1:14:47 > 1:14:50I get very excited and I think he does, too.
1:14:52 > 1:14:55He's really a thinking man's tenor,
1:14:55 > 1:14:59and yet he has this matinee idol delivery.
1:15:03 > 1:15:06It's a wonderful combination
1:15:06 > 1:15:08and that's what makes him so special,
1:15:08 > 1:15:10and a singer like him so rare.
1:15:14 > 1:15:15Amazing response.
1:15:15 > 1:15:18Yeah, incredible. But, I mean, it's...
1:15:18 > 1:15:21You see, I checked the facts, and it's 14 years ago
1:15:21 > 1:15:23that I sang the last time here and still...
1:15:25 > 1:15:27I was always praising this hall,
1:15:27 > 1:15:30because it's so beautiful and the acoustic is so perfect.
1:15:30 > 1:15:34I mean, obviously they're super-enthusiastic and everything.
1:15:34 > 1:15:35But I have to say... Whoops.
1:15:37 > 1:15:39Falls apart now.
1:15:39 > 1:15:43No, we brought the house down, you see. Ha-ha!
1:15:43 > 1:15:50He talks to the people, to everyone, and shakes hands, hugs,
1:15:50 > 1:15:51gifts, flowers, whatever.
1:15:53 > 1:15:56He's so nice. I mean, he's not arrogant, you know what I mean?
1:15:56 > 1:16:00Running the gauntlet of friends and fans meant he and Christiane had to
1:16:00 > 1:16:02move double quick to catch the flight to London
1:16:02 > 1:16:04and a return to Otello in the morning.
1:16:04 > 1:16:07HE SINGS IN GERMAN
1:16:17 > 1:16:20It's very difficult, because our role is to facilitate the connection
1:16:20 > 1:16:22between artist and public.
1:16:22 > 1:16:25There are times, though, when we have to be a little bit careful
1:16:25 > 1:16:28about stalkers and backstage security and so on.
1:16:28 > 1:16:30An artist like Jonas is exceptional.
1:16:30 > 1:16:33Occasionally, a fan does sneak into a rehearsal.
1:16:33 > 1:16:36Stella Dixon from Middlesbrough had a ringside view.
1:16:36 > 1:16:42- So I've now achieved my greatest wish in life at 73.- Ha-ha!
1:16:42 > 1:16:45- Come on, no. There is much more to come, don't worry.- Honestly!
1:16:45 > 1:16:48And do you want to make it even better and let me have a photograph?
1:16:48 > 1:16:50I've got a little purse for you,
1:16:50 > 1:16:52which is embroidered with your name on.
1:16:52 > 1:16:55- OK.- It's to keep... And it's the shape of a baby grand.
1:16:55 > 1:16:58- And it's to keep your gummy bears in.- Ha-ha-ha!
1:16:59 > 1:17:01Do you know, my hands are shaking, look.
1:17:01 > 1:17:02HE LAUGHS
1:17:04 > 1:17:06And can I have one looking adoringly at you?
1:17:07 > 1:17:09Actually, people want to know everything.
1:17:09 > 1:17:11They want to be in the same room, they want to eat with him,
1:17:11 > 1:17:15to dine with him. It's just another aspect of modern celebrity.
1:17:15 > 1:17:18Even on stage, the adoration can become obsessive.
1:17:18 > 1:17:21There has never been a performance of Tosca
1:17:21 > 1:17:23like that in Vienna in 2016.
1:17:23 > 1:17:25HE SINGS IN ITALIAN
1:17:42 > 1:17:44It used to be quite popular
1:17:44 > 1:17:47that people would ask for an encore, but...
1:17:49 > 1:17:52CHEERING AND APPLAUSE
1:17:53 > 1:17:56..in this case, I was just blown away,
1:17:56 > 1:17:58because I didn't make any arrangements with the conductor.
1:18:03 > 1:18:07I just realised after a while, actually after about what,
1:18:07 > 1:18:10five or six minutes in,
1:18:10 > 1:18:14of applause, I can't get away without it, I mean, it's just...
1:18:14 > 1:18:16And I had to start laughing.
1:18:16 > 1:18:19And there's this moment where you can see me actually smiling,
1:18:19 > 1:18:21because I thought, "Boy, I mean, this is...
1:18:21 > 1:18:22"This is really happening."
1:18:22 > 1:18:24I cannot stay longer in the part.
1:18:25 > 1:18:30And, of course, that encouraged them to even clap more and cheer
1:18:30 > 1:18:34and it was a really, really wonderful moment.
1:18:34 > 1:18:39- Was this...?- Because I still didn't know that the soprano wouldn't come.
1:18:40 > 1:18:43This is a moment of great tragedy in the opera?
1:18:43 > 1:18:44Yes. It is.
1:18:44 > 1:18:45What can you do?
1:18:49 > 1:18:51Did you tell the conductor we'll do it again?
1:18:51 > 1:18:54- How did that happen? - I nodded and he understood.
1:18:54 > 1:18:56He said, "OK." So we actually go back
1:18:56 > 1:19:00and they had to look for where to go and because, also for them,
1:19:00 > 1:19:05it's not an everyday job to just jump back and play a bit again.
1:19:08 > 1:19:09HE SINGS IN ITALIAN
1:19:25 > 1:19:27To repeat a number, I love that, you know.
1:19:27 > 1:19:30I mean, it rarely happens, but, you know,
1:19:30 > 1:19:37there is an element of circus in what we do and it's great and...
1:19:37 > 1:19:41..it's a sign of generosity towards the public, you know.
1:19:41 > 1:19:42I think it's terrific.
1:19:42 > 1:19:47I have no problem with those kind of conventions,
1:19:47 > 1:19:50even though some people think they're tasteless.
1:19:50 > 1:19:51HE SINGS IN ITALIAN
1:20:07 > 1:20:11The trouble is that encores are not always popular with other singers.
1:20:12 > 1:20:14This is the moment that his lover Tosca,
1:20:14 > 1:20:17sung by the soprano Angela Gheorghiu,
1:20:17 > 1:20:21is due on stage to rescue him from the firing squad.
1:20:29 > 1:20:32And now I realise she's not there.
1:20:32 > 1:20:35She's supposed to be here with the guards,
1:20:35 > 1:20:40and this is when we actually embrace each other and I look over there.
1:20:40 > 1:20:43I looked twice, I look three times.
1:20:43 > 1:20:46I know she's not coming, and the conductor's still very confident,
1:20:46 > 1:20:47because he hasn't looked up.
1:20:49 > 1:20:52And, yeah, I have to stop him in some way.
1:20:57 > 1:20:58Yeah. "Non abbiamo soprano!"
1:20:59 > 1:21:04The funny thing is, you can still hear the violins,
1:21:04 > 1:21:07because they are still in hope that it might continue.
1:21:07 > 1:21:10Then he realises, there is no way, we have to stop.
1:21:10 > 1:21:12WHISTLING AND APPLAUSE
1:21:12 > 1:21:14It has become famous
1:21:14 > 1:21:17and people have sent me T-shirts with that famous scene,
1:21:17 > 1:21:22they have sent me scores where the line is corrected now
1:21:22 > 1:21:24to the up-to-date version where
1:21:24 > 1:21:27the tenor sings, "Ah, non abbiamo soprano!" and the opera finishes.
1:21:27 > 1:21:29LAUGHTER
1:21:29 > 1:21:31Then he spoke to the audience,
1:21:31 > 1:21:33still hoping the performance could be rescued.
1:21:33 > 1:21:35TRANSLATED FROM GERMAN:
1:21:42 > 1:21:43APPLAUSE
1:21:45 > 1:21:46Second time lucky.
1:21:49 > 1:21:52Even if the embrace at the end came early.
1:22:06 > 1:22:09Kaufmann remains diplomatic about what had gone wrong.
1:22:09 > 1:22:10Did she ever explain?
1:22:10 > 1:22:12No.
1:22:12 > 1:22:15Not really. I mean, I don't want to get too much into it.
1:22:17 > 1:22:22We are not in agreement whose fault it is, let's put it that way.
1:22:25 > 1:22:26At Covent Garden,
1:22:26 > 1:22:30everyone in Otello came on and off stage at the right time,
1:22:30 > 1:22:33and the interval at least offered relief from the fans.
1:22:33 > 1:22:36The conductor was naturally keen to protect his fingers.
1:22:36 > 1:22:39You know, there is such a thing as too much exposure.
1:22:39 > 1:22:42You know, some of us think, "Can't we do this in peace and quiet?"
1:22:42 > 1:22:44But there is no peace and quiet any more.
1:22:44 > 1:22:46Guys, leave him alone.
1:22:46 > 1:22:48This is ridiculous.
1:22:48 > 1:22:50Leave him alone. He's singing Otello.
1:22:50 > 1:22:52Leave him alone!
1:22:52 > 1:22:55- OK.- Wait till I get undressed.
1:22:55 > 1:22:58This is part of the BBC policy. Ha-ha!
1:22:58 > 1:23:04Media has become such an important part of keeping the art form alive.
1:23:04 > 1:23:07There's a tremendous outreach,
1:23:07 > 1:23:11but the pressure on the artist is enormous.
1:23:27 > 1:23:29You're dealing with a great star
1:23:29 > 1:23:31and you know most of the audience
1:23:31 > 1:23:33will be in love with him at the beginning.
1:23:34 > 1:23:36Is that helpful to you as a director?
1:23:38 > 1:23:40I'm not sure it is always helpful to Jonas,
1:23:40 > 1:23:43because if you're in love with him,
1:23:43 > 1:23:48it may be hard to take how bleak and terrible
1:23:48 > 1:23:51the road this character takes is.
1:23:53 > 1:23:56I mean, the abuse of Desdemona.
1:23:56 > 1:23:58And it is marital abuse.
1:24:46 > 1:24:49Iago's web of deceit has now wound Otello up
1:24:49 > 1:24:53to wreak terrible vengeance on his innocent wife.
1:24:53 > 1:24:55Marital abuse becomes murder.
1:24:56 > 1:25:00I usually have no problem in slipping out of character.
1:25:00 > 1:25:03The curtain falls and you're back in your private life,
1:25:03 > 1:25:07but with this last scene, really, it holds on for quite a while.
1:25:07 > 1:25:11You're always a little bit, yeah, in a strange mood.
1:25:24 > 1:25:28There's a lot of emotion, a lot of violence, also, in the music,
1:25:28 > 1:25:31and this is something that can really affect you and harm you,
1:25:31 > 1:25:36because it is difficult to not get your voice affected too much by it.
1:25:37 > 1:25:46# I love you. #
1:25:53 > 1:25:57- TV PRESENTER:- Jonas Kaufmann in You Are My Heart's Delight.
1:25:57 > 1:26:00A sentiment shared by much of the audience here.
1:26:00 > 1:26:05RAPTUROUS APPLAUSE
1:26:05 > 1:26:07Lucky Jonas.
1:26:07 > 1:26:09SHE LAUGHS
1:26:09 > 1:26:12Oh, good Lord, this is getting out of hand.
1:26:21 > 1:26:23Well, they threw these things on stage.
1:26:23 > 1:26:24I don't know for what purpose.
1:26:24 > 1:26:26I mean, of course, I'm very shy and innocent.
1:26:27 > 1:26:30- Crazy, isn't it? - HE LAUGHS
1:26:30 > 1:26:33But a funny idea. I hope it was not a spontaneous decision.
1:26:35 > 1:26:36All right.
1:26:38 > 1:26:41Those are the ones that I'm going to throw now.
1:26:43 > 1:26:46OK, I'll put them somewhere back here.
1:26:46 > 1:26:48- Easy-peasy.- That will be a surprise.
1:26:48 > 1:26:50That will be a surprise, of course.
1:26:50 > 1:26:51And I've got another one here.
1:26:52 > 1:26:54My Bavarian flag.
1:26:55 > 1:26:57Just in case.
1:27:05 > 1:27:11# The Muses, still with freedom found
1:27:13 > 1:27:18# Shall to thy happy coast repair
1:27:18 > 1:27:23# Shall to thy happy, happy coast repair... #
1:27:23 > 1:27:26He challenges himself to the limit.
1:27:26 > 1:27:30I mean, when you look at the number of role debuts he has done
1:27:30 > 1:27:34in the last seven, eight years, I mean, it's unbelievable.
1:27:34 > 1:27:37The real heroic tenor roles.
1:27:37 > 1:27:40The risks are enormous if you don't know what you're doing,
1:27:40 > 1:27:44and so he's learned that, and I think he's very proud of that.
1:27:49 > 1:27:52CHEERING AND APPLAUSE
1:27:52 > 1:27:54WHISTLING
1:28:01 > 1:28:03When he leaves Covent Garden late at night,
1:28:03 > 1:28:07Jonas Kaufmann has one final duty to perform.
1:28:07 > 1:28:09One ticket for Otello, please.
1:28:09 > 1:28:11Ha-ha-ha-ha!
1:28:11 > 1:28:15He's in the same league as Luciano Pavarotti, or Placido Domingo,
1:28:15 > 1:28:19and his career in his late 40s is still growing.
1:28:19 > 1:28:21In a way, he's quite a late developer, isn't he?
1:28:21 > 1:28:23Which is a very good thing.
1:28:23 > 1:28:26We're looking for careers in this business that go on and on and on -
1:28:26 > 1:28:29you know, the Lucianos and the Placidos.
1:28:29 > 1:28:32Also, for selfish reasons, I want to continue working with him.
1:28:32 > 1:28:36The two next big mountains I will have to climb
1:28:36 > 1:28:38are Tannhauser and Tristan.
1:28:38 > 1:28:39Apart from Wagner,
1:28:39 > 1:28:42do you like the thought of doing crossover music?
1:28:42 > 1:28:45What is crossover to me, what is crossover to you...
1:28:45 > 1:28:49I mean, I cannot say no, under no circumstances,
1:28:49 > 1:28:50because maybe, next week,
1:28:50 > 1:28:54I meet a guy in a pub and we become friends and, ultimately,
1:28:54 > 1:28:55I realise that he is a famous pop star
1:28:55 > 1:28:59and we can record something together.
1:28:59 > 1:29:06# Girls were made to love and kiss
1:29:06 > 1:29:14# And who am I to interfere with this?
1:29:16 > 1:29:19# Is it fair?
1:29:19 > 1:29:23# Should I care?
1:29:24 > 1:29:31# I'm a man
1:29:31 > 1:29:41# And love them when I can. #