INTERVIEW | Vibe Rouvet – Soprano
The first time I ever saw Vibe was when she sang an aria from La Traviata at her end-of-year recital at HEMU. Talented and with a bright future, I was far from imagining that she would triumph so spectacularly at the Ouverture Opera festival in Sion in the title role. She had always dreamed of singing Violetta, and now she has, and we’re discussing it right here.
Geoffrey Grand : You’ve just performed your first La Traviata, and you said that singing this role had been your childhood dream. In your opinion, what is the most important part of this opera?
Vibe Rouvet : For me, it’s the duet with Germont… It’s a turning point.
It’s where we really understand how kind-hearted Violetta is. She puts herself in this father’s shoes and, out of empathy for his daughter, agrees to give up Alfredo completely.
To me, it’s a very powerful act of sisterhood.
But it’s also where we realize that she doesn’t put herself first in the choices she makes…
We learn so much about her true nature at that moment.
Another moment I find particularly important is the end of Act II, when she says that she hopes God will spare Alfredo from the remorse he will feel one day, when he learns why she left him, even though she loved him — and would love him with all her heart until the very end…
I find that absolutely heartbreaking. She has just been publicly humiliated by him, and yet she continues to love him, to try to understand him, to forgive him, and to worry about him. Deep down, she is a very pure woman, with an immense capacity for love.
And I think it’s precisely that love that makes this opera so moving.
G.G : Do you remember the first time you heard La Traviata, even if it was just an excerpt or a particular passage?
V.R : Yes!!! What really struck me the first time I heard it was Violetta’s first aria!
I found it incredibly haunting and magical.
For a long time, I was fascinated by the very first page of the recitative, “E strano…”
I thought that whole opening was beautiful.
Every little phrase, half-started, half-spoken, the orchestra coming in to punctuate them…
You can really hear the doubt, her heart fluttering, hesitating…
It left a very strong impression on me.
(And I’m not usually a big fan of recitatives at all, so go figure…!)
But that first aria, with all those coloratura passages, is absolutely breathtaking!
G.G : If you could choose just one singer to sing Alfredo today, who would you choose?
V.R : I’m very fond of my current stage partner!
But if I had to choose just one singer to sing this role for the rest of my life, it would be Xabier Anduaga.
I think he is absolutely perfect as Alfredo.
He obviously has an extraordinary voice, but, for me, it is also exactly the kind of voice I love hearing in this role. He is a fantastic bel canto singer.
And there is something truly heartbreaking about what he brings to the role.
G.G : Now that you’ve ticked Traviata off the list, what role would you particularly like to sing next — your second dream role, so to speak?
V.R : Haha, that’s a very difficult question!
Choosing just one role seems really complicated.
Violetta Valery was truly my number one dream role (and I hope there will be many, many more, because I would love for her to stay with me for a very, very long time!)
But there are indeed two or three other roles that I would absolutely love to take on.
Lulu, by Alban Berg, in particular.
I find this opera fascinating, and Wedekind’s story is incredibly profound.
The subject it explores is very serious and complex, which is rather rare in opera, where the plot is often fairly straightforward.
So it’s a role I would love to approach both vocally, because I find the music magnificent, but also as an actress, because of everything you have to bring to it in order to truly embody and defend the character… It would be quite a challenge!
Then, on a more classical note, there is also Susanna, which I would particularly love to sing.
It’s also one of the first operas I listened to over and over again, alongside La Traviata and The Magic Flute, so there’s a very personal, emotional connection to it.
And one day, I really hope I’ll be able to take on Norma… but that will be further down the road. So, in the meantime, I mainly hope to sing many more Violettas, Juliets, Manons, Konstanzes, Queens of the Night, and so on…
What’s important to me is to have a beautiful, coherent trajectory, so that my voice can continue to develop in a healthy way.
I see it a little like a well-fitted sheath: roles that accompany the voice as it evolves, and help it fully blossom without ever forcing it.
G.G : Apart from La Traviata, which opera would you recommend someone listen to first?
V.R : Carmen or The Marriage of Figaro!
They are both fabulous operas, with great stories that aren’t too complicated, so you understand quite quickly what’s going on.
They can really speak to everyone. And of course, the arias and ensembles are simply magnificent!
picture : Sébastien Bard
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