The Jewel of Song
Interview with Victoria de los Ángeles
Introduction:
In this article, I analyse a documentary interview with Victoria de los Ángeles, one of the most iconic sopranos of the 20th century, whose career and life are intertwined with her profound vision of music and art. Throughout this conversation, the soprano reflects on her career, her personal life, her relationship with music and her thoughts on the legacy she has left behind. Through her words, we get to know not only the artist, but also the person who, with humility and passion, made her mark on the history of opera.
1. Victoria de los Ángeles’ vision of life and art: In the interview, Victoria de los Ángeles expresses a philosophy of life that is both profound and simple.
For her, life should be lived intensely, without clinging to the past, but embracing the present with passion. ‘Life must be lived to the fullest,’ she says, emphasising the importance of enjoying every moment as a gift. This vision is also reflected in her approach to music, which she considers a heavenly act. The soprano shares how her love of music is what has allowed her to continue her career, singing with the same enthusiasm she had at the beginning of her journey.
2. Pride in her origins and humility in the face of success: One of Victoria’s most moving reflections in the interview is about her pride in being Catalan. Despite having achieved international success and a privileged position in the world of opera, Victoria never stopped feeling deeply connected to her roots.She humbly acknowledges that her career was the result of a lot of hard work, and she is surprised by the high status she has achieved. A French critic described her as ‘the only singer with a 20-year international career’, a recognition she receives with the same humility that has characterised her entire life.
Regarding her career, Victoria says she does not know what others think of her, but when she writes with humility, she feels a deep pride in her origins and in having been able to represent her homeland, Catalonia, on the most prestigious stages in the world.
3. Music as a companion and her approach to singing: For Victoria de los Ángeles, singing and music are a form of spiritual connection. The soprano reveals that, when she is on stage, she does not see herself as “Victoria de los Ángeles”, but as a character to whom she must give life and emotion. Thus, both in her interpretation of Puccini’s Madame Butterfly and in her role in Bizet’s Carmen, Victoria manages to merge with the characters, creating a unique experience for both herself and the audience.
She also expresses her fascination with French phonetics, which she discovered with great enthusiasm French culture and music captivated her deeply, and her interpretations of composers such as Fauré and the French repertoire reflect that connection.
4. Reflections on friendship, love, and loyalty: In an interesting passage from the interview, Victoria de los Ángeles reflects on the importance of personal relationships.
For her, friendship is a treasure and a fundamental value in life. ‘When you care deeply for someone, there should be loyalty,’ she says, suggesting that although love can be fleeting and sometimes ends, friendship has the capacity to endure and with it, loyalty is more likely.
In this sense, the soprano emphasises that, while romantic love is beautiful, friendship is what really sustains people over time. This view reflects the integrity and authentic approach that Victoria applies not only to her personal relationships, but also to her artistic career.
5. The importance of repertoire and its connection to poetry: Throughout the interview, various works that Victoria de los Ángeles performed during her career are mentioned.
In addition to classics such as Madame Butterfly, compositions by Spanish and French authors that she considered essential to her training and artistic expression are also highlighted. Some of the works mentioned in the conversation include:
– Cançó Fanguera by Ernesto Halffter, which reflects the beauty of Spanish popular music.
– Erlkönig by Franz Schubert, in which she delves into the dramatic emotionality of German music.
– Los Cuatro Muleros by Federico García Lorca, which connects her to the poetry and folklore of her homeland.
– Fine Knacks for Ladies by John Dowland, which explores Renaissance music with unique subtlety.
– Tristeza by Gabriel Fauré, with poetry by Paul Éluard, which embodies her relationship with French music.
– Sevillanas del siglo XVIII, a work that connects with traditional Spanish music, a fundamental aspect of her repertoire.
Victoria de los Ángeles also emphasises the importance of poetry in her singing, mentioning that singing is a form of literature, a connection with culture and refinement. In her words, “singing is cultural refinement”, and that vision of music as something more than technique, but as a literary and poetic expression, was one of the keys that made her unique in her interpretation.
6. The relationship between her personal life and her musical career: The soprano makes it clear in the interview that there is no separation between her personal life and her professional career. For her, music is a path to both personal and spiritual growth. ‘When you are yourself and natural, you can do great things,’ she says. This sincerity and authenticity accompanied her at all times, and her singing was always imbued with that naturalness, which allowed her to connect deeply with her audience.
In addition, Victoria mentions that she does not consider herself an artist separate from the human being, and that music has always been her great companion throughout her life, from her beginnings to the final moments of her career.
Conclusion
The documentary interview with Victoria de los Ángeles offers a unique insight into the life and art of one of the greatest sopranos in history. Through her words, we learn not only about her professional career, but also her personal reflections on music, art and life itself. With humility and passion, the soprano reflects in each of her comments her deep love for music and her commitment to truth and authenticity in everything she did.
hroughout the conversation, it becomes clear that Victoria de los Ángeles was much more than a great singer: she was an artist deeply connected to her humanity, and a woman who lived with love and gratitude, both in her personal life and in her career. Her legacy lives on, not only in her recordings and memories of her concerts, but also in the inspiration she continues to convey to all those who love music.
This documentary-interview with Victoria de los Ángeles reveals not only the extraordinary soprano she was, but also the person who, with humility and passion, marked a turning point in the world of classical music.
Through her reflections on her career, her personal life and her thoughts on music.
Victoria de los Ángeles seems to me to be an example of dedication, authenticity and love for art, whose legacy lives on today.
Edurne RS
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