Arnold Rutkowski: “The most important thing is energy”

Arnold Rutkowski will be appearing in the gala concert in memory of Elena Obraztsova on 19 November. The Polish tenor, who is well known to our theatregoers for his performance as Manrico in Il trovatore, will sing excerpts from Carmen in duets with Elena Maksimova.

“I did not know Elena Obraztsova personally, but I am very familiar with her work and recordings,” said Rutkowski. "It is a great honour for me to take part in this concert, and a challenge at the same time. Everyone recognizes Obraztsova as the greatest Carmen, so it is a big responsibility to perform pieces from that opera at the concert held in her memory. She sang with the greatest tenors of her time, which means, given that it was the golden age of opera, the best tenors of all time. Whenever I watch the recording of the final duet from Carmen, which will also feature in the concert, it always has a powerful effect on me. But the most important thing that you can derive from her and absorb is her energy. It helps you to go out onto stage and sing.

“I made my international debut in Carmen at the Teatro Comunale Luciano Pavarotti. Since then I have sung the part of Jose all over the world, from the Vienna and Dresden opera houses to theatres in Puerto Rico. But those were operas — this will be my first concert performance of the role. Even though it is only excerpts from Carmen, they are the ones which are most important to me. I have not met Elena Maksimova yet, but I have heard a lot of good things about her. I have heard that she is a remarkable singer and actress, so I cannot wait to sing with her.

“The Mikhailovsky is a magnificent theatre with an excellent team at every level, from the stagehands to the conductor and the orchestra. It is very important to have professional people and a close-knit team around you — it makes it easier to perform. It is not the largest theatre in the world, but spacious enough to stage large-scale operas. There is a nice rapport with the audience here. I have fond memories of the times when I sang Il trovatore here, and they make me glad to be coming back.”