Spotlight on Vlad Iftinca
Part of the Life of the Opera Pianist series
Photo by Matthias Baus
General Information
Education
Escuale de musica Reina Sofia Madrid
Southern Methodist University Dallas
Mannes College of Music
The Juilliard School
Current opera house and position(s)
Staatsoper Stuttgart, music staff, conductor
Other or former affiliations
The Metropolitan Opera, Dallas Opera, Los Angeles Opera, Ravinia Festival, Deutsche Oper am Rhein, Oper Frankfurt, Teatro dell’Opera di Roma
11 Questions
Many people do not know the many roles and responsibilities a répétiteur has in the opera house. How do you explain your job to non-musicians, or even other musicians?
I think non-musicians and sometimes even musicians do not understand that our job is not only playing for rehearsals and coaching singers, it requires a much larger field of knowledge from the history of culture, language phonetics and even the psychology of singers. We are the people behind the scenes, the ones who are an essential part of what comes out on stage at the end.
What do you find to be one of the most challenging aspects of your job?
Remaining flexible in your musical ideas since you work with so many people, being able to adjust to different opinions when you repeat the same opera with different casts and conductors, understanding the needs of a singer in the moment of a coaching and trying to achieve the best they can in that moment. Also playing different kinds of repertoire requires a very strong technique that needs to be maintained through diligent practice, similar to demands of a soloist.
Do you have a favorite part of the preparation (rehearsal or learning an opera) process? If so, what is it and why?
Discovering the piece from all angles possible at the very beginning, not just the notes. There is much more behind the score and researching that aspect makes me very excited every time. I enjoy understanding the psychology of each character, the drama itself, the text, and how the composer has translated it into his music.
What is your favorite opera?
What is your favorite opera score to play and why?
It’s hard to say, many times it becomes the opera I am rehearsing or learning in that moment.
What are some adjectives that describe the skills one needs to be a good répétiteur?
Flexible technique, ability to arrange a difficult score but still maintaining most of the piano reduction, being able to react quickly, focused attention in rehearsals with conductors, knowledge of language phonetics, knowledge of orchestra scores, being acquainted with classical theatre and interest in history, not only of music and composers, but world history. For example, sometimes we need to erase from our minds what came after Mozart in order to understand his times and what was happening in the world at that moment, not only focusing on his biography.
As a répétiteur, we are expected to prepare music quickly (sometimes having to sightread or transpose or play music from the orchestra full score), manage multiple opera productions at the same time, play rehearsals for last minute cast changes, conduct last minute rehearsals or performances and sometimes even sing roles in these rehearsals or performances. Do you have any advice on how to deal with the excitement of the job?
Keep sharpening your skills by taking on new challenges. Coordination of singing and playing does not always come naturally so it needs constant work in order to improve, at least in my case.
We also wear many hats as a répétiteur. We are often asked to assist conductors by taking notes, provide backstage conducting for performances, prompt the singers, conduct staging rehearsals, accompany chorus rehearsals, manage sound effects or major musical cues for performances, perform a keyboard instrument (or two) in the orchestra pit and give notes to singers about language and diction. Do you have a favorite aspect of the career? Have you branched out in other directions related to our field?
I have been conducting operas since 2014 and I believe my experience at the piano has helped so much with this new adventure in my career. In addition to my responsibilities as a coach for the Lindemann Young Artist Program at the Metropolitan Opera, I was also a member of the music staff as a pianist and prompter. Playing song recitals is another very important part of my life and I hope to keep doing them as long as I can. I believe that Lieder recitals should represent 50% of a collaborative pianist’s career.
What was your first experience as a répétiteur? And your most recent experience as a répétiteur?
My first experience was Albert Herring in 2000 at the Southern Methodist University in Dallas. I will cherish that memory forever since it also opened the door for my love of Britten. I am currently preparing Die Walküre for a new production at Staatsoper Stuttgart and will soon conduct L'elisir d'amore for Opera Națională București (Bucharest National Opera).
How do you manage playing an opera (or opera aria) for the nth time?
As I mentioned before, remaining flexible in our job and being open to new ideas keeps things fresh all the time. At every rehearsal, you have the potential to learn from the new conductors and singers. There is the possibility of discovering new facets of an already familiar opera.
Do you have any advice for pianists interested in a career at an opera house?
My first advice is for pianists who really do not love this music or singers, or the theatre in general, or who are not flexible. In that case, do not do this job because your career as a soloist does not work out. As I said before, you not need to have the technique but even more knowledge in addition to your fingers. Also, go to the theatre, see plays and learn from great actors the meaning of classical drama, another important aspect of our job. Also, learn languages and how they work in singing!!! And during the rehearsal process, focus your attention on the musical progress of a singer in your production — nothing else should be of our concern.
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