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It helped, Davidsen said, when the Met’s orchestra, conducted by Yannick Nézet-Séguin, its musical director, joined the cast in rehearsals. “You wouldn’t think it takes 70 more musicians,” he added, “but they really help me focus on my singing.”
Nézet-Séguin and Davidsen have been working together since 2019, when she sang with him at a “Fidelio” concert in Montreal. This “Forza” is his first stage collaboration. He called her “the dream singer,” not only because of her voice, but also because of “the millions of nuances that he finds in her.”
What sets her apart from other sopranos, she said, is “really the combination of all those qualities in the service of each style.” And she is attuned and dedicated to the specific sounds and demands of each composer she encounters, she added.
For now, the composers Davidsen feels most comfortable with are those from the German repertoire. But, as she approaches the premiere of “Forza,” she is also confident in Italian opera. She also feels lucky, as a star singer who is offered roles without auditioning, to have the opportunity to sing Leonora on a stage like the Met.
“I know there are more obvious choices for this role,” he said, “so I really appreciate that they still want me to do it”; Many singers did not have the opportunity and “become those one-role singers. If we are able to trust other singers, then maybe the variety will be greater too.”
This is especially important, he added, because he is aware that some will not like his Leonora or his Tosca next season.
“I fully support the fact that this is my opinion of them,” Davidsen said. “And if it doesn’t work, it doesn’t work. Then you’re going to see the next Tosca. For me it’s okay that it’s not for everyone.”