By: Azad Karimi
As someone who changed his career "late", this would be the first thing - It's never late for a change. Do not do what doesn't makes you happy. Don't be afraid of changes. We are all citizens of the World, we can all start over at any point, from any point of the globe.
Interview
Serbian Opera singer Stevan Karanac
By Azad Karimi
What is art mission? Bertold Brecht says:
Art is not a mirror held up to reality, but a hammer with which to shape it.
I learned a lesson from this great German master many years ago, and I think I have succeeded in doing it: I never tried to pursue melee, seduction, and controversy. I say to my dear friends who do not know Bertolt Brecht, that he is a German writer, thinker, and playwright, but his art and literature are universal.
In this regard, I personally believe that art should serve to expand and deepen understanding and thought in humans and societies.
With the increase of the human perception of the truth of existence and what is mentally perceived from it, the sense of solidarity and cooperation in human beings becomes stronger. Art, in addition to defining the artist's view of the environment, is a means of measuring the perception of other human beings in a society, so art is not a completely personal matter and the artist narrates his/her feelings and views, he/she can not always define himself for himself, but the goal is to define himself for another.
Music is a branch of art and is very popular. It is easier to achieve, and music artists are usually better known. Even if they do not want to, they still have to go out of their personal framework to present their art.
Music is a very emotional and tangible language that transmits its mental and sensory concepts quickly because it directly hears by the audience through listening. Of course, in gifted audiences, analyzing instruments and recognizing their voices is a sign of genius and deep understanding of composition and musical timbre.
But what is the role of the singer's voice? I have read that sometimes the singer's voice is considered an instrument.
I do not think the singer's voice is an instrument. It is a human voice, it is a celestial concept-phenomenon that coming out of the singer's throat.
Of course, the wind instruments are also played directly with the breath, but they do not utter the word like the larynx, but only they evoke the meaning of the word in the mind.
So the voice of the singer is not just the modulation of words and the transmission of emotion, but the words of the soul of the singer.
Listen to the amazing voice of Stevan to understand what I mean.
I wish my dear friend Stevan all the best, he is a blessing and a worthy young and when you read his answers in our interview, you understand his merit and talent.
Thank you!
Vestland-Norway
1- Please present yourself: (Name, education, Civil status, and...)
.My name is Stevan Karanac, I’m a Master of Music in the field of performing arts living in Belgrade, Serbia.
2-What is your artistic specialization?
.My Field Of Study was the voice in classical music and I have specialized in opera theatre performance or opera repertoire.
3- When and how did you become interested in this field of art?
.I have been attracted to music since I can remember... As a little boy, I remember having an electric pipe organ ( at least it was just a keyboard with few selections of pipe organ sound colors ) that my uncle gave me. He was a jazz musician, but seeing him playing and practicing on his keyboard seemed like a too complicated process for me. As for the opera, I have never had an idea to became an opera singer, I just wanted to educate myself in the state music school, but as I have started as a 23 yeard old pupil, the only department I could enroll myself into was the voice.
4- Who was your motivator?
.My motivator to start my music education was my professor of Music art from elementary school. I have met her one day as I was passing by the Music school in my birth city of Kragujevac and she suggested I should think about pursuing my education in music,y. It was a funny coincidence that I have played a horn ( commonly known as a German horn ), same as her grandfather, so she remembered me from elementary school as a talented boy. It took me a few years to finally go and take the entrance exam. But my inspiration is the first compact disc that we had in our home - Mozart's Requiem. It blew my mind and I heard so many things happening musically in this piece that I couldn't explain and define myself as a self-thought, so I knew I have to have at least some level of music education.
5- What was your parent’s reaction?
.When I first started music school nobody knew how far will I go with it, so I suppose it took a few years for all of us to figure out what is going on. Even though I live in another city, she comes to the most important performances and she gives me the biggest support ever.
- When did you start working as a professional artist - musician and Opera singer?
.After a high school for music, I decided to come to Belgrade and try to enroll in the Faculty of Music - the most important educational system in Serbia in the field of music. It was in October 2014 when I started Faculty and at the same time I got the audition in the Choir of the Opera in National theatre in Belgrade. I was the choir member for one season, performing mostly in smaller roles in many operas performed that season. Just a few months before I had first performances on stages in Serbia and Montenegro, so I consider this year my starting point.
7- Are you thankful and happy because of your activities as a musician and opera singer?
.I am so happy, as I have found an endless source of inspiration. Thanks to the music and my voice I have already visited so many countries and I truly hope it will all just go back to normal in some time soon.
8- What is Opera culture? What is Opera logic?
.I like to say that opera is the sweetest lie. There is so much going on during the show, so many months of preparation before the orchestra comes into the pit, the maestro stands in front of them and singers go out on the stage. Since the moment the show starts, we all strive for every single bit and piece of our art is pure perfection. And the audience should be sucked in a parallel universe of characters that we are putting life into, they have to believe us and feel the strongest emotions we are trying to transmit. On the other side of the curtain, the performers have to find the perfect balance in feeling the same emotions for real and acting it, so we could survive everything that happens to our character and not be devoured by emotions while trying to produce the perfect note and tone we were practicing for months.
9- Why are some operas immortal?
.I am not sure. Sometimes the course of early performances determines the faith of some operas. For example, Donizetti wrote almost 70 operas, and let's say that not all of them are so popular today. I suppose that back in time they were "as good as all the others". Bizet is mostly known for his Carmen, Verdi for many more popular titles, as well as Puccini, but not all of their operas are considered the most popular. On the other hand, there are so many composers that wrote wonderful pieces and never enjoyed the popularity of Beethoven or wrote something as famous as the Moonlight sonata... Sometimes composers and librettists make the perfect harmony of emotions and the music of their operas touches our soul in a special way. Maybe this might be the reason.
10- What are your predictions for the future in music, singing, opera, art in general?
.The last pandemic of Covid-19 made it impossible for performing artists to work and give us all so much time to think. Opera survived many pandemics, wars, crises and hard times. People will always create art, perform and enjoy art. I hope that humanity is never coming back to times when survival is the main goal. Governments are obligated to provide cultural content and cultural life to the people. The current situation is a big lesson, it's up tho "them" to learn it.
11- Can you become one part of the cultural movement for motivating youth or the new generation in your country and how?
.I am still trying to build my carrier in Serbia, but at the same time I am also trying to make some new opportunities for my younger colleagues who haven't had a chance to step on stage and perform the leading roles. This is the goal of the "Bell'Opera" - an organization I have founded in 2020 with my classmate and soprano colleague.
12- How can you help our world become a better place to live?
.As I strive to give the best performance I can, I hope the audience can enjoy the show and go back hope with a heart full of emotions. Sometimes it is a happy show, but sometimes it's a tragedy - either way, I hope my art is making people happy for they have came and seen the show... Privately, I like to make some small things to make the world a better place. Sometimes it's just collecting plastic caps, helping someone to get out of the public transport, or any other small kind act. Just being kind to others is enough to make this world a better place, it's not that hard.
13- Have you more words to say or something suggest to our readers? .As someone who changed his career "late", this would be the first thing - It's never late for a change. Do not do what doesn't makes you happy. Don't be afraid of changes. We are all citizens of the World, we can all start over at any point, from any point of the globe.
