Spotlight on Matteo Pais
Part of the Life of the Opera Pianist series
General Information
Education
Conservatory of Music (Genova, Italy) in piano
Current opera house and position(s)
Artistic coordinator at Arturo Toscanini Foundation
Other or former affiliations
Freelance Répétiteur from 2001 to 2020
Teatro del Maggio Musicale Fiorentino, Semperoper Dresden, Baden-Baden Festspiele, Canadian Opera Company, Theater an der Wien, Opera National de Lorraine, Ndr Hannover, Novaya Opera Moscow, Opéra de St.Étienne, Teatro Regio di Parma, Festival dei due mondi di Spoleto, Teatro Carlo Felice di Genova and many others.
Contact or Connect
Email: matteopais@yahoo.it
Instagram: matteopais79
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?
It’s not easy to explain because it is a very complex role. It does not appear and remains in the shadows, but anyone who works in the opera theater, be it artists or technicians, is aware of our importance. Furthermore, depending on the country, the répétiteur takes on different tasks.
To summarize, the répétiteur is a pianist who plays the part of the orchestra under the direction of a conductor during stage and musical rehearsals. At the same time, they assist the conductor on musical aspects especially listening for the musical balance between the orchestra pit and the stage. The répétiteur helps to reinforce the precision and execution of musical ideas such as rhythm, intonation and so forth. They are also in charge of the musical preparation of the cast and/or individual singers. In Italy, they are also in charge of the entrance of the singers and choir on stage, as well as technical movements such as lighting and staging cues from the stage director that are marked in the vocal score. I stop here as the matter gets complicated... I believe that the next few questions will help to provide a complete overview of its role.
What do you find to be one of the most challenging aspects of your job?
Creating the orchestral sound on the piano. This doesn’t mean, as many think, virtuosically adding more missing voices to the vocal score or playing everything very loudly but I am referring to the choice of sound, rhythmic stability and the articulation of the accompaniments. It’s necessary to find a completely different pianism from the one learned in the conservatory. One has to play "as the orchestra does". Furthermore, it’s very important to have a sound-mass that can support a large stage. I regularly work with young pianists in various academies or opera studios and the advice I always give them is "you don't have to play loud but big".
Do you have a favorite part of the preparation (rehearsal or learning an opera) process? If so, what is it and why?
I can't think of a particular part that is my favorite. In my opinion, the most interesting part of the job is when the conductor attends rehearsals, especially during staging rehearsals which are usually several weeks long. Day by day, we have the possibility to create a team which is essential to the rehearsal process. I have always enjoyed the rehearsals in which the stage director explains to the singers what to do and I have the chance to get up from the piano and get closer to the conductor (this can happen a dozen times in a morning rehearsal and you risk doing several kilometers!)…those moments are fundamental for creating the feeling with conductors, exchanging ideas with the cast and building a strategy in order to do a good job.
What is your favorite opera?
This is very difficult to answer. Without thinking too much, I would say Otello by Verdi. I would also like to mention a lesser-known title, Idomeneo by Mozart, which is certainly one of my favorite operas.
What is your favorite opera score to play and why?
Without a doubt, it is Turandot. It is a perfect mix of physicality, rhythm, musicality, technical difficulty and power.
What are some adjectives that describe the skills one needs to be a good répétiteur?
The theater is a place that needs personalities — this is the first requirement. A good répétiteur must also be flexible, rigorous, respectful of hierarchies and at the same time they must know how to work within a team. One should be open and available, (many times even be a good psychologist!) and have great leadership skills.
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?
The question is so complete that it is already an answer! In opera theater, as I said before, you have to be flexible. Often I have had to play a musical rehearsal in the morning with the Steinway grand piano, followed by a stage rehearsal in the afternoon on a battered upright piano (in the stage rehearsal room). On another day, I might play a piano final dress rehearsal in the hall that demands complete religious silence (as if it were a performance), followed by a day on stage with the director yelling at the choir where to go while you are trying to play and see the conductor. I once played a short rehearsal before a performance with the backstage trumpets on an electric piano. Another time, I conducted the bells of the “Te Deum” in Tosca with my right hand and at the same time, my left hand had to play the cannon shot (sampled) on an electric piano. And perhaps on another day, I would have to sing the all parts of the Rigoletto quartet from the pit with the tenor at least 25 meters away from me on the stage. I could, of course, continue ...isn't all this fascinating? In short, to answer the question, you always have to adapt yourself to different situations and every time you will learn something. To quote a colleague and friend, "Do it and never ask if you did well!"
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 think that what I said in previous answers already summarizes the amount of "hats" that we have worn over the years. Now I have a different role as the Artistic Coordinator of the Arturo Toscanini Foundation in Parma. I believe that the répétiteur, if he/she aspires not to stop at this type of role, may choose between two paths: orchestral conducting or artistic management. Right now, I’m happy with the new job as I can take advantage of the many years of experience “on the ground” and feel prepared for casting, creating programs with conductors and for the overall artistic planning of our season. The "battlefield" is the best school to learn from. I was lucky enough to start working when I was 19.
What was your first experience as a répétiteur? And your most recent experience as a répétiteur?
My first experience was at the Genoa Conservatory of Music, Rossini's “L’Occasione fa il ladro.” We were all students and it was an extraordinary experience. The artistic director of the Savona Opera Giocosa came to the rehearsals and after hearing me play the piano, hired me for a Rigoletto. That was my first contract, the autumn of 2001.
The most recent experience took place at the Teatro del Maggio Musicale Fiorentino. It was a Don Pasquale in February 2020 just before the closure for the pandemic. Shortly after this production, I actually started rehearsing a new Aida production in Toronto, but after a few days we had to stop rehearsing. We never even made it to the stage.
How do you manage playing an opera (or opera aria) for the nth time?
It has never been a problem for me. In fact the more I know a piece, the more I like to play it and it doesn't bore me to repeat it.
Do you have any advice for pianists interested in a career at an opera house?
I am lucky enough to hold masterclasses, meet many young pianists and find it really interesting to share opinions with them. You don’t learn this job at the Conservatory but on the ground, day by day. For this reason I find opera studios fundamental because they allow you to get to know the world of opera theater before starting the adventure. I think what is most important is listening to the repertoire and consequently getting to know the voices, the great conductors, and the good (and bad) traditions. It is very important to form your own background because having this awareness to the art is essential. Another important aspect is to accompany singing lessons, to deepen the vocal technique and not to do a "singing lesson" as unfortunately some répétiteur colleagues do. This is not our task but we need to be able to better understand the voices we work with and be able to give the right advice. Last, but not least, pay attention to the dramaturgy in order to be able to achieve a theatrical pronunciation (during coachings) and grasp the right character of the characters. I believe that these aspects are really fundamental for the growth of a good répétiteur.
Any additional memories, thoughts or comments?
I would like to quote a phrase an older and experienced colleague once told me when I was still at the beginning of my journey and has become an important lesson for me. "A good répétiteur must know the score better than the singer, better than the conductor and better than the stage director." I can say that it must be exactly like that.
Podcast episode from “The Diction Police” featuring Matteo Pais. He discusses diction for Quando me'n vo', Musetta's aria from La bohème. Listen here.
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