In his latest role, Yarraville tenor James Egglestone is playing a character who needs to become a master singer overnight in order to marry the woman he loves.
Given singers don’t come any more masterful than those who do opera, was this how Egglestone’s own career began?
“No, definitely not,” he roared, quashing any parallels between he and Walther von Stolzing, the character he plays in Wagner’s, Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg, which begins a four night run at the Royal Exhibition Building on February 16.
While Egglestone has been singing opera for 20 years, Walther von Stolzing has barely 24 hours to try and win the affections of Eva, the woman he has fallen in love with while visiting Nuremberg during a journey to explore his artistic passions.
Despite her feelings being mutual, Eva’s father has other ideas and organises a singing competition for the next day, with his daughter’s hand in marriage the winning prize.
“They have to be a master singer to enter that competition but he (Walther) is not a master singer, so the fun of the journey is that he has to learn to become a master singer in a day rather than years of training, to win her heart,” explained Egglestone who said rather than just being a conventional romance Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg, was a story on conflicting cultures and artistic visions
“Walther comes in with his own ideas on poetry and singing,” he said.
“He tries to break the established musical conventions, favouring creativity and originality over rigid rules.”
Egglestone said audiences for Wagner’s only comedy were in for a treat.
“It’s just grand and wonderful.The visceral experience you’ll get from listening to this grand orchestra and live singing is something that will give you goose bumps.”
Cade Lucas.
