Dinara Aliyeva is an opera singer. In memory of the great artist Dmitry Hvorostovsky. Arias from great operas. Dinar Aliyev. You have well-developed intuition

To achieve something in life, you need to have ambitious goals. Dinara Aliyeva, an opera singer and soloist of the Bolshoi Theater, thinks so. That is why she went to conquer Moscow. Dinara was confident that everything would work out for her, and her intuition did not disappoint. Why did she decide to connect her life with music? Probably because her whole family was connected with this art. But first things first.

Biography

Dinara Aliyeva was born on December 17, 1980 in the city of Baku. Since, as she put it, she absorbed music with her mother’s milk, there was no doubt that music was her calling. It was clear from her very birth that the girl was talented. That is why her parents brought her to the famous Azerbaijani school named after Bulbul, where she studied piano. After graduating from school, Dinara enters the Baku Academy of Music. Dinara's class is taught by the famous singer Khuraman Kasimova.

Memorable for Dinara Aliyeva are the master classes held in Baku by Elena Obraztsova and Monserat Caballe. It was Montserrat Caballe’s master class that changed Dinara’s whole life. The celebrity noted the girl as a “young talent.” Dinara realized that she was going in the right direction, that she would become an opera singer, and that the whole world would talk about her. In 2004, Diana graduated from the academy with flying colors. Her career began in her native Azerbaijan at the Drama Theater of Opera and Ballet named after M.F. Akhundova. True, Dinara has been performing in this theater since 2002, while still studying at the academy. We can say that Dinara Aliyeva has a very happy biography. Family, music, opera, festivals, tours - that’s what makes it up.

Soloist of the Bolshoi Theater

In 2007, Dinara Aliyeva was invited to the international arts festival, led by Yuri Bashmet. And in 2009 she made her debut on the stage of the Bolshoi Theater. Aliyeva performed the role of Liu in Puccini's Turandot, and with her voice captivated not only the public, but also critics. The singer gladly accepted the invitation to perform on the day of memory of Maria Callas on September 16, 2009 in Athens. This was one of her favorite singers. In Athens, she performed arias from the operas La Traviata and Tosca. Dinara Aliyeva's repertoire on the stage of the Bolshoi Theater includes the roles of Violetta from La Traviata, Donna Elvira in Don Juan, Eleanor in Il Trovatore, Martha in The Tsar's Bride - you can't count them all.

Dinara likes Moscow and the Bolshoi Theater; in her interviews she says that Moscow is the city that became her second home and gave her fame. It was where her formation and professional path began.

Vienna Opera

Smiling, singer Dinara Aliyeva recalls her debut at the Vienna Opera. This performance was like a test of fate. It happened like this: a phone call came from Vienna with a request to replace the sick singer. It was necessary to perform Donna Elvira's aria in Italian. Dinara had already performed the aria, but it was exciting, since the audience knew this part very well.

The theater greeted Aliyeva very friendly. The theater building, flooded with lights, seemed like a magical dream to her. She couldn’t believe that she was at the Vienna Opera, and that this was not a dream, but reality. The performance was a success. After this, Dinara received invitations to Vienna more than once. The capital of Austria amazed the young singer with the spirit of music that reigned everywhere there. Dinara was also struck by the touching tradition of Viennese audiences not to miss a single debut of a beginning artist. No one in Vienna knew her, a young woman who had come to replace a famous but ill opera diva, but people were in a hurry to get her autograph. This touched the young singer to the depths of her soul.

About the singer's tour

Everyone who serves in theaters regularly goes on tour, and Dinara Aliyeva is no exception. The solo concert in Prague, which took place in 2010, was accompanied by the National Symphony Orchestra of the Czech Republic. Dinara made her debut on the stage of the Alter Opera in Germany in 2011. Success awaited her at New York's Carnegie Hall and at a gala concert at the Gaveau Hall in Paris. The singer performs concerts on the stages of leading opera houses in Russia, Europe, the USA and Japan. She is always happy to tour in her homeland and looks forward to meeting the city of her childhood, Baku, and periodically gives concerts there. In this city she had the opportunity to sing with Placido Domingo.

Diana Aliyeva's repertoire consists not only of chamber works, she performs the main roles for soprano, vocal miniatures by composers Schumann, Brahms, Tchaikovsky, Rachmaninov.

About plans and dreams

When Diana Aliyeva is asked about her dreams and their implementation, she replies that her dream of becoming a soloist of the Bolshoi Theater has already come true. Trusting her intuition, she came to Moscow. However, the singer says that it is not enough to trust only intuition, it is equally important to believe that you can achieve what you want. When you achieve a goal or your dream comes true, something appears that you move on to. And Dinara’s most cherished dream: to achieve such mastery in order to touch the souls of people with her singing and remain in their memory, to go down in the history of music. The dream is ambitious, but it helps to realize plans that initially seem impossible.

Festival "Opera Art"

In 2015, the singer decided to hold her own festival, Opera Art. As part of it, concerts were held in Moscow. The festival tour included such large cities as St. Petersburg, Prague, Berlin, and Budapest. By the end of 2015, her new CD with the famous tenor Alexander Antonenko was released. In March 2017, the next festival started, where meetings with interesting singers, conductors and directors took place.

The demand for Dinara Aliyeva as an opera singer, her participation in charity concerts and festivals - all this requires time, energy, and desires. Where does she get such dedication? Dinara explains this with her crazy love for opera. She cannot imagine herself without singing, without a stage, without spectators. For her, the most important thing is serving the art of opera.

Born in Baku (Azerbaijan). In 2004 she graduated from the Baku Academy of Music (class of Kh. Kasimova).
She took part in master classes by Montserrat Caballe and Elena Obraztsova.
Since 2010 she has been a soloist at the Bolshoi Theater, where she made her debut in 2009 as Liu (Turandot by G. Puccini).
Currently she is also a guest soloist at the Vienna State Opera and the Latvian National Opera.

Repertoire

Her repertoire at the Bolshoi Theater included the following roles:
Liu(“Turandot” by G. Puccini)
Rosalind(“The Bat” by J. Strauss)
Musetta, Mimi(“La bohème” by G. Puccini)
Marfa(“The Tsar’s Bride” by N. Rimsky-Korsakov)
Michaela(“Carmen” by J. Bizet)
Violet(“La Traviata” by G. Verdi)
Iolanta(“Iolanta” by P. Tchaikovsky)
Elizabeth Valois(“Don Carlos” by G. Verdi)
Amelia(“Un ballo in maschera” by G. Verdi)
title part(“Rusalka” by A. Dvorak) - the first performer at the Bolshoi Theater
Princess Olga Tokmakova(“Woman of Pskov” by N. Rimsky-Korsakov, concert performance)

Also in the repertoire:
Magda(“Swallow” by G. Puccini)
Lauretta(“Gianni Schicchi” by G. Puccini)
Margarita(“Faust” by C. Gounod)
Tatiana(“Eugene Onegin” by P. Tchaikovsky)
Leonora(“Il Trovatore” by G. Verdi)
Donna Elvira(“Don Giovanni” by W. A. ​​Mozart)

Tour

The singer performed the main roles in productions of the Mikhailovsky Theater in St. Petersburg (Violetta, La Traviata by G. Verdi, 2008), the Baku Opera and Ballet Theater (Leonora, Il Trovatore by G. Verdi, 2004; Violetta, La Traviata "G. Verdi, 2008; Mimi, "La Bohème" by G. Puccini, 2008), Stuttgart Opera (Michaela, "Carmen" by G. Bizet, 2007).

In 2010, she performed the role of Leonora (Il Trovatore by G. Verdi, directed by Andrejs Žagars) at the State Theater Klagenfurt (Austria).
In 2011, she performed the roles of Donna Elvira (Don Giovanni by W. A. ​​Mozart), Violetta (La Traviata by G. Verdi) and Tatiana (Eugene Onegin by P. Tchaikovsky) on the stage of the Latvian National Opera; the role of Donna Elvira (Don Giovanni) at the Vienna State Opera; She made her debut at the Frankfurt Opera as Violetta (La Traviata).
In 2013, she performed the role of Juliet (The Tales of Hoffmann by J. Offenbach) at the Bavarian State Opera, the role of Violetta at the Deutsche Oper in Berlin, and the role of Mimi (La bohème by G. Puccini) at the Salerno/Italy Opera).
In 2014 - the role of Tatiana at the Vienna State Opera; the role of Donna Elvira at the Deutsche Oper, Mimi at the Frankfurt Opera.
In 2015, she performed the role of Magda (The Swallow by G. Puccini) at the Deutsche Oper and Leonora (Il Trovatore by G. Verdi) at the Israeli Opera.
In 2016 - the role of Tamara (The Demon by A. Rubinstein) at the La Monnaie Theater in Brussels and the role of Maria (Mazeppa by P. Tchaikovsky) at the Oviedo Opera (Spain).
She performed as Leonora in the new production of the opera “Il Trovatore” by G. Verdi at the Reggio Theater in Parma (conducted by Massimo Zanetti).
Among the engagements in 2018-19: Violetta (La Traviata by G. Verdi) at the Hamburg State Opera, Mimi (La Bohème by G. Puccini) at the Deutsche Oper Berlin, Elvira (Ernani by G. Verdi) at the Latvian National Opera , Liu (Turandot by G. Puccini) and Elisabeth Valois (Don Carlos by G. Verdi) at the Vienna State Opera.

She took part in a concert performance of the opera La Traviata by G. Verdi (as Violetta) at the Thessaloniki Concert Hall, dedicated to the 30th anniversary of the death of Maria Callas.
She took part in the anniversary gala concerts of Elena Obraztsova at the Bolshoi Theater (2008) and at the Mikhailovsky Theater in St. Petersburg (2009).
In 2018, she performed solo concerts “In Memory of the Great Artist Dmitry Hvorostovsky” at the Concert Hall. P.I. Tchaikovsky (conducted by Alexander Sladkovsky) and “Romances” in Prague’s Rudolfinum (conducted by Emmanuel Vuillaume).
In March 2019, she took part in a concert performance of the opera “The Woman of Pskov” by N. Rimsky-Korsakov, performing the part of Olga Tokmakova (Bolshoi Theater tour in France, conductor Tugan Sokhiev).

Constantly collaborates with leading Russian conductors and symphony orchestras, including Vladimir Fedoseev and the Tchaikovsky Grand Symphony Orchestra, Vladimir Spivakov, the Moscow Virtuosi chamber orchestra and the National Philharmonic Orchestra of Russia, Mark Gorenstein and the State Academic Symphony Orchestra of Russia, Nikolai Kornev and St. Petersburg State Symphony Orchestra. She has repeatedly performed with the St. Petersburg Philharmonic Symphony Orchestra conducted by Yuri Temirkanov, both with special programs and as part of the Christmas Meetings and Arts Square festivals, and in 2007 she toured with this orchestra in Italy.
The singer collaborated with famous Italian conductors: Fabio Mastrangelo, Giuliano Carella, Giuseppe Sabbatini and others
Dinara Aliyeva performed successfully in the USA and in various European countries. The singer took part in the gala concert of the Crescendo festival in the Gaveau hall in Paris (2007), in the concert of the Musical Olympus festival in New York's Carnegie Hall (2008), and performed at the Russian Seasons festival. at the Monte Carlo Opera (conductor Dmitry Yurovsky, 2009).

Discography

2013 - “Russian songs and arias” (Naxos, CD)
2014 – “Pace mio Dio...” (Delos Records, CD)
2015 – “Dinara Aliyeva in Moscow” (Delos Records, DVD)
2016 – “Swallow” by G. Puccini (Magda; Deutsche Oper Berlin; Delos Records, DVD)

Print

culture: How are the rehearsals for “The Swallow,” not Puccini’s most famous opera, going?
Alieva: Amazing. I have already worked with many of those involved in the play. She sang with Rolando Villazon last season in Eugene Onegin at the Vienna Opera. Then he invited me to “Swallow”. I admire this singer and his amazing acting skills. And as a person, Rolando is incredibly positive; he literally infects everyone around him with charm. “Swallow” is not Villazon’s first experience as a director, and it would seem that, as a world star, he should show leniency towards his colleagues. But no. He works out every detail, perfects his phrasing, and keeps track of all the nuances. Villazon the director is attentive to the score and builds characters in an unconventional way. She perfectly shows the artists what she wants to see, “lives” both female and male roles, and plays out the mise-en-scène. In a word, it creates an exciting one-man theater before our eyes - you can make a movie!

culture: What about your courtesan Magda? It is often called a cast of Verdi's Violetta, only without the tragic coloring...
Alieva: Puccini's heroine is quite one-dimensional. Villazon strives to emphasize her ambiguity: Magda is sincerely in love, but does not find the strength to break out of the usual life of a courtesan.

culture: Choosing between love and wealth can be difficult. You once said that the weaker sex is stronger than men. Hearing this from the lips of an Eastern woman is, to say the least, strange.
Alieva: A woman's strength lies in her ability to show her weakness. Not in straight-line movement towards the goal, but in the ability to bypass an obstacle. Brutality does not suit her, she should not be a protector and breadwinner. These are the prerogatives of men.

As for Eastern education, today it is rather a cliché. It often refers to behavior based on conservative morality and the strict dictates of tradition. But, excuse me, do Christian families hold different views? I honor and preserve family traditions, although I am quite modern and do not sit at home in a headscarf. I won’t allow myself any liberties on stage, but I’m always ready to convey high human feelings and express truly passionate love. After all, I'm an artist.

culture: Montserrat Caballe predicted Star Trek to you...
Alieva: Our meeting took place in Baku, where I participated in her master class. I perceived Caballe as a goddess. It was her review that largely determined my fate. She called me a “golden voice,” which instilled confidence: I began to strive for competitions, decided to conquer Moscow - to sing at the Bolshoi Theater.

culture: Which other greats have you crossed paths with?
Alieva: I was incredibly lucky to have meetings. I am happy that I was introduced to Elena Obraztsova and attended her master class. Our communication with Elena Vasilievna did not interrupt; in recent years we have performed together. Her departure is impossible to believe...

I sang with Placido Domingo several times, including at a concert in Baku. She has repeatedly performed as a soloist with the outstanding choral conductor Viktor Sergeevich Popov, and with the orchestras of Temirkanov, Pletnev, Spivakov, and Bashmet.

culture: You are a full-time soloist of the Bolshoi Theater and tour a lot. Can you already be called a world celebrity?
Alieva: I don’t claim it for the whole world yet. And I am proud that, for example, in Greece they love me and call me the second Maria Callas. And in Russia, judging by the reviews of critics and colleagues, I have a good reputation. At the Bolshoi I ​​participate in Verdi’s La Traviata, Puccini’s La Bohème and Turandot, and Rimsky-Korsakov’s The Tsar’s Bride. This is not the first season that she has been bound by contracts with the opera houses of Vienna, Berlin, and the Bavarian and Latvian operas. At the Beijing Opera House I am scheduled to take part in a production of Dvorak's The Mermaid. I give concerts in my native Azerbaijan and try to attract my colleagues there to tour.

culture: Do you feel the strength of the Azerbaijani brotherhood in Moscow?
Alieva: Connections with the diaspora are natural. Almost no one gets along without the help of their compatriots. Imagine: a girl from a sunny southern city, where all her movements were limited to walking distance, finds herself in a metropolis. Huge distances, masses of people, endlessly long avenues and an overcrowded metro are stressful for anyone who has lived before in other rhythms.

culture: Are you perceived abroad as an Azerbaijani or a Russian singer?
Alieva: In the world, an artist’s belonging to a particular culture is determined by his permanent place of work. I serve at the Bolshoi Theater, so for foreign listeners and impresarios I am a Russian singer.

culture: The Bolshoi Theater has great ambitions and fierce competition. How do you get along with this?
Alieva: She went through a good “hardening”. At the age of thirteen, I had my first vocal teacher, who constantly repeated to me: “You will vegetate in the provinces with your spinelessness.” I was a vulnerable, homely child, I often cried and worried, but some unknown force forced me to go to class again, overcome myself, endure and not give up.

While studying at the Baku Conservatory, I was selected for the main and difficult role of Leonora in the production of “Il Trovatore” on the stage of the Azerbaijan Opera. Then I encountered envy and rumors. Since then, I have become no stranger to gossip; I have developed an immunity.

Of course, at the Bolshoi everything is big: competition and the struggle of ambitions. I can't say that everything comes easy. My teacher, Professor Svetlana Nesterenko, helps a lot - a subtle, wise, caring mentor. I myself work on myself every day, returning to already sung parts. My loved ones consider me a perfectionist, but I know that without constant self-improvement there is no way forward. True, it is impossible to please everyone. I see many examples when certain cultural managers decide who can sing and who cannot, and I know my ill-wishers.

culture: Do rumors that you are a relative of Heydar Aliyev, and this explains your rapid rise, irritate you?
Alieva: Well, don’t prove to me every day that we are namesakes. The Aliyevs are a very common surname in Azerbaijan. Dad served as a make-up artist in the theater, but he played the piano, improvised, and could pick out any melody. He initiated my music studies. Mom is also an artistic person: she worked as a choirmaster at a music school and is a director in her second profession. In her youth, she even entered GITIS, but her parents categorically forbade her to study at the acting department. Perhaps the fact that I ended up on stage is the embodiment of my mother’s aspirations. Even when choosing my name, my mother thought about her favorite actresses. I was named after Dinah Durbin, but Dinah eventually transformed into Dinara.

culture: Music lovers are actively discussing the emergence of a new music festival and linking it with your name.
Alieva: I hope to present my own opera show in Moscow soon. I will invite famous artist friends and organize concerts not only in the capital, but also in St. Petersburg, Prague, Budapest, and Berlin. It’s too early to talk about details. I can only say that a performance is planned in Moscow with the State Orchestra of Russia and the famous conductor Daniel Oren - together we conceived the Puccini Gala program.

culture: Which stage readings are closer to you - conservative or avant-garde?
Alieva: Nowadays the cult of the director reigns. Such an advantage seems unjustified to me - after all, the main thing in opera is the music, the singers, and the conductor. Of course, I do not deny modern readings. The black and white “Eugene Onegin” on the stage of the Vienna Opera was distinguished by its minimalism. At the Latvian Theater, my Tatyana became a teenager misunderstood and disliked by her parents. Both interpretations were evidence-based and justified, which is rare. Much more often you come across straightforward populism: Don Juan is always bare-chested and with overflowing sexuality, manically pestering everyone. Is this innovation?

The public wants to see academic, “costume” productions. And singers prefer to work in beautiful “antique” costumes, in the interiors of architectural settings. This is much more fun than cutting through an empty stage in a nightgown.

culture: Did having a child affect your voice in any way?
Alieva: Certainly. The voice thickened and became larger. True, it is difficult to combine the birth and raising of a child with a career. I always wanted children, and if I had not become a singer, I would have given birth to at least three. Thank God, now I have a son.

culture: Isn’t it a shame that you make art for the elite? After all, opera is elitist. Don’t you want it to become more accessible and democratic?
Alieva: All academic art is elitist. It cannot be otherwise - to perceive it you need to be an educated person. An opera listener must have considerable intellectual baggage. Although classical operas are capable of touching people of a wide range. For example, at the Puccini festival in the wonderful Italian town of Torre del Lago, I sang in front of an audience of thousands. True, Italy is a country where interest in opera, as they say, is in the blood...

culture: Now you are fully occupied with “Swallow”, but when will Moscow fans hear you?
Alieva: Already in March there will be a concert with a serious opera program. I will perform with the wonderful dramatic tenor Alexander Antonenko and the National Philharmonic Orchestra of Russia conducted by Ken-David Mazur. In April I will present a chamber program in the Small Hall of the Conservatory. Of course, I’m looking forward to my performances at the Bolshoi Theater - “La Bohemes” and “La Traviata” under the baton of maestro Tugan Sokhiev. He will soon be behind the controls in Bizet’s Carmen, where I will perform the role of Michaela.

- First, tell us about the most important recent events for you.

In April I made my debut in Berlin (Deutsche Oper Berlin), where I performed the role of Violetta in Verdi’s La Traviata. And just the other day I returned from Munich, where I made my debut at the Bayerischen Staatsoper (Bavarian State Opera), performing the role of Juliet in Offenbach's opera The Tales of Hoffmann. The production featured world-famous opera singers such as Giuseppe Figlianoti, Kathleen Kim, Anna Maria Martinez and others.

- How often do you go on tour?

Quite often... The schedule is quite tight.

Hard to tell. Everything in the theater is permeated with an atmosphere of magic; everywhere you feel like you’re in a fairy tale.

- When will we be able to hear you at home again?

As soon as they invite you (smiles). I believe that a lot here depends on the leadership of the theater, the philharmonic and the Ministry of Culture and Tourism of Azerbaijan.

- What brought you to the Bolshoi Theater?

It's time to improve, grow, reach new heights and achieve global recognition. After all, it’s no secret that singing at the Bolshoi Theater is the dream of any singer, not to mention becoming a soloist of this famous theater. My dream has come true. But this medal also has a flip side. Performing in the main theater of the country and representing it all over the world is a very responsible task.

- What is your favorite corner of the theater?

Hard to tell. Everything in the theater is permeated with an atmosphere of magic; everywhere you feel like you’re in a fairy tale. But, probably, it’s still a scene. Although sometimes it’s nice to sit in the auditorium.

- Tell us about your life before moving to Moscow?

She graduated from the school named after Bulbul in piano, then from the conservatory (class of the outstanding singer Khuraman Kasimova), for two years she was a soloist at the Azerbaijan Drama Theater of Opera and Ballet named after M.F. Akhundov. And then, as Ostap Bender said, she realized that “great things await me” and went to conquer Moscow.

I don't want to get ahead of myself. Now my life is entirely connected with Moscow, where I live and work. Over the past five years, many proposals have been received from several leading theaters in Europe, but I am in no hurry to make drastic decisions. I believe that this should be approached responsibly and carefully.

- Your parents are connected with the world of music. I guess it left a lasting mark?

Yes. Both parents and grandparents were all involved in music and the stage. Of course, this influenced my life and, in a sense, predetermined my choice.

- What, in your opinion, is necessary in order to achieve success in the opera field?

Perhaps talent alone is not enough. In any business, hard work is required to achieve success. You need to work persistently, selflessly, with complete dedication, believe and move forward. This is the only way success and fame come.

In any business, hard work is required to achieve success.

- And yet... was there an element of chance in your career? What is the general relationship between work and luck in an artist’s career?

Accident? Probably not. Everything I have achieved to date is rather a pattern, a reward for perseverance and willingness to win. And work and luck are inseparable concepts. Take, for example, successful people who are called lucky... They work much more and harder than others. It is unlikely that any of them achieved success while lying on the couch. So, I believe that luck is only the end result of constant work.

- Aren’t you going to start teaching yourself?

There are plans for this. I would like to have my own school, but that’s a little later (smiles). Although many people now come to me asking me to listen and practice. But, unfortunately, I don't have time for this yet...

As a rule, I don’t go out anywhere before a performance. If it’s a hotel, that means I stay in the room and relax, don’t eat salty or drink cold things, try to talk less, etc.

- Whose concert would you go to with pleasure? It's not just about classical vocals...

Whenever possible, I try not to miss concerts of great opera singers such as Jessie Norman, Renee Fleming, Angela Georgiou and many others. I love jazz music.

- What projects are you working on today? Where have you performed lately, what do you have planned for the future?

Currently I am preparing to perform at the 25th international festival "Colmar" in France with the "Verdi Gala" program, accompanied by the Vladimir Spivakov orchestra. This is a solo program, including only Verdi's arias in honor of the 200th anniversary of the composer's birth. Next, I have a solo concert planned at the Ordinary House in Prague, recording of the next album, and also signed a number of contracts with leading European theaters, including the Vienna Theater, where I am participating in the production of “Eugene Onegin”, the Bavarian Opera House in Munich (“La Traviata”), Deutsche Oper, etc.

-Have you ever experienced stage fright?

Fear - no! Just excitement. I believe that if you are afraid of the stage, then you are unlikely to become an artist and musician. When I go on stage, I forget about everything and just live and create.

- Apparently, you are a strong person. What supports you in difficult times, where do you draw strength?

I constantly turn to the Almighty. Every day. It doesn't matter whether I have a performance today or not... I just live with faith in Allah.

- How often do you manage to visit the theater or attend a concert as a listener?

I try to visit all the most interesting things.

- Are you married?

Everything is fine in my personal life...

- You have been successfully representing Azerbaijan abroad for many years. What is your mission?

I am pleased to know that after my concerts people become interested in the culture of my country and their attitude towards it changes. I try to adequately represent Azerbaijan in the world, not only as a singer, but also as a person, in everyday life. I will try to continue to glorify my country - it deserves the best!

- And the last question. What can you wish for our compatriots living in different parts of the world?

I would wish them to find peace and feel at home where they ended up for one reason or another. And, of course, happiness!

Rugia ASHRAFLI