Thomas Hampson in La Repubblica on Embracing New Media

Last night in Milan, American baritone Thomas Hampson rocked La Scala in a recital program of Lieder, a stunning sampler of Schubert (Schwanengesan), Liszt, and Mahler (Des Knaben Wunderhorn). His only visit to Italy this season, it gave his Italian fans (who packed the house) a single night to catch him in full-on baritone action. OC was in the theater for the half-dozen encores and standing ovations that the Milanese public heaped on him, deservedly, a full review coming later.

Yesterday the American singer spoke to La Repubblica in an inteview about his Mahler and his eight-year-old foundation, Hampsong. He also spoke about being part of a generation (his Metropolitan Opera debut was in 1981) that has witnessed the opera industry's evolution. Unlike some of his colleagues, Hampson embraces new media (aside from social media, there's a Hampson ipad and iphone app), bridging the old school with the new. Really, it's what we'd expect from a singer who is known for his flexibility and versatility on stage and with repertory.

Off with a bang, Hampson on being compared to the great Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau: "Fischer-Dieskau has no heir. It's a huge compliment, and I thank you for it, but it's like saying that there's another Pavarotti or Callas. It's just impossible."

You're also a popular teacher. In what present condition is the relationship between young people and classical music?

"There's good news and bad news. The good news is that there are lots of awesomely good, young musicians that are entering the professional world of classical music, and the levels of instruction are much better than they've been for years. The bad news is that instead, they seem disinterested in the vehicles of communication like radio, newspapers, and television. The media's musical offerings and outlets have diminished and I don't understand the reason. And there are just way too few people under the age of 40 who come to the concerts and buy classical music CDs. Maybe it's because the media doesn't really affect them and probably because music gets perceived as too expensive, although personally, i don't think it's true."

So can the internet be used as a solution to spread information about classical music?

"Definitely. Especially for its ability to integrate lots of way to disseminate information, all at the same time: the vision, the audience, and the lessons. The internet is a frontier with thousands of possibilities, but it's also just one part of a series of technological advances that can be useful in the future. I believe that we're just at the beginning of this, and at present time ,the most interesting thing is the social network. But we have to figure out how to fall into the trap -- those which use technology or substitute it with certain traditional methods. So if the question is, 'Can you learn music over the internet?' the answer is, 'No.' If the question instead is, 'Can the internet help you expand your knowledge about music?' the answer is, "yes."

Yes!

Comments

[Bill Philin-Ploplis]

He's super-intelligent, but I doubt seriously that Calixto Bieito and he will ever work together. LOL. Sometimes his very studied approach stifles spontaneity and soulfulness, a la Schwarzkopf his late mentor.

[Noncy Cowans]

I am going to listen to him on 7th and 8th in the M.V.in Vienna!
His --yes-- is , yes yes yes !
Its very clever of him, about internet. I agree!!!
Noncy

[Sam]

Old media, new media. To me it's all the same, one is just the most recent incarnation. I haven't noticed a resistance to it.

If anything, younger artists over-embrace new media instead of learning how to sing. They think a video with engineered audio makes up for any defects or weaknesses. A pretty picture on a website or in a magazine means they are great singers. There's quite a bit of delusionality going on, but everyone seems happy to participate in it.

Less money in classical music, well, it has been like that for a while. World economy and all that. If opera houses are having trouble selling out, they need only look to what's on stage.

[Ruth]

I love this man. I can't even begin to rank my favorite roles that I've heard him sing live. His website is one of the best of all the singers out there and please don't get me started on all the photos that he posts on his facebook account.

[Walls]

Hampson has a twitter account.
http://twitter.com/thomas_hampson

I'm divided on opera singers using social media. Not so much Hampson and his peers, but some of the younger singers are using facebook to share way too much information, and my opinion of them drops a little after I realize how boring or irritating they actually are. If they use it as a promotional space, I'm okay with that. I want to hear about their next performances, auditions and recitals. But when they start talking about their favorite television shows, cheating on their diets, and their work out routines, it's uninteresting and at worst it's vanity.

[Munch Anne-Laure]

If people are satified to listen great orchestras and singers through Internet only, they understand nothing about music!

[Lilly]

Hampson is indeed one of the intelligentest singers of our time.
No surprise, therefore, that in the next months he will sing opera nearly only with Daniele Gatti - the conducting genius of today -: in june/july 2011 "Parsifal" in Zurich and in october the long awaited debut as Jago in "Otello" (also in Zurich with Peter Seiffert and Fiorenza Cedolins).
I cannot wait for!!!

[Osiris]

Hampson is a class act. But I wish he would do more opera instead of recitals. I prefer him in character and costumed.

[Jeffrey Sarver]

Can you smell the Ham?

[Imogen dent]

I'm intrigued by this: "The good news is that there are lots of awesomely good, young musicians that are entering the professional world of classical music, and the levels of instruction are much better than they've been for years... And there are just way too few people under the age of 40 who come to the concerts and buy classical music CDs..."
That seems a very odd dichotomy to me. Have you any theories as to why there are still plenty of talented young musicians out there, but much fewer young audience members? I speak as a young (ish) audience member who would have tried to become a musician if she'd had so much as a crumb of talent... Are today's young people who love classical music more likely than in the past to try and become musicians rather than be content to remain as a music lover?

[A Real Cad]

Class act, absolutely.

[vale]

I heard him the other night in La Scala. Not a pleasant experience. The voice was a series of false resonances one after another. The program a total bore.