A fortnight after my return to Italy after over a month in Japan and then the required period of quarantine, I can now look back with a clear mind to the wonderful evenings spent on Japanese stages: five performances of Tosca at the New National theatre in Tokyo and three recitals with piano accompaniment. After such a long time away from the stage with no costumes or make-up, for the first time in a career of almost twenty years, it was a thrill to be back at last on stage. The Japanese audience was, as always, full of happiness and eager to listen to opera in its only rightful place, the theatre! What more can I say about the audience? Always generous and enthusiastic, the Japanese have never failed to amaze me with their simplicity and their profound love of opera. My dear friend and colleague, Chiara Isotton, sang as Tosca. We have often been together on stage at La Scala. She is a young, extremely talented singer, with an old-school voice, always sensitive to the music. Dario Solari made a magnificent Scarpia, always elegant and restrained, as only a true “villain” can be. My great friend Daniele Callegari was on the podium. He is a splendid musician, with whom I have made many important debuts in the course of my career. It is always an honour and a privilege to be able to sing under the baton of a great musician.
The performances of Tosca were followed by three recitals accompanied on the piano by Naoko Asano. Three concerts in which I was again rewarded by the audience (I never tire of saying so) each time with great satisfaction and success. It was an enormous pleasure to receive so many requests for an encore at the end of each concert, culminating in the final concert in Tokyo where I gave ten encores!
I love Japan and the Japanese audience. It is always wonderful to be back in this marvellous nation where politeness and mutual respect lie at the foundations of society.
Japan, I’ll be back soon.
