Getting to know you: Q & A with Gwendoline Blondeel as she takes on the title role in 'Titon et L'Aurore' at The Royal Opera of Versailles
discover more about soprano gwendoline blondeel, as she prepares to sing the role of l’aurore in mondonville’s ‘titon et l’aurore’ for the Royal opera, versailles.
Q: What made you decide to become a singer?
In my family, music has always been important and I have sung all my life, but I didn’t see it as a job, so after graduating from high school I decided to study law. I knew very quickly that it was a bad decision for me and after four months I quit my degree and had no idea what was the right direction to go in!
Here is what happened: As a teenager, I sang in the Youth Choir of La Monnaie in Brussels which I stopped after high school. A year later, La Monnaie was playing Gluck’s ‘Orphée et Eurydice’ and needed children to sing in it. Benoit Giaux, who is the musical director of the Youth Choir called me to ask whether I might be interested in singing in the production. I took that as a sign and decided to study singing from September that year, which I had actually dreamed of for years!
Q: Thank goodness for that! So since then, what has been a particularly memorable or favourite performance you have done?
I guess the most impressive/challenging/emotional concert that I did was last year with Les Arts Florissants. We were performing the Magnificat and Christmas Oratorio by Bach at La Philharmonie de Paris. Three hours before the performance, the other soprano had some personal issues and couldn’t sing in the concert - so I was asked to step in and perform the two arias that she was supposed to sing, which I had never sung before!
I took the underground ASAP to join the Philharmonie, with the score and my headphones to study on the way (people must have thought me crazy as I hummed away!). I then had a quick rehearsal with the organist, the orchestra, and finally it was time to convince the audience that I was confident, calm and completely prepared!
This couldn’t have been possible without the support of William Christie, the orchestra and the choir of Les Arts Florissants who made me feel so supported.
I will never forget this whirlwind experience.
Q: Wow, what a roller-coaster, I know you have had a little longer to prepare for your forthcoming engagement at Versailles! How are you preparing for the role?
A: Absolutely! Because it’s a revival my preparation for it has been to go deeper into L’Aurore, re-thinking whether the decisions we made about the text, the feelings and the character still make sense to my interpretation today. It’s very important to reexamine everything to improve it and keep it fresh and spontaneous. Nothing can become a reflex, everything has to be felt again.
Q: Tell us a little more about the role and what you are particularly looking forward to with this production?
L’Aurore is a goddess who is in love with the shepherd Titon. Titon loves her in return but is very jealous. He is acutely aware that one day he will die and L’Aurore may fall in love with someone else (or even worse - while he still is alive!). Despite being a goddess, L’Aurore is very close to humankind - she loves nature, love, she is passionate, faithful and is a strong woman who fight’s for the men she loves.
We created this piece during the pandemic in January 2020 without any public, so I am really looking forward to sharing this production with an audience and feeling their presence! I think this show is very unique - it’s light, kitschy, funny, and also touching. I really hope the public will enjoy it as much as I do.
Q: Finally, what do you do to unwind when not channeling your inner goddess?
I live in the countryside, so when I’m home I love to hike with my dog, spend a lot of time with my husband, family and friends. I am a huge fan of amusement parks and roller-coasters! I also do a lot of yoga and love to read (or watch Netflix if I’m too tired, let’s tell the truth).
Performance Dates and Details
Friday 8th July & Saturday 9th July, 2020 - Opéra Royal, Versailles
Reinoud Van Mechelen - Titon
Gwendoline Blondeel - L'Aurore
Emmanuelle de Negri - Palès
Marc Mauillon - Eole
Ana Vieira Leite - Love
Renato Dolcini - Prometheus
Virginie Thomas*, Maud Gnidzaz*, Juliette Perret* - Nymphs
Valentin Arnoux, Coline Fouilhé, David Girondin Moab, Cristina Iosif, Sylvain Menard , Diana-Elizabeth Neva Jaramillo, Candice Picaud, Philippe Rodriguez-Jorda -Puppeteers
Les Arts Florissants - Chorus and orchestra
William Christie - Direction
Basil Twist - Staging, sets, costumes, puppets
Daniel Brodie - Video creation
Jean Kalman - Lights
Constance Larrieu - Artistic collaborator in the staging
Alain Blanchot - Costume assistant
Benoît Hartoin* - Vocal supervisor
*artist members of Les Arts Florissants
Shown in French with French and English surtitles