Opposites in an absurd but vibrant world

Lazuli is a young man with a strong sense of freedom: curious, adaptable, and independent. King Ouf, on the other hand, is somewhat out of touch with reality, impulsive, and self-centred; he loves his own rules, but also a good party. How do mezzo-soprano Brenda Poupard and tenor Erik Slik bring these characters to life? And what do they think of Chabrier’s distinctive music? Although their characters clash for most of the opera, Brenda and Erik get along very well, as becomes clear in this lively conversation.

How would you describe your character? Brenda: ‘Lazuli is young, but he no longer has parents; that has made him very independent. He travels around selling his goods. He is strong, optimistic, has great willpower, and is quite happy with his life. Until he sees Laoula and his world is turned upside down: he falls in love! He doesn’t really want that, but being as adaptable as he is, he goes along with everything that happens afterward.’ Erik: ‘Ouf… he’s quite the character. He’s impulsive and playful; he knows how to throw a party. But he’s also selfish and fond of his self-invented rules. He’s a kind of man-child, with too much power to handle properly and no real sounding board, except perhaps his court astrologer Siroco. Ouf’s (small) world is absurd, and he is at the head of that crazy world.’ Brenda: ‘They really are opposites. Ouf has no idea how things work elsewhere, while Lazuli has seen the world through his traveling life. Ouf is all about rules, and Lazuli is a free spirit who wants to follow his own path.’

Do you recognise anything of yourselves in these characters? Brenda: ‘Of course I’m not a young man, but Lazuli is the role I feel closest to out of everything I’ve performed. Like him, I have a strong desire for freedom, and I’m very curious. I can also react quite childishly when something moves me, and I never cease to be amazed by things. I haven’t lost that inner child (yet), and that helps in many of the roles I play.’ Erik: ‘Ouf is obviously quite extreme, but I always look for recognisable elements in my roles. Sometimes I also want things done my way, and I can exaggerate that in my acting.’

How do you prepare for a relatively unknown role like this? Erik: ‘Precisely because there are few examples, I feel more freedom to shape the role myself. It was also a real discovery to dive into Chabrier’s music. I studied the score in great detail, and during rehearsals you keep discovering new layers and details to play with: fascinating. I also prepare by repeating a lot. Especially the French dialogues, I really need to practice them out loud to get the pronunciation and mouth movements into my muscle memory.’ Brenda: ‘I also find those dialogues challenging, even as a native French speaker. As a singer, you often receive less training in that area, so I pay extra attention to it. And for every role, I first want to dive into the material myself – just like Lazuli. Only then do I look up other performances and, for example, compare tempi.’

How would you describe Chabrier’s music? Brenda: ‘Wonderful.’ Erik: ‘Vibrant and lively.’ Brenda: ‘It’s very well written, witty, and clever.’ Erik: ‘And so cheerful and catchy; as if you already know it and can immediately sing along. Even though his music – especially in the Netherlands – is rarely performed.’ Brenda: ‘Sometimes it feels like Disney, other times like cabaret or Offenbach.’ Erik: ‘But your Star aria is very lyrical and emotional.’ Brenda: ‘Exactly, he always finds just the right tone and emotion.’ Erik: ‘And he never goes for the cliché. What I also love is that when there are multiple verses, Chabrier keeps changing small details, as if he’s saying: play with it, keep it alive.’

Which scenes are you most looking forward to? Erik: ‘The Couplets du Pal! In it, Ouf explains like a showman how the torture chair, in which Lazuli will die, works. It’s absurd and theatrical; I absolutely love performing that scene.’ Brenda: ‘I find the sneezing aria very funny, a bit cartoon-like. I feel like that dwarf from Snow White (Erik: ‘Sneezy!’). It’s incredibly fun to sing and act. Hopefully the audience will enjoy it just as much as we do!’

Interview: Kyra Bertram