Jonas Kaufmann talks to Classic FM

German tenor Jonas Kaufmann has a busy week ahead. He's in final rehearsals for his appearance at the Royal Opera House as Maurizio in Adriana Lecouvreur.

Kaufmann is starring opposite Angela Gheorghiu, who shares the leading role with Ángeles Blancas Gulín.

"You can't hold a performance alone, but if you have a partner like Angela it's fantastic, because you can really dig into the emotions and find a way to make this real, and make the audience understand, what they are all suffering about. It's always more impressive to see people suffer than see them enjoy!"

Adriana Lecouvreur was last performed at the Royal Opera House in 1906. This is a new production by David McVicar, under the baton of Sir Mark Elder, and is regarded as one of the major highlights of the Royal Opera House's new season. It's the story of jealous rivalry in love set between the worlds of the theatre and the aristocracy.

This opera is the perfect vehicle for Kaufmann to exercise his passion for the 'verismo' style of singing:
"Verismo means - maybe you would say now - the real thing! Those composers were really trying to squeeze as much emotional background and information and passion as possible into the music."

Adriana Lecouvreur opens on Thursday 18 November at the Royal Opera House in London and runs until December.

Listen to the interview with Jonas Kaufmann