Tenor Fernando de la Mora, a native of Mexico City, and soprano Dina Kuznetsova, a native of Moscow, will make their Cincinnati Opera debuts in the title roles of Gounod's Romeo and Juliet, opening today in Music Hall.

        Mr. de la Mora, one of Mexico's leading tenors, made his debut with San Francisco Opera singing Romeo to Ruth Ann Swenson's Juliet in 1988. Ms. Kuznetsova, 29, who is singing her first Juliet, just finished the young artist program at Chicago's Lyric Opera.

Soprano Dina Kuznetsova and tenor Fernando de la Mora in a scene from Gounod's Romeo and Juliet. (Glenn Hartong photo) | ZOOM |

        The sparks flew when the Enquirer sat down with the two singers who will be playing literature's most famous lovers.

        Question: A Latin tenor and a Russian diva: How do you get along as lovers onstage?

        Juliet: Great! I found that I absolutely love singing Spanish music on my recitals, because there is a similarity of sentiment. These all-consuming passions are definitely similar.

        Romeo: Russians are more loving than the Latins. They are very passionate; Russian music is so passionate and so full of sincerity of love.

        Q: What is your favorite scene together?

        Juliet: The bedroom scene. It is hard to choose, there's so much beautiful music in the opera.

        Romeo: Together, the most beautiful moment in the opera is “Nuit d'hymenee, O douce nuit d'amour.” It's very subtle. The first and second acts are beautiful to, but the passion of the fourth act is my favorite together.

IF YOU GO

What: Cincinnati Opera's Romeo and Juliet     When: 8 p.m. today, Saturday and June 28     Where: Music Hall     Tickets: $14-$110; 241-2742 or visit cincinnatiopera.com

        Q: How did you prepare for your role?

        Juliet: I usually listen to everything I can get hold of. I love historic, old recordings. I read Shakespeare. Being Russian, I got this book that has the original Shakespeare on the left and explanation of what it means in modern English on the right. I was comparing the words (to the libretto), and very often it's a literal translation. Which is wonderful, because it allows us to sing such poetic text.

        Romeo: Most important for me is first to see the music and know where the big lines are; then to memorize it. Then I go with my coaches; they are like my family. I go to them to learn the real approach of the style of the piece.

        Question: How did you become interested in singing opera?

        Juliet: I came to the United States in 1990 to go to Oberlin College as a pianist. I never intended to be a singer, because I didn't think I could sing. I wanted to do opera and musical theater directing and vocal accompanying. Then, I took lessons, and my voice teacher just opened me up.

        Romeo: I started my career as a popular singer. I started to sing in school, in the chorus. It was not difficult for people to make me sing. I took a guitar and sang at every party. ... I began to study singing with an aunt, and my voice began to grow and grow.

        I started in the conservatory, and I almost finished my career as a singer, because I made a movie, became a movie star, and I started to make records in popular music. I became famous, and I abandoned the opera business.

        But I went to my teacher every day for opera, because it was my hobby. My teacher tricked me; he invited a very important critic to hear me, and told me, he's just a friend. I sang for him. At the end, he asked if he could write an article. He wrote such incredible things that I became much more important. The opera house in Mexico City called me for an audition. Six months after that I was opening the season with Tosca.

        Q: What do you enjoy most about performing Romeo and Juliet?

        Juliet: I love the character development. It's being a 14-year-old, and going from something innocent and childish to this big tragedy.

        Romeo: The fun part is that I am not so young anymore, and I need to play a very young guy. I enjoy that. Romeo is a dreamer; he wants to avoid violence. But he's involved in that, and he needs to kill two men in this piece. And (Juliet) is so innocent; she's a very powerful woman, delicate and feminine at the same time.
       

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