Furlanetto returned to Melbourne for a double-header with Opera Australia, portraying Boito’s Mefistofele at the Arts Centre.

“It’s very demanding work portraying the devil,” the Friulian bass singer said.

“His temper is always on display.

“When I first studied the role, I was quite anxious about it.

“My colleague, Bonaldo Giaiotti, told me not to be worried as it was created in a way that would suit my performance style.

“When I began rehearsals, I realised he was right as, even though Mefistofele sings a lot, the role is written for a bass singer.”

This is not the first time Furlanetto has portrayed Mefistofele.

“I performed as Mefistofele in Palermo, in a production by Giancarlo Del Monaco – son of the great Mario,” he said.

“It was an abstract, masterfully produced production which showcased both his love of music and vocals.”

In 2019, Furlanetto celebrated his 45-year-long career, a journey which has seen him sing on some of the most famous stages in the world, directed by renowned artistic directors.

On Wednesday, June 1, Furlanetto delighted Melbourne audiences by retracing his glorious career.

“This recital traces a path through my artistic and vocal journey over the past 48 years,” he said.

“The first part will feature lieder, which began with the great Bulgarian pianist Alexis Weissenberg, as well as works by Brahms, Mussorgsky and Rachmaninov.

“In the second part I’ll showcase aspects from my opera journey that most impacted my life.

“I’ll start with Mozart, which will include Sarastro’s aria from The Magic Flute – the first thing I ever learned for a competition.

“I’ll then perform arias from Massenet’s Don Quixote and Mussorgsky’s Boris Godunov.”

Even though Furlanetto is one of the most accomplished, professional singers in today’s global opera scene, the emotion attached to his work still affects him.

“Representing Don Quixote on stage is perhaps the role I love the most,” Furlanetto said.

“It is a privilege to ‘be’ him on stage for three hours – or rather, portray the myth of what every person should be at least once in their life: goodness, purity, love and poetry.”

Boris Godunov is another special role for Furlanetto – in fact, he is the only Western singer to have portrayed the part in two major Russian theatres: the Mariinsky in St Petersburg and at the Bolshoi Theatre in Moscow.  

Furlanetto played Don Quixote at the Melbourne Arts Centre in 2018.  

The upcoming two-hour recital does not scare Furlanetto at all.

“We performed it in February, at the La Scala Theatre in Milan,” he recalled.

“It was a huge success and, due to my vocal freshness, I could have repeated it the next day.

“That’s important for an opera singer who wants to have a long career – never try to defy nature or perform roles that aren’t vocally appropriate for you.

“Fortunately, that’s something I’ve never had to do.”

The basis of Furlanetto’s own longevity and success in the global opera scene boils down to a combination of passion, commitment and profound artistic sensitivity.

His career has also been shaped by high-level figures including his agent, theatrical producer Michel Glotz, who was also Maria Callas’s agent and Herbert von Karajan’s record producer, and a wealth of conductors and directors.

“Along the way, I’ve met people with incredible voices and those with an innate artistic sense but, for the mere fact of having made mistakes in their choice of repertoire, they disappeared from the industry in a few years,” he said.

“This is deeply wrong and cruel.

“I began in the industry when huge personalities like Boris Christoff, Pavarotti, Renata Scotto, Mirella Freni, Piero Cappuccilli, Renato Buson and others were around.

“As a young man, it was fundamental for me to grow up with these heroes and their legacies.

“I also got the opportunity to be taught by the last great generation of conductors, including Carlo Maria Giulini, Georg Solti, Leonard Bernstein and then young masters such as Abbado, Muti and Levine.

“I remember the impact that maestro Von Karajan had on my life and career.

“He literally changed my life in 12 hours.

“People like that just don’t exist today – I feel sorry for my younger colleagues.

Furlanetto’s respect for these artists and their influence on him is immense. 

“People like Strehler, Ponelle, Zeffirelli, Faggioni, taught you to become a character through words, style and stage presence,” he said.

“A simple gesture of the hands, or a basic movement, can be much more effective than a blatant movement.”