麻雀變鳳凰的荒村灰姑娘：天生麗質次女高音阿赫梅特辛娜

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　　說到俄羅斯，許多人的印象是它屬於斯拉夫民族的國家。更具體地說，俄羅斯主要人口屬於東斯拉夫民族，與烏克蘭人和白俄羅斯人同源。根據統計，俄羅斯族佔俄羅斯聯邦總人口約八成，而少數民族約佔兩成。這些少數民族包括土耳其語族的巴什基爾人（Bashkirs），他們主要集中在俄羅斯聯邦的巴什科爾托斯坦共和國（Republic of Bashkortostan）。男低音阿布德拉札科夫（Ildar Abdrazakov）、小提琴家伊布拉吉莫娃（Alina Ibragimova），以及這篇的主角，次女高音阿赫梅特辛娜（Aigul Akhmetshina）都是巴什基爾人。

　　阿赫梅特辛娜是近年突然從英國竄起的次女高音，而且過程就像《歌劇魅影》的女主角克莉絲汀一樣神奇。二○一八年十二月中旬，倫敦皇家歌劇院繼續上演二月推出，由柯斯基（Barrie Kosky）執導的全新《卡門》製作。就在演出前兩天，女主角戈里亞喬娃（Anna Goryachova）忽然取消演出，擔任卡門女友之一的次女高音小配角，非常熟悉整部製作的阿赫梅特辛娜成了救火隊。她是皇家歌劇院傑特·帕克青年藝術家計劃（Jette Parker Young Artists Programme）的學員，會在劇院的製作中演唱配角。

　　由於柯斯基的版本融入歌舞表演元素，加入原本不在歌劇中的音樂片段，十分強調舞台上的肢體表現，阿赫梅特辛娜只有兩天的時間學習舞蹈和轉換腦中的音樂，第一次與樂團合樂就是在舞台上。雖然阿赫梅特辛娜在救火之後回到原來的角色，但是歌劇院在次年又排她上場救火，總共累積三場演出主角的記錄，也讓二十二歲的阿赫梅特辛娜有了「小卡門」（Baby Carmen）的封號，更寫下皇家歌劇院（或者全球一線歌劇院？）最年輕的卡門紀錄。二○二四年四月，未滿二十八歲的阿赫梅特辛娜又成了紐約大都會歌劇院歷來最年輕的卡門。在阿赫梅特辛娜原本的想法裡，只要她能從人口不足一萬人的家鄉站上莫斯科大劇院或是聖彼得堡馬林斯基劇院舞台，就已經是了不起的大成就，她從來沒有想過自己會移居倫敦，而且不到三十歲就忙著在全球重要歌劇院之間飛來飛去。

　　阿赫梅特辛娜出生於一九九六年，名字「愛古麗」（Aigul）在突厥語系的意思是「月亮花」，以大自然來讚頌女性的純潔、美麗與神秘的氣質。她的家鄉在靠近烏拉山脈的基爾吉斯─米亞基村（Kirgiz-Miyaki）。看看Google地圖上的照片，會發現它根本是個荒山野嶺，人跡罕至的小農村。阿赫梅特辛娜的親人大多是警察，扶養她和兄姐長大的單親媽媽是警察局行政人員，也靠自己養雞種菜。雖然沒有專業背景，可是一家人都有好歌喉，喜歡在爺爺的手風琴聲伴奏下唱歌，時常在地方文化宮或是警察聯誼活動中演出。阿赫梅特辛娜記得三歲的時候，自己穿著滿是黃色花朵的裙子，頭上戴著大蝴蝶結，在幼稚園母親節慶祝活動上唱歌，或是在家鄉文化宮演唱民謠的情景。

　　阿赫梅特辛娜非常想學唱歌，但是學校沒有聲樂課程，六歲的她很不甘願拿起爺爺笨重的手風琴入學。當學校在第二年開辦聲樂課程，阿赫梅特辛娜立刻把手風琴丟在陽台上，頭也不回轉往唱歌。只是鄉下地方沒有人教她如何正確使用聲帶，到家鄉附近最大的城市烏法（Ufa）參加全俄青年才藝比賽的時候，評審團主席穆塔齊娜（Milyausha Murtazina）聽出阿赫梅特辛娜的聲帶已經出問題。她要求阿赫梅特辛娜停止唱歌一年，告訴她「想報考（烏法的）學校就來找我，我會告訴妳該跟誰學」。穆塔齊娜為她找的老師是尤蘇波娃（Neilya Yusupova）。成為國際巨星以後，定居倫敦的阿赫梅特辛娜還是經常透過網路和她上課。

　　二○一五年，阿赫梅特辛娜到莫斯科報考格涅辛音樂學校，雖然術科滿分，學科卻不及格。情緒低落的她告訴尤蘇波娃要放棄歌唱，實踐一年前和媽媽的協議，也就是和家人一樣，安份在家鄉當個警察。就當阿赫梅特辛娜從莫斯科搭火車回烏法的時候，遇到比落榜更慘的事：車禍。她傷到下巴和肩膀，再加上受到驚嚇的心理因素，幾乎失去聲音。尤蘇波娃不准阿赫梅特辛娜回去當警察，也不讓她去報考大學其他科系，而是以參加聲樂比賽幫她找回聲音。二○一六年，阿赫梅特辛娜在莫斯科第四屆新歌劇世界國際聲樂比賽（New Opera World）得到首獎，引起評審團主席，也就是倫敦皇家歌劇院傑特·帕克青年藝術家計劃藝術總監高蘭（David Gowland）注意，還認識國際藝術管理公司TACT董事，也是她後來的經紀人科佩茨（Marcin Kopec）。兩人商議後，決定邀請阿赫梅特辛娜到倫敦參加青年藝術家計劃甄選。名額只有五位，競爭者卻有三百六十五名，而且歌劇院希望歌手滿二十五歲以後再來參加甄試。

　　二十歲的阿赫梅特辛娜錄取了，英語只會「你好，我叫愛古麗」（Hello, my name is Aigul）的她靠著手機的Google翻譯，獨自一人飛往倫敦展開兩年培訓，第一天就參加彼得‧布魯克（Peter Brook）創新改編的作品《卡門悲劇》(La Tragédie de Carmen)排練。她必須邊排練邊學法語、英語和義大利語，學習完全不懂的劇院工作模式，學習法語演唱技巧⋯⋯每天都含著淚想打包回家。二○一八年年底，傳奇性的救火演出《卡門》讓阿赫梅特辛娜得到樂界注意，二○二四年初成為笛卡唱片三十多年來第一位簽約的次女高音。

　　由於身上流著巴什基爾人與韃靼人的血統，阿赫梅特辛娜的外貌和西方世界印象中的俄國人完全不同。她被懷疑過有亞洲或拉丁裔血統，是印度或哈薩克人。因此在個人第一張專輯裡，笛卡用她充滿異國風情的名字「愛古麗」為標題，並且以臉部特寫讓人牢牢記住她的臉孔。曲目除了《卡門》，還有馬斯奈《維特》，以及她的第一個「褲子角色」：貝里尼《卡普萊特與蒙特奇》中的羅密歐、羅西尼《灰姑娘》。

　　無論是〈愛情是一隻難以馴服的鳥兒〉（L'amour est un oiseau rebelle）還是〈在塞維亞附近的城牆〉（Près des remparts de Séville），都可以聽出阿赫梅特辛娜並不是一個標榜戲劇性的卡門，但是她的音色均勻流暢，低音渾厚有力，高音圓潤飽滿而且有光澤，無論是聲音層次感還是戲劇表現力，都有她個人獨特的風味與控制力。最後一首巴什基爾民謠《夜鶯》（Ҡандуғас）是一個很美麗的句點。阿赫梅特辛娜從小演唱巴什基爾民謠，民謠中的很多旋律延展性與裝飾音都和歌劇非常類似，因此小時候愛唱歌的經驗，帶給她日後演唱歌劇的基礎訓練與耐力，「這就是我為什麼能走到今天的原因」。

When people think of Russia, they often associate it with the Slavic ethnicity. While the majority of Russians are East Slavs, there are significant minorities like the Bashkirs, a Turkic-speaking people from the Republic of Bashkortostan. Mezzo-soprano Aigul Akhmetshina, along with renowned artists like bass Ildar Abdrazakov and violinist Alina Ibragimova, hails from this ethnic group.

Akhmetshina's rise in opera was nothing short of miraculous. In December 2018, at age 22, she stepped in last minute to perform the title role in Carmen at the Royal Opera House in London when the lead, Anna Goryachova, had to withdraw. As part of the Jette Parker Young Artists Programme, she was originally cast in a minor role, but her familiarity with the production allowed her to take on the demanding lead role with just two days' preparation. Her performance earned her the nickname "Baby Carmen" and established her as one of the youngest Carmens in the Royal Opera House's history. In April 2024, she broke another record, becoming the youngest Carmen ever at the Metropolitan Opera in New York.

Born in 1996 in a remote village near the Ural Mountains named Kirgiz-Miyaki, Akhmetshina's name, "Aigul," means "moonflower" in Turkic languages, symbolizing purity and beauty. Raised by a single mother who worked as a police administrator, Akhmetshina grew up in a family with a love for singing, often performing folk songs accompanied by her grandfather's accordion.

Her passion for singing began at an early age, but her rural school lacked vocal training. She initially learned the accordion but switched to singing as soon as voice lessons became available. After an early vocal strain, a mentor Neilya Yusupova helped her recover and guided her toward formal training. Despite setbacks, including failing the academic portion of her  Gnessin School of Music in Moscow audition and a traumatic car accident, she persevered.

Akhmetshina moved to London in 2016 at the age of 20, barely speaking English. Armed with Google Translate, she began a rigorous two-year training program. Her big break came with the 2018 Carmen performance, which brought her international attention. In 2024, she became the first mezzo-soprano in over three decades to sign with Decca Records.

Aigul Akhmetshina's mixed Bashkir and Tatar heritage gives her a striking appearance that contrasts with the stereotypical image of a Russian in the West. Some have even speculated she might have Asian, Indian, or Latin roots. For her debut album "Aigul", Decca chose to highlight her exotic-sounding name and used a close-up portrait to emphasize her unique look. The repertoire includes pieces from Carmen, Massenet's Werther, Bellini's I Capuleti e i Montecchi (her first trouser role as Romeo), and Rossini's La Cenerentola.

In her performances of Carmen, such as "L'amour est un oiseau rebelle" and "Près des remparts de Séville" , Akhmetshina doesn't aim for a dramatic Carmen. Instead, her voice stands out for its evenness, rich and powerful low tones, and bright, polished high notes. She brings a unique flavor and control to both vocal nuance and dramatic expression. The album concludes beautifully with the Bashkir folk song The Nightingale (Ҡандуғас), a nod to her roots.

Akhmetshina grew up singing Bashkir folk songs, which share melodic ornamentation and phrasing similar to opera. These early singing experiences gave her the stamina and vocal training that laid the foundation for her operatic career. As she reflects, "This is why I am where I am today."

*This English version is a concise summary of the original Chinese article.*

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