© Kupfer Media
Jose Carreras is back on the opera stage
He was once one of the best tenors, one of the successful 3 tenors worldwide celebrated. His fight against his illness in 1988 and his humanitarian engeagement afterwards made him a symbolic figure of the classical music society. Now after a long abstinence of the opera stage he is back in the world premiere of the new opera El Juez by the Austrian composer Christian Kolonovits. Kolonovits is known as a composer and music producer, for his invention of the Autropop and numerous arrangements for different international well known singers. The libretto is based on a black chapter of the Spanish history happening during the Franco regime. It is the story of deported children, repressive dictatorship, the ambivalent role of the church and of brotherly love, family tragedy and despair. Jose Carreras is El Juez, the judge Federico. Himself being a deported child, having made his career by the help and love of an influential abbess. His counterpart is Alberto, a singer, being tortured by the search of his lost brother, using his songs as a medium for attention and help but being recognised by the masses as a political message. Once Federico recognises his real identity as the brother of Alberto he rushes to help him but too late. Alberto has been instrumentalized and assassinated by the political leader Morales. The abbess recognises her misdeeds and opens her well kept secrets in her archives. There is no real political message or real salvation but the story is touching, coherent and dramaticly told. The music itself of El Juez is soft close to the genre Musical. The composition is dominated by rhythm and harmony. The orchestration is single layer without dramatic overlaps or interferences. It is coloured with Spanish flavour and a full voluminous orchestral sound, In all it is a very fluent composition without great melodies or arias.
The production is based on an original production ot the Bilbao based Teatro Arriaga. So the cast, the direction team and conductor are Spanish. The artistic director of the teatro Arriaga Emilio Sagi together with his stage designer Daniel Bianco created a dark miseralbe simple stage, easy for quick scene changes so the flow of the story is not interrupted and supports the dramatic development of the plot. The driving force of the evening is the young Spanish conductor David Gimenez who guides the orchestra with verve and Spanish charisma. His tempi are fine tuned, supportive to the singers and he tames the orchestral power and volume when necessary.
The audience well awaits the appearance of the acclaimjed star of the evening Jose Carreras. He sits in his chair, deterriorated by the pressure of the regime. One can feel his excitement and his effort to be back on his beloved stage. Slowly his voice and stage appearence warm up. As he cooperated with the composer during the creation of the opera his part is well adapted to his limits. Mainly in the middle with legati and no heights, there it is again his warm timbre and fine tuning and the crescent melodramatic opening of his tenore. It is a touching moment to follow the discovery of his identity. Hs fans are stunned and welcome him back heartily. Alberto, his brother, is sung by the young Spanish tenor Jose Luis Sola. He got a fine voice, sometimes insecure in the high parts but a warm southern colour. Sabina Puertolas as his love and compagnion in the political fight is not convincing. Her Soprano lacks heights and strength. Ana Ibarra is an expressive abbess in her personal and political conflict.
The audience is touched by the history and everybodies performance. Christian Kolonovits receives a strong applause for his composition as all the cast.
the 27 of August, 2014 | Print
Comments