INDEX SECTIONS 44-50
MEDIA ARTICLES SECTION 44
Il Giallo di Carreras, Bruno Zucchermaglio, Alto Adige, 30 April 2002
Il giallo Carreras, Tiziana Campagnoli, Alto Adige, 1 May 2002
Carreras «debutta» alla Casa di riposo per musicisti, P. Panza, Corriere della Sera, 30 April 2002
Carreras, un giorno a casa Verdi, La Repubblica, 30 April 2002
Carreras dice que la mayor cualidad de un tenor es la de emocionar, El Norte de Castilla, 
4 May 2002
El tenor catalán José Carreras inaugura con un recital el Auditorio de León, Diario de Burgos,
4 May 2002
MEDIA ARTICLES SECTION 45
Singer likes to exercise both body and voice, Aidin Vaziri, San Francisco Chronicle, 5 May 2002
Concert to cover Carreras' incredible career, Jim Dyar, Redding Record Searchlight, 2 May 2002
Bravissimo, Señor Carreras, Charles Parmiter, Reader's Digest, November 1989
MEDIA ARTICLES SECTION 46
Carreras warms hearts, Jim Dyar, Redding Record Searchlight, 9 May 2002
Verdi Requiem, Marc Bridle, Music Web, June 2001
Carreras: A voice for the masses, Kenneth LaFave, The Arizona Republic, 12 May 2002
Carreras sings it safe, Joshua Kosman, San Francisco Chronicle, 14 May 2002
Tenor of the Times, David Hale, The Fresno Bee, 14 May 2002
MEDIA ARTICLES SECTION 47
Carreras delivers pleasing platter of standard fare, K. LaFave, The Arizona Republic, 15 May 2002
Vigasio già pensa a Josè Carreras, Valerio Locatelli, L'Arena di Verona, 3 April 2002
Big Soccer Fan - The Three Tenors - to have their final concert in Yokohama, Shukan Bunshun, May 2002 [In English translation from the original Japanese by Odani Keiko]
Madama Butterfly, Opera Actual, May-June 2002
Beiteddine Festival gears up for summer concert season, Tiare Rath, Daily Star, 15 May 200
Carreras enchants Fresno fans with his resonant, tender tenor, George Warren, The Fresno Bee,
21 May 2002
MEDIA ARTICLES SECTION 48
Carreras out of turn: a chat with Ilona Tokody, Emöke Solymosi Tari, Népszabadság, March 1992
[In English translation from the original Hungarian by Zsuzsa Simon]
Espanha aqui tâo perto, Correio de Manha, 25 May 2002
Die gestörte Erschütterung, Salzburger Volkszeitung 15 April 1976
El tenor José Carreras, nuevo doctor 'honoris causa' de la UMH, La Verdad, 29 May 2002
O sole mio, Frank Junghänel, Berliner Zeitung, 5 August 1996
MEDIA ARTICLES SECTION 49
Auch "Carmen" hat etwas mit Zirkus zu tun, Berliner Zeitung, 19 April 1994
Diva auf der Drehbühne, Berliner Zeitung, 26 May 1994
Untitled, Berliner Zeitung, 11 June 1994
Störrische Pferde, williger Tenor, Jürgen Otten, Berliner Zeitung, 16 June 1994
Ungebrochener Optimismus, Jürgen Otten, Berliner Zeitung, 17 June 1994
MEDIA ARTICLES SECTION 50
Der Star hieß Denyce Graves, Berliner Zeitung, 20 June 1994
Da capo für drei glorreiche Tenöre, Eckard Presler, Berliner Zeitung, 16 July 1994
Stuttgarter "Carmen", Berliner Zeitung, 9 March 1995
Maestro Carreras, ein Tenor hält Berlin die Treue, Peter Buske, Berliner Zeitung, 6 September 1995
Carreras,  romanze per 800 spettatori, Luciano Curino, La Stampa,19 December 1986
====================================
MEDIA ARTICLES 44

Il Giallo di Carreras
Bruno Zucchermaglio, Alto Adige, 30 April 2002

Concerto disdetto, scatta la denuncia per frode
Guai in vista per Manuela & Co. che avevano programmato l'evento per
ieri sera

BRESSANONE. Il concerto di Carreras non c'è stato. Lo spettacolo è stato
annullato ed il noto tenore, ieri sera, non ha cantato. O, se lo ha
fatto, lo ha fatto molto lontano da Bressanone e dal suo Forum. «La
decisione - ha detto l'organizzatrice Manuela Pertile - è stata presa
all'una di notte dallo stesso Carreras che si rifiuta di cantare dove
non è bene accolto». «E' tutto falso - hanno ribattuto alla Fondazione
Toscanini ed alla Opera art, agenzia veronese del tenore.

L'organizzazione sapeva da mesi che il concerto non ci sarebbe stato.
Qui si rasenta la follia, ed ora saremo costretti a denunciare Manuela &
Co. per frode, per aver ingannato il pubblico e per essersi arrogata il
diritto di avviare la prevendita col nome dell'artista senza
autorizzazione». Carreras, per la cronaca, ieri pomeriggio si è esibito
a Milano.

«Carreras non viene a cantare in un nido di vipere». Tale è, a detta di
Manuela Pertile, Bressanone. Secondo quanto dichiarato ieri
dall'organizzatrice del concerto nel corso di una pseudo-conferenza
stampa (era stata annunciata per le 18.30, ma in realtà non vi è stata,
nemmeno quella...) la decisione di non cantare a Bressanone sarebbe
stata presa dal tenore dopo aver constatato che nel capoluogo della Val
d'Isarco vi è un «ambiente ostile, uso al pettegolezzo e dove non si fa
altro che sparlare degli altri». Se non fosse stato per i pettegolezzi,
in sostanza, secondo la Pertile il concerto ci sarebbe stato,
regolarmente. Di tutt'altro parere, però, sono i responsabili della
Fondazione Arturo Toscanini, dell'agenzia di Carreras, l'Opera art di
Verona, e l'agente Maurizio Scardavi. «Siamo alla follia - ha detto ieri
quest'ultimo -. Nessun contratto è mai stato firmato e le organizzatrici
lo sanno bene. Con la Manuela & Co. è infatti aperto da mesi un
contenzioso legale per inadempienza contrattuale: non hanno mai pagato i
circa 100 mila euro che erano stati pattuiti l'anno scorso per una serie
di concerti che dovevano svolgersi a Bressanone, fra cui quello con
Carreras. Un unico concerto si è svolto in dicembre, al Forum, ma quando
abbiamo constatato che non pagavano, abbiamo disdetto tutti gli altri
impegni. Mesi fa. Ora l'organizzazione sarà querelata per diffamazione,
calunnia e frode aggravata. Manuela e Co. hanno infatti utilizzato un
nome come quello di Carreras senza autorizzazione ed hanno avviato la
prevendita dei biglietti senza il minimo riscontro. Carreras oggi si
esibisce qui a Milano. Per beneficienza». Secondo l'agente Sacardavi,
inoltre, anche i carabinieri di Bressanone si starebbero già occupando
della vicenda, dietro segnalazione del legale della Fondazione Arturo
Toscanini. Circostanza, questa, smentita però ieri sera dal comandante
della compagnia di Bressanone. «In 26 anni di attività - hanno detto
ieri alla Fondazione Toscanini, che ha sede a Parma - non ci era mai
capitata una cosa del genere. Ci dispiace solo per il pubblico, che è
stato ingannato e che stasera andrà al Forum per assistere ad uno
spettacolo che non c'è, e che mai era stato messo in cartellone». «Non
c'è nessuna frode e nessuno ci ha rimesso, a parte noi - ha ribattuto
ieri sera Manuela Pertile -. Tant'è vero che già oggi la maggior parte
dei soldi dei biglietti sono stati restituiti». Buona parte del pubblico
che aveva già acquistato i biglietti presso l'Associazione turistica,
ieri si è infatti messo in contatto con gli uffici di viale Stazione -
come indicato nel cartello affisso al Forum e che annuncia
l'annullamento del concerto - per ottenere il rimborso della cifra già
versata. Ma allora perché tutto questo sconquasso? Perché, e per quali
imperscrutabili motivi, la Manuela & Co. avrebbe deliberatamente
ingannato Bressanone, i suoi amministratori e politici, i suoi cittadini
e, con essi, il pubblico del noto tenore, pronto a spostarsi da ogni
angolo d'Europa per sentir cantare Carreras? Perché avrebbe mosso mari e
monti, con tanto di pubblicità, di tam tam, crogiolandosi pure, almeno
all'inizio, nelle polemiche che, tanto, si sa, fanno anch'esse
pubblicità? Perché, se sapevano sin dal principio che il concerto non ci
sarebbe stato? «Forse speravano - ha tentato una risposta l'agente
Scardavi - che, come accaduto in dicembre, saremmo venuti lo stesso e
che poi avrebbero trovato un modo per cavarsela e per pagare»
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Il giallo Carreras
Tiziana Campagnoli, Alto Adige, 1 May 2002

«Non siamo truffatrici e lo proveremo»
Pertile e Überegger attaccano e preannunciano una battaglia legale

BRESSANONE. Le accuse di frode e di truffa lanciate ieri dai
responsabili della Fondazione Arturo Toscanini e dell'Agenzia Opera Art
contro le organizzatrici del concerto di Joseè Carreras, Manuela Pertile
e Priska Überegger, hanno innescato una miccia che potrebbe concludersi
con una dura battaglia legale. Le due donne sono scese al contrattacco
ed hanno affidato l'intero carteggio all'avvocato Maurizio Vezzali. «Non
siamo truffatrici e lo proveremo molto presto a suon di denunce».
Non le hanno digerite, Manuela Pertile e Priska Überegger, le parole del
responsabile della «Fondazione Arturo Toscanini» che le ha accusate di
essere delle truffatrici e di aver agito con l'intento di frodare le
persone che avevano acquistato i biglietti per assistere al concerto che
avrebbe dovuto tenersi lunedì sera al Forum. Un'accusa che le ha
profondamente offese e che le ha spinte a passare al contrattacco per
difendersi e per tutelare la propria immagine, scalfita dopo
l'annullamento a sorpresa del concerto del tenore spagnolo Josè
Carreras. «Non siamo delle truffatrici e lo proveremo in Tribunale -
hanno spiegato Manuela Pertile e Priska Überegger - Siamo in possesso
del contratto firmato dal responsabile della «Fondazione Toscanini» per
l'organizzazione del concerto al Forum con l'orchestra, il direttore
Gimenez e il tenore Josè Carreras e quindi ora dovranno essere loro,
quellia della Fondazione, non solo a provare che la disdetta c'è stata
ma anche a restituirci il denaro che gli abbiamo versato. Proprio oggi
ci siamo rivolte all'avvocato Maurizio Vezzali e gli abbiamo consegnato
l'intero carteggio - hanno concluso la Pertile e la Überegger - Nei
prossimi giorni, una volta che Vezzali avrà studiato le carte, faremo un
comunicato e partiranno sicuramente delle azioni legali contro la
Fondazione».

Ed è proprio Maurizio Vezzali, legale brissinese, ad avere ora in mano
il carteggio relativo al concerto che Carreras avrebbe dovuto tenere
lunedì sera a Bressanone e che invece ha tenuto a Milano, come riportato
ieri dal Corriere della Sera.
«La signora Manuela Pertile mi ha incaricato di occuparmi di questo caso
di presunta inadempienza di contratto - ha spiegato Maurizio Vezzali -
Mi ha consegnato il carteggio contenente tra l'altro il contratto
firmato con la Fondazione Artuto Toscanini e, da un primo sommario
esame, mi sembra che sia la Fondazione ad essere stata inadempiente e
non la Pertile, la quale non avrebbe mai dovuto avere contatti con
Carreras per gli accordi, in quanto era la Fondazione, secondo il
contratto, a dover procurare l'orchestra, il direttore ed il tenore. Per
quanto riguarda le accuse di tentativo di truffa, va detto che la
Pertile non ha mai avuto in mano i soldi degli incassi che tra l'altro
sono stati tutti restituti. Verificherò tutte le carte e valuterò le
eventuali azioni legali da intraprendere contro la Fondazione per
inadempienza».
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Carreras «debutta» alla Casa di riposo per musicisti
Pierluigi Panza, Corriere della Sera, 30 April 2002

Il tenore spagnolo nell'istituto voluto da Giuseppe Verdi. «La Scala? Sì
al restauro ma nel rispetto dell'acustica»

Nell'anno del suo centenario - i primi nove ospiti entrarono il 10
ottobre 1902 - la Casa di Riposo per musicisti Giuseppe Verdi di piazza
Buonarroti diventa sempre più come il maestro la voleva: un tempio della
musica. E così ieri, dopo le presenze di Riccardo Muti, Renato Bruson e
Placido Domingo, il presidente Antonio Magnocavallo è riuscito ad
assicurarsi l'ugola d'oro di José Carreras. Ad accoglierlo, con il
prefetto Bruno Ferrante, anche Giulietta Simionato, presidente degli
Amici di Casa Verdi. «Non abbiamo mai cantato insieme, ma lui è un
prediletto da Dio, che gli ha dato questa voce e gli ha ridato la vita»,
ha dichiarato facendo riferimento alla difficile malattia superata dal
tenore spagnolo. Il quale ha attaccato con tre pezzi dell'Ottocento
(«Dolente immagine» di Bellini, «Segreto» di Tosti e «Il poveretto» di
Verdi) per passare poi agli ispanici «Alfonsine» di Ramirez e
«Andalusia» di Granados e quindi concludere al modo dei tre tenori con
le melodie napoletane.

«Era la prima volta che cantavo qui; mi sono emozionato e vorrei anche
tornare», ha dichiarato Carreras, che in giugno sarà in Giappone per il
concerto dei mondiali con Domingo e Pavarotti. E anche se non ha in
vista appuntamenti milanesi, «questa città - afferma - resta sempre la
capitale della lirica e la Scala il più grande teatro del mondo». E il
restauro? «Credo fosse necessario; per me è importante che rispettino l'
acustica. C'era un punto (il cosiddetto punto Callas ndr) sul palco, due
metri dietro la bocca del suggeritore, dal quale la voce acquisiva
maggiore potenza: e ci si sgomitava per piazzarsi qui a cantare».

«Rinnovo tecnico indispensabile», afferma Carreras, con un risultato
acustico, spera, «migliore di quello ottenuto dal Teatro Liceu di
Barcellona, il cui eccezionale restauro ha però ridato una sala con una
acustica non più così buona».
Nei prossimi giorni, a Parma, Carreras riceverà un premio come voce
verdiana. Tra i giovani, invece, ancora premiati cinesi e coreani. «I
cantanti latini - conclude lo storico «Don José» - hanno più qualità. Ma
gli asiatici arrivano ai concorsi davvero molto preparati».
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Carreras, un giorno a casa Verdi
La Repubblica, 30 April 2002

Con modestia ha detto di voler «fare solo una cantatina», ma ha
sfoderato voce, grinta, passione: il tenore spagnolo José Carreras è
tornato ieri a Milano, dove ha tenuto un recital per gli anziani ospiti
di Casa Verdi. Da Bellini a Tosti, dalle canzoni spagnole a quelle
napoletane, l'artista ha proposto un saggio del suo repertorio,
ricevendo gli applausi del mezzosoprano Giulietta Simionato e di tutti i
presenti.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Carreras dice que la mayor cualidad de un tenor es la de emocionar
El Norte de Castilla, 4 May 2002

El tenor inauguró con un recital el Auditorio de León, que quiere ser
referencia en el panorama internacional

«El artista cumple su misión si conmueve a una sola persona del
auditorio», afirma

El cantante de ópera José Carreras aseguró ayer en León que la «cualidad
más importante de un tenor» es la capacidad de «emocionar al auditorio y
de transmitir sensaciones y sentimientos», lo que «hace a un cantante
distinto y lo sitúa en un escalón superior a los demás».

Horas antes de comenzar el recital que ofreció por la noche, junto al
pianista Lorenzo Babaj, con motivo de la inauguración del Auditorio
Ciudad de León, el tenor barcelonés manifestó que la «misión del artista
está cumplida» cuando consiga emocionar «a una sola persona del
auditorio», para lo que se vale de la «belleza de la voz, la
interpretación o la bravura técnica». Así, se refirió a una de las más
grandes figuras internacionales, a Giuseppe Di Stefano (Catania, 1821),
quien «no parece el más técnico, porque la técnica buena es la que no se
oye se entiende y se percibe, pero, en cuanto a nivel de comunicación,
carisma e interpretación es extraordinario». Explicó que Di Stefano es
el tenor que más se acerca «a mi modo de pensar y ver la música» y fue
más allá diciendo que «mi deseo ha sido siempre el de intentar dar a mi
público lo que siento cuando escucho a Di Stefano».

También se refirió a la ópera, que «ha sido escrita para la orquesta»,
más que para el piano, excepto algún caso concreto, como Giuseppe Verdi,
que escribió composiciones operísticas para el piano, tales como 'Il
povoretto' o 'L'Esule', piezas que incorporó al recital, al que asistió
el presidente de la Junta, Juan Vicente Herrera.

El tenor, que ha sido compañero de concierto de Plácido Domingo y
Luciano Pavarotti en tres ocasiones, 1990, 1994 y 1998, consideró que
«lo más positivo» de estos encuentros es «popularizar un género que
siempre ha sido acusado de elitista», y recordó que «la persona que
empieza a interesarse por la música seria nunca deja de ser adepto».

'Operación triunfo'

El fenómeno de 'Operación triunfo' tampoco pasó desapercibido para el
cantante, quien consideró que esta 'operación habrá sido muy positiva,
si de todos estos chicos alguno consigue mantenerse en el mundo de la
canción', tras lo que indicó, sin ánimo de polemizar, que, «sin lugar a
dudas, es más aconsejable este tipo de programas», que, por ejemplo,
'Gran hermano'.

El cantante, cuya extensa discografía incluye más de 150 grabaciones,
entre las que destacan cincuenta óperas completas, es también conocido
por su labor de lucha contra la leucemia y, en este sentido, se refirió
a la Fundación José Carreras, constituida en Barcelona en 1988 y con
sedes en Alemania, EEEUU y Suiza y, en breve en Japón. Destacó el
«trabajo magnífico» efectuado por esta fundación de carácter
internacional que, sólo en España, tiene registrados 50.000 donantes de
médula ósea, que se suman a los más de seis millones registrados en todo
el mundo.

El recital, al que acudieron 1.200 personas y con el que arrancó el
programa musical del Auditorio Ciudad de León, bajo el título de
'Obertura', incluyó 16 temas. Otras actuaciones programadas son las de
la Orquesta Sinfónica de Praga, Amancio Prada o Antonio Canales. Las
obras del Auditorio, situado en el Barrio de Eras de Renueva, comenzaron
en 1988 y requirieron una inversión de 30 millones de euros (5.000
millones de pesetas).

El edificio «está diseñado con los mejores medios y tecnologías más
avanzada para colocar a León en los circuitos nacionales e
internacionales», según recordó el alcalde de León, Mario Amilivia (PP).
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
El tenor catalán José Carreras inaugura con un recital el Auditorio de León
Diario de Burgos, 4 May 2002

El presidente de la Junta, Juan Vicente Herrera, asistió a la apertura
del coliseo musical en el que se han invertido 30 millones de euros

El titular del Ejecutivo comentó que el Auditorio y el futuro Museo de
Arte Contemporáneo de Castilla y León van «a dar a la ciudad de León un
carácter más cosmopolita».

[J.F. (ICAL) / León ]. El tenor catalán José Carreras inauguró ayer el
Auditorio de León con un concierto en el que ofreció piezas de los
compositores Bellini, A. Costa, Albéniz, Verdi, A. Ramírez, C.
Guastavino, R. Leoncavallo y Puccini, y en el que estuvo acompañado al
piano por el maestro Lorenzo Bavaj. El acto contó con la presencia del
presidente de la Junta, Juan Vicente Herrera, así como de numerosas
autoridades y representaciones culturales y sociales de León,
encabezadas por el alcalde, Mario Amilivia, y el presidente de la
Diputación Provincial, José Antonio Díez.

Carreras señaló, antes del concierto, que con el repertorio elegido
intentaba «transmitir emociones y sentimientos». Asimismo, el tenor
manifestó que estaba encantado de estar en «León por primera vez y feliz
porque este primer encuentro con esta ciudad sea para una ocasión como
la inauguración» de un nuevo coliseo para la música. Un total de
dieciséis temas integraron el recital, al que acudieron 1.200 personas y

con el que arrancó el programación musical de este centro, que bajo el
título de «Obetura», que incluye actuaciones de primer nivel y para
diferentes públicos, tales como la actuación de la Orquesta Sinfónica de
Praga, Amancio Prada o Antonio Canales.

Las obras del auditorio, situado en el barrio de Eras de Renueva,
comenzaron en 1988 y han requerido una inversión de 30 millones de euros
(5.000 millones de pesetas). El edificio «está diseñado con los mejores
medios y tecnologías más avanzada para colocar a León en los circuitos
nacionales e internacionales y para ser parada de las manifestaciones
musicales más relevantes del panorama actual», recordó Amilivia.

Juan Vicente Herrera señaló durante el acto inaugural que no podía dejar
de relacionar la apertura del auditorio con la puesta en marcha el
pasado lunes de las obras del Museo de Arte Contemporáneo de Castilla y
León (Musac). En este sentido, señaló que ambas instalaciones van «a dar
a la ciudad de León un carácter más cosmopolita que la permiten
equipararse a cualquiera de las grandes capitales culturales de España»
e incluso «de Europa». Herrera afirmó además que este era un día muy
importante para León y, por extensión para toda la región, al tiempo que
mostró su satisfacción por poder compartir con todos los leoneses la
primera actuación que alberga el auditorio, que corrió a cargo tenor
José Carreras, al que Herrera definició como «un artista de primera
división».

MEDIA ARTICLES 45

Singer likes to exercise both body and voice
Aidin Vaziri, San Francisco Chronicle, 5 May 2002

Jose Carreras, 55, may be best known as the quiet one of the Three
Tenors, the generously proportioned triumvirate he forms with Luciano
Pavarotti and Placido Domingo. But Carreras has recorded more than 50
complete operas on his own and last year released "Around the World," a
collection of songs sung in 11 languages. In 1987, the Spanish singer
was diagnosed with leukemia, which he has overcome. He now devotes much
of his time to raising money and awareness to fight the disease. This
week Carreras returns to San Francisco for a solo performance. .

Q: You look as if you have been exercising.

A: Well, I try. I think it's important in any case to try to be fit.

Q: What's your fitness regime?

A: I try to swim as much as I can, and walk. I think at this point, at
my age, it's the best exercise possible. Singing is also a nice
exercise.

Q: Do you sing while you're swimming?

A: Well, it depends. Sometimes the voice needs rest. Sometimes the voice
needs a good exercise and warm-up and vocalizing, etc. So it depends.
Sometimes it's just 15 or 20 minutes. Sometimes two times a day for half
an hour.

Q: How many languages can you sing in?

A: Probably four for sure. In general, besides Italian and French and
Spanish, which are familiar languages to me, I'm trying sometimes to
sing in German and English, of course.

Q: I heard you even sing in Chinese, Korean and Japanese. You're like a
parrot.

A: Yeah, you're right. But that is an exception. The last recording I
made, "Around the World," I'm singing in nine or 10 languages. But this
is where you get in the studio with a coach who helps you with the
session, so you don't sound too bad. I like these little challenges.

Q: How do you know you're not saying something rude?

A: Well, I try to know the meaning of lyrics. I think it's fundamental
to know what you are saying. It's very important. Not as important as
the music, but almost.

Q: Do you sing in the shower?

A: You know what Placido Domingo used to say? That normally in the
shower he is giving one of his best performances. So the shower is good.
If I'm at home it's easier because everything is prepared. But
sometimes, unfortunately, we even have to practice in a hotel room,
risking to disturb other guests. We try not to do it after midnight.

Q: Did your career start in your mother's hair salon?

A: Yeah, yeah, yeah. She was a hairdresser and I was a kid. I went to
the cinema with my parents to watch "The Great Caruso" with Mario Lanza.
That was a tremendous influence to me. I started to sing, in a very
modest way, as you can imagine. My parents sent me to the conservatory
and I started to study music when I was 7. I also took the opportunity
to sing at my mother's salon because I was looking for some tips.

Q: How do you rate Britney Spears as a vocalist?

A: Well, I have to say, I always thought there is a kind of music for
every moment, for every occasion, for every mood. I mean, not because
I'm a classic artist I only like opera or symphonic or classic music. I
like every kind of music that has a certain thunder, a certain quality.
In every field you can find this.

Q: I understand you also love football (soccer).

A: Yes. Everybody knows where to look for me if I am not at home or at
the studio. I am at the stadium.

Q: Is football a sensitive subject around the Three Tenors?

A: Oh, it is a sore subject. Luciano is a fan of his native Italian team
Juventus, and Placido supports Real Madrid. In music our opinions seldom
differ, but as far as football is concerned each of us immediately
starts to argue in favor of his team.

Q: Have you ever thrown furniture at each other?

A: Yes, yes. No, just kidding. But it is true that we argue ourselves
hoarse, despite the fact that we all need to take care of the voice.

Q: If you could perform anywhere in the whole world, where would it be?

A: Oh, there are two opera houses in the world that are my favorite: La
Scala Milan and Vienna Staatsoper. But I feel great also when I come to
the States or Japan. In Japan, they have tremendous knowledge about
music. They are very respectful and enthusiastic. So I think the world
is a wonderful place to perform. I enjoy myself really everywhere.

Q: You're supposed to say San Francisco.

A: Well, San Francisco, as you know, has always been a special place to
me. I made my debut there when I was very young. In 1973 I sang "La
Boheme," and later on at the Opera House I sang many operas. I'm keeping
a wonderful memory from that time. Fantastic audience. Fantastic place
to sing. I'm very happy to come back.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Concert to cover Carreras' incredible career
Jim Dyar, Redding Record Searchlight, Thursday, May 2, 2002

Last year, when concert organizers considered booking opera giant Jose
Carreras for a concert in Redding, they figured the star would fill
seats regardless of ticket price.

And his prestige certainly commands a high price. His contract for the
Redding show will be about $130,000, which translated into ticket prices
ranging from $41 to $251.

And while ticket sales for Tuesday's concert haven't been robust, they
haven't been lifeless either - more than three-quarters of the seats at
the 2,100-seat Redding Convention Center have been sold.

So it appears that Carreras - one of the famed "Three Tenors" with
Luciano Pavarotti and Placido Domingo - will receive a fairly warm
welcome in the north state.

Accompanied by pianist Lorenzo Bavaj, the 56-year-old will perform works
by Scarlatti, Giordani, Donizetti, Costa and Tosti among others. The
performance, sponsored by the city of Redding, is set to begin at 7:30
p.m.

"In a recital like this, as opposed to a full-blown opera, people will
hear the best pieces of opera they don't even know that they know," said
Joseph Kerr, Redding Convention Center manager. "That's what I like.
When I saw Pavarotti, it was almost like opera's greatest hits. It's
really chilling to hear him reaching for all those notes."

The Spanish-born Carreras was an established veteran in the opera world
at an early age. By 28, he'd sung the tenor lead in 24 different operas
in Europe and North America.

When he performed in "Madama Butterfly" with the New York City Opera in
1972, Ovation magazine wrote that he was "a honeyed lyric tenor, richly
colored, clear and true and possessing a sensual beauty the is quite
extraordinary."

Carreras experienced an even bigger breakthrough year in 1974, when he
debuted at four of the biggest opera houses in the world: New York's
Metropolitan, London's Royal Opera House, the Vienna Staatsoper and
Milan's La Scala.

In 1987, Carreras was diagnosed with acute leukemia and given just a
slight chance of surviving. He overcame the illness, however, and soon
resumed his career. In 1988, he formed the Jose Carreras International
Leukemia Foundation, which has branches in Spain, Switzerland, Germany
and the United States.

Already popular, Carreras' stardom turned stratospheric (at least in
classical circles) when he joined Domingo and Pavarotti for concerts in
Rome in 1990 and Los Angeles in 1994 as the "Three Tenors." The trio
went on to sell out huge concert venues throughout the world and sell
millions of records.

"He's one of the top five opera singers in all of the late 20th
century," said Eric Teel, host of Siskiyou Music Hall, a classical radio
program on Jefferson Public Radio. "It's not just the 'Three Tenors,'
that was more of a marketing gimmick. He's one of the great opera
singers living that you can count on one hand."

Hearing Carreras live is like, "being able to tell your kids you saw
Elvis," Teel added "If you get an opportunity to experience something
like that you should go experience it."

Just like rock or pop stars, opera giants also have a devoted following
of fans who will travel just about anywhere to see them. The convention
center's Kerr said tickets have been purchased by fans as far away as
Wisconsin, Japan and Australia.

Carreras has a vast repertoire that includes over 60 operas. His
discography includes more than 150 recordings, many which have gone gold
and platinum.

Though it may all seem a little a highbrow for a rural setting, the
Spaniard continually encourages newcomers to witness his shows.

"I think that singing, more than anything else, is about trying to
transmit something, trying to bring emotions and feelings to the people
who are listening to you," he told the Jacksonville (Fla.) Times-Union
in an interview earlier this year. "I think this is the most important
thing: that for someone who is not familiar with the opera or the
classic music . . . that they are getting some emotions and some kind of
feelings that I'm trying to transmit with my singing."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Bravissimo, Señor Carreras
Charles Parmiter, Reader's Digest, November, 1989

Each song and every aria is a celebration of this courageous tenor's
victory over cancer

HE COULD barely drag himself out of bed. He was dizzy, and his
teeth hurt. It was July 13, 1987, and José Carreras was in Paris to
make a film of the opera La Bohéme. Perhaps it was the antibiotics he'd
been taking for his toothache that made him feel so tired.
Perhaps it was his hectic schedule-recording, filming, giving recitals
and performing operatic roles to packed houses in Britain, France,
Italy, Spain and the United States, all in the preceding four months.

I look like hell, he mused, examining his gaunt face in the mirror of
his hotel suite. He decided to go into hospital for a thorough
examination. The years had been kind to 40-year-old José Carreras.
Early in his career he had been recognized as one of the world's top
three tenors (along with Pavarotti and Domingo). His good looks and
natural acting ability made him a favourite with opera-goers, and his
cheerful personality endeared him to conductors and impresarios alike.
He had fan clubs from Vienna to Tokyo. His records were bestsellers,
and his annual income was well over half a million pounds.

Anxious. All that seemed far away as he lay in his hospital bed,
awaiting the results of a sternal marrow puncture the doctors had
ordered after seeing his blood tests. "This will hurt a little," the
nurse had warned, before driving a needle deep into his breastbone to
suck out marrow for testing. For Carreras, though, it was as if she
were drilling a hole straight into his heart.

Professor Jean Bernard, the world-famous blood specialist who had taken
charge of José's bone-marrow test, walked into the room. His
announcement was crushing: "You have acute lymphoblastic leukaemia -and
I'm afraid it's very serious."

He explained that in this disease the bone marrow, producer of blood
cells, is invaded by cancer cells that inhibit the production of
platelets that stop haemorrhaging, white cells that fight infection and
red cells that help bring oxygen to the tissues. José had two counts
against him. One was his age: in patients under 12, 70 per cent are
curable with chemotherapy. But in older patients, the survival rate
drops. Secondly, he had B-cell leukaemia, meaning the cancer was also
attacking the cells that manufacture immunoglobulin, the basic stuff of
the body's immune system.

"We are going to do our best to cure you," Professor Bernard continued.
"French doctors have made amazing strides fighting leukaemia. But if
you prefer to be treated at home in Barcelona, there is a good
programme at the Hospital Clinico." What Professor Bernard, out of
kindness, neglected to say was that even with the most aggressive
treatment, José's chances of survival were slim.

Chemotherapy. Radiation. Bone-marrow transplant. The words coursed
through his brain, but they failed to register. His head was reeling.
Why me? he thought. Why now?

Determined. José's 49-year-old brother Alberto, who had driven up from
Barcelona, visited him in hospital. They talked for hours about their
lives as children. Finally José said, "Alberto, I'm going to fight this
disease. And with God's help, I'm going to beat it. Let's go home to
Barcelona and get cracking."

José CARRERAS' mother was his biggest fan. A hairdresser, married to a
Barcelona policeman, she encouraged José's childhood fantasies of
singing at Covent Garden, La Scala and the New York Metropolitan and
paid for his first voice lessons out of her meagre income. But Antonia
Coll de Carreras never heard her son sing on an opera stage. She died
of cancer at 51, when he was 17. His mother's agonizing death was very
much on José's mind as he underwent chemotherapy treatment at the
Hospital Clinico. Isolated in a sterile room, he was fed a "cocktail"
of six potent drugs, dripped slowly into a vein in his arm, three times
a day for seven days. Another dose of drugs was injected directly into
his spinal canal to kill any cancer cells that might have taken refuge
there.

Despairing. The next three weeks were a living hell. His hair fell out
in clumps, and he lost a lot of weight. But he was too ill to care. "It
was different from the nausea you get when you've eaten something bad
or drunk too much," he explains. "I felt sick from the top of my head
to the soles of my feet. Even my fingertips were nauseous."

Around mid-August he went into a "first remission." He spent ten days
at home before starting a new round of chemotherapy, a "consolidation
course" of four equally toxic drugs. "They all made me feel sick," he
says. "The important thing was that I always had loved ones around me.
They comforted me and kept my courage up." His sister Maria Antonia,
Alberta and other relatives and friends took turns visiting him. "It
was a terrible time for José," Maria Antonia remembers, "but he never
complained. Whenever I arrived, he would smile and give me the
thumbs-up sign."

In autumn 1987, with Carreras in remission, his doctors decided to
proceed to the next stage: a bone-marrow transplant. A small portion of
marrow would be extracted from a donor with a genetically identical
tissue type-Alberta, perhaps, or Maria Antonia-and infused into José's
bloodstream to find its way back to his bones. There would be
potentially fatal complications, but if it worked, the donor marrow
would boost the singer's immune system, producing the tumour-killing
cells he needed to survive.

But no donor could be found. Alberto's and Maria Antonia's tissue type
were genetically identical-but to each other, not to José. The only
alternative was an auto-transplant. José's own marrow would have to be
removed, treated and frozen, later to be thawed and returned to his
blood, a process even more risky than a regular transplant and carried
out under general or spinal anaesthetic.

On November 1 José arrived at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research
Centre in Seattle, world-renowned for its work on bone-marrow
transplants for lymph cancer and leukaemia. Five days later, doctors
began the two-hour procedure of removing enough of his bone marrow for
an auto-transplant.

Opera singers, as a rule, are terrified of a general anaesthetic. It
depresses the central nervous system and necessitates a breathing tube
which, they fear, might damage the vocal cords. José was no exception,
and opted for a spinal anaesthetic.

The result was that he was groggy but awake as doctors punctured his
pelvic bone hundreds of times to remove a litre of marrow. The marrow
was rushed to a laboratory, where red corpuscles and plasma were
removed and monoclonal antibodies-laboratory-created "killer proteins"
specifically designed to fight B-cell cancer-were added.

A catheter was inserted through a large vein in his chest and advanced
directly into the right auricle of his heart. He would receive the bone
marrow through the catheter, and for more than three months he would
have blood drawn, be fed, be given medication and receive transfusions
through this tube.

Next, José's leukaemic bone marrow had to be destroyed by radiation.
This process also destroyed his remaining normal bone marrow. Three
times a day for four days, he was wheeled into a room with an immense
X-ray machine. There he stood motionless while technicians sent huge
doses of radiation through his body for 20 minutes at a time.

Inner Strength. To José those sessions seemed an eternity. "I'd
mentally sing a four-minute aria from one opera, a three-minute one
from another, and so forth, until I knew the 20 minutes were up."

Finally, confined to another sterile room, he was given large doses of
chemotherapy for two days. "After all that, the marrow transplant
itself was practically an anticlimax," he recalls. The doctors arrived
at his bedside with a plastic package that "looked like salami." Using
a syringe to suck up the contents, they injected them into José's
catheter.

By the beginning of December, he still needed transfusions, but his
blood counts were rising, and the transplanted marrow was functioning
well. Luciano Pavarotti telephoned several times from Italy. "Please
get well soon," he joked, "because there's no competition without you."
Placido Domingo came to visit. Standing outside the sterile room, he
inserted his hand into a rubber glove-like contraption. José grasped
it, and the two great tenors talked shop for more than an hour.

Just before Christmas, José was allowed to move into a Seattle
apartment rented by Alberto and Maria Antonia. The doctors told him he
could start eating solid food. But he couldn't keep anything down.
Worse still, as a side-effect of the radiation and chemotherapy, he had
developed ulcers of the oesophagus, and medicine he was given for the
ulcers affected his bone marrow. His blood counts began to fall
precipitously.

José was getting weaker by the day. Finally, an age-old remedy proved
to be an effective balm for his ulcers: belladonna. In 24 hours it
calmed his stomach. "It was like a miracle," he recalls. His first meal
in months was chicken soup. Within a week his ulcers started to heal.

A brand-new drug called GM-CSF gave his bone marrow the final boost it
needed. His blood counts began to climb again. One day in February,
Alberto and Maria Antonia were listening to a recording of El Cid and
were stunned to hear an unmistakable tenor voice join in. "I had not
sung a note in seven months," says Carreras. "But somehow I always had
the feeling that if I could just survive this thing, my voice would
still be there. It was."

On February 27, 1988, José flew home to a hero's welcome. Banners at
the airport read BARCELONA LOVES CARRERAS and YOU'RE THE BEST, JOSE.

José still had the catheter in his chest, and he would need
transfusions for the next three months. But his hair was growing back,
and he was regaining weight. He tried to explain how he felt. "It's as
if I'd been in a prison cell and suddenly found myself on a boat with
the sea breeze blowing in my face..." He faltered. "My thing is to
sing, not to talk," he said. "And with God's help, I hope to do so very
soon."

He spent the next few months training with a physiotherapist and
working hard on his voice. "The vocal cords are muscles, and they need
regular exercise," he explains. "I'd been away for so long that it was
like starting all over again. The biggest problem was breath control.
Without it, your voice gets tired and you have no force. But it takes
hours and hours to get it right." From simple passages José gradually
worked his way up to that most difficult of arias, "Celeste Aida."
"When I could sing 'Celeste' again," he says, "I was ready for my first
concert."

On July 21 he returned to the stage with a spectacular open-air
recital. For an hour and a half, with only a piano for accompaniment,
he sang in Spanish, Italian, French and Catalan-operatic arias, folk
songs and old favourites like "Granada." The 150,000 spectators called
him back for five encores. When he finally waved for the last time and
walked off, exhausted but radiant, there was scarcely a dry eye in the
audience.

The recital made a profit of over £190,000-all of which went to the
José Carreras Foundation to aid leukaemia victims. "The Foundation is
my way of saying thanks to God for saving my life," he explains. "I
thought I should use whatever influence I have to help others. And it
seemed to me that if people could see me and say, 'Look, after all that
has happened to him, he's back singing,' this could give other
leukaemia victims hope.

"The illness has changed me," he continues. "I no longer sing just for
the sake of singing. Now, when I go on stage or into a recording
session, it is a celebration of being alive."

MEDIA ARTICLES 46  
Carreras warms hearts
Jim Dyar, Redding Record Searchlight, 9 May 2002

Spanish tenor wows Redding audience

Jose Carreras came to Redding with more than one song in his heart.

But when the famous Spanish tenor began his second encore with the
English words to "With a Song in my Heart," an impassioned audience at
the Redding Convention Center broke into one of its mightiest roars of
the evening.

Carreras, one of the famed "Three Tenors" along with Luciano Pavarotti
and Placido Domingo, drew three standing ovations and countless
"bravos" with his stirring one hour, 45 minute performance Tuesday
night.

"It's extraordinary," said Chico's Colleen Power who purchased a $125
front-row seat. "The whole time I kept thinking, 'How did they get him
here?' It's a once in a lifetime opportunity."

It was a night when a Redding audience broke out tuxedos, suits and
shimmering dresses, and paid for tickets that ranged from $41 to $251.
About three-quarters of the 2,100-seat auditorium was filled.

Carreras spent the evening belting out songs, mostly in Italian and
Spanish. He often stood with his right hand on the grand piano played
by his accompanist Lorenzo Bavai, and his left rising in expressive
fashion.

Near the completion of many pieces, both arms would rise and his voice
would thunder through the auditorium to the delight of the crowd. He
sang a total of 18 numbers and left the stage for brief periods after
about every third song.

"The best part about being in the front row is being able to see him
breathe and see how he forms the notes," said Power, an opera fan and
librarian at Chico State University.

The concert was sponsored by the city of Redding and the McConnell
Foundation. Carreras was paid about $130,000 for the performance.

"The city made a statement that it wants to bring world-class
performances to Redding on an annual basis," said Shannon Phillips,
communications director for the McConnell Foundation, who was in
attendance Tuesday night. "That fits our mission, providing this kind
of cultural experience."

Carreras performed a program that included works by Donizetti,
Scarlatti, Costa and Tosti, among others.

The 56-year-old native of Barcelona, Spain, became established in the
opera world at an early age. By 28, he'd sung the tenor lead in 24
different operas in Europe and North America.

Perhaps his biggest breakthrough year was 1974, when he debuted at four
of the biggest opera houses in the world: New York's Metropolitan,
London's Royal Opera House, the Vienna Staatsoper and Milan's La Scala.

In 1987, he was diagnosed with acute leukemia and given only a small
chance of surviving. He went on to beat the illness, resume his career
and form the Jose Carreras International Leukemia Foundation, which has
branches in Spain, Switzerland, Germany and the United States.

For the Redding show, tickets were purchased from much further than
just Chico. Convention Center manager Joe Kerr said audience members
traveled from as far away as Wisconsin, Japan and Australia.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Verdi Requiem
Marc Bridle, Music Web, June 2001

Margaret Price (soprano)
Jessye Norman (mezzo-soprano)
Jose Carreras (tenor)
Ruggero Raimondi (bass)
Edinburgh Festival Chorus
London Symphony Orchestra/Claudio Abbado
(Live recording from Edinburgh Festival, 1982)
ARTHAUS DVD 100 146 (regions 2,5,6), 87 minutes

With Gergiev's new Philips recording of Verdi's Requiem proving
something of a disappointment in the composer's centenary year hopes of
something special hinge on Arthaus's DVD release of this justly famous
Edinburgh Festival performance. It is sensational, one of the most
compelling performances I have heard of this work - and a performance
Claudio Abbado will find hard to match in his forthcoming EMI release of
the work.

The Requiem is notoriously difficult to cast but here Abbado gets it
absolutely perfect. On paper this seemed a quartet of soloists to die
for and the performance soon confirms that this is the case - together
they make for the most satisfying, matchless quartet, possibly without
rival, on any recording of the work. The contrast in tone and colour
between the four voices is resplendent, the phrasing and care for
dynamics extraordinarily refined (listen to any one of Margaret Price's
hushed pianissimos to hear how moving this music can sound). Jose
Carreras, infinitely more musical than Bocelli on the Gergiev recording,
brings gravitas and lyricism to his role in equal measure (the Ingemisco
being a particular triumph). Jessye Norman is simply mesmerising, her
tone both polished and velvety, the nobility of her phrasing
irresistible. Some will indeed resist this, perhaps preferring the
lighter hue which Borodina brings to the Philips recording, but it is an
example of this singer's supreme artistry. Ruggero Raimondi is the
subtlest of basses, bronze in tone but like a powerhouse throughout.
Margaret Price, one of the greatest of Mozartians, brings great delicacy
to her singing but has the strength of voice to ride over the orchestra
in both the Dies Irae and Libera me as she punches out her thrilling
high Cs. This is great singing without question.

If there is a reason that this quartet is more successful than almost
any other, it is because the voices have the dexterity to meet the
demands of Verdi's writing. Price has the lightness of tone which
Schwarzkopf brought to her recordings with de Sabata and Giulini, but,
unlike Schwarzkopf, Price also has that reserve and power which she
later brought to Wagner in a celebrated Tristan with Carlos Kleiber. If
there is a problem with the casting of this particular part in recent
years it is because conductors favour lyric sopranos rather than
dramatic ones - René Fleming being a case in point. Beautiful though her
singing is for Gergiev, one is constantly aware that the reach of the
role is often too uncomfortable for her voice. Norman, however,
comfortably spans both the mezzo and soprano registers so effortlessly
there is never the slightest suggestion that the voice is under any
strain. It is imperious singing that really makes this disc an essential
experience.

Holding all this together is an inspired Claudio Abbado. His mastery of
the score is never in doubt, his handling of the chorus superb, and he
encourages from the LSO hugely dynamic playing (the brass are truly
thrilling). His perception of the work owes more to Riccardo Muti than
Giulini - this is, after all, an electrifying reading which rests on
spontaneity rather than over-preparedness. It is a classic 'Italianate'
performance played with warmth of expression, but is highly dramatic
where it matters.

Humphrey Burton, the director of this film, brings some nice touches to
the performance. When we hear the brass chorales in the Dies Irae the
camera pans to cherubim blowing trumpets, and there are some exceptional
wide-panned views of the stage which emphasise the enormity and grandeur
of the work's structure. Here we have an orchestra and chorus marshalled
on stage like a waiting army. Close ups of both singers and conductor
are judicious (and much less intrusive than in some DVD releases of
concert performances).

As ever with Arthaus the booklet is a disappointment: the translation
into English is stilted and it tells us nothing at all about the
performance (even the biographies of the principals are breathtakingly
short). The disc is perfectly fine, with picture and sound quality
matching the performance, although the box tells us there is a trailer
for this performance. I have yet to find it.

This is a DVD that listeners will return to again and again for a
performance that ranks amongst the very greatest ever committed to disc.
It cannot fail to give pleasure.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Carreras: A voice for the masses
Kenneth LaFave, The Arizona Republic, 12 May 2002

In the world of opera, it is not the note, not the chord, not the
harmonic progression that matters. It is the voice.

A great operatic voice can produce a single, sustained pitch and still
satisfy the demands of fans.

José Carreras won't be singing much in the way of opera when he
performs in recital at the Dodge Theatre on Tuesday night; arias sung
to piano reduction, rather than with orchestra, are not to his liking.

But the Neapolitan folk songs and American pop material he has planned
will benefit from that classically perfected lyric spin, the
distinctive sound of one of this generation's finest tenors.

There are tenors and there are tenors; it's not just a range but a
style of vocal production. The language can make the singer.

"I am a Spanish tenor," Carreras says by phone. "In general, we have a
darker sound, due to our phonetics. Italian phonetics are brighter."

Then there's the influence of his idol: Giorgio Di Stefano.

"I am a tenor lover, and I listened to them all as a student:
Bjoerling, Tucker, del Monaco - I could mention a dozen or two," he
says.

"But Di Stefano! When I had the opportunity to listen to him in the
'60s live, I thought, 'I want to give the audience those kinds of
emotions.' The others I admired, but with Di Stefano, I always felt he
was communicating feelings. It may sound obvious, but that is what we
are trying to do onstage, whether it is an opera or a concert."

Born in Barcelona 55 years ago, Carreras found his métier before most
children have mastered addition. At age 6, he saw Mario Lanza in the
film The Great Caruso. Much to his parents' astonishment, little José
went home singing and never stopped.

"There was something about that film. I felt attracted by the music and
by Lanza's personality," Carreras recalls.

At one point, Mom and Dad locked José in the bathroom to continue
rehearsing all the arias he'd heard on screen. At 8, he debuted singing
one of them, La Donna 'e mobile, in his little-boy soprano.

Like a self-fulfilling prophecy, the body complied to the soul's wishes
and Carreras indeed grew into a tenor. He studied and observed and,
before long, came to the attention of Spanish soprano Montserrat
Caballé, who nudged some American presenters to accept this young and
relatively untried singer.

He was an immediate hit. In 1972, at 25, he sang three leads for the
New York City Opera and was proclaimed by the New York Times to be "the
company's finest tenor in the Italian repertoire."

Then, in 1987, disaster struck as the singer was diagnosed with
leukemia and given a 1-in-10 chance of survival by physicians. Carreras
not only bucked the odds, but along the way became the raison d'être
for the most famous operatic team of the past half century.

Carreras' fellow tenors Luciano Pavarotti and Placido Domingo founded
the Three Tenors both to show support for Carreras in his time of trial
and to raise money for the foundation that Carreras began to fight
leukemia. Starting in 1990, the trio became the No. l classical-music
attraction around the globe.

"The three of us are very different kinds of personalities -
physically, artistically, very different," Carreras says. "And that
combination made a kind of chemistry that captured people. We admired
each other and the audiences appreciated that."

The Three Tenors promoted the idea that operatic voices could sing
popular music, too. For Carreras now, opera itself is a small part of
his life. His most recent recordings have focused on world music and
pop music. His repertoire has narrowed as his voice has changed.

"I think we should all know our limits," he says. "I always compare it
with suits in your closet. Some are becoming too tight, therefore you
choose something different."

What stays the same?

"Singers have the privilege of practicing an art much more immediate
than any other. They owe it to their audiences to make emotional
contact."

José Carreras
WHAT: The tenor in concert, presented by Arizona Opera.
WHEN : 7:30 p.m. Tuesday.
WHERE: Dodge Theatre, 400 W. Washington St., Phoenix.
ADMISSION: $35-$250. (480) 784-4444 or www.ticketmaster.com.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Carreras sings it safe
Joshua Kosman, San Francisco Chronicle, 14 May 2002

A weak recital and a low turnout

On any other weekend, Jose Carreras' forgettable recital Sunday night in
a barely half-full War Memorial Opera House might hardly rate a mention.
But coming just one day after his fellow tenor Luciano Pavarotti's
farewell no- show at the Metropolitan Opera, it seemed like some kind of
omen.

Mother of Mercy, as Edward G. Robinson might have said, is this the end
of the Three Tenors?

It has been a long while since Carreras has displayed the tonal
brilliance and effortless lyricism that were once his hallmarks. But
Sunday's faceless program -- a string of songs by Costa, Tosti, Albeniz,
Granados and others, all shaped with a cookie-cutter dose of
"expressiveness" -- still made the heart sink.

Carreras' voice has not actually suffered much from the passage of time.
The tone is full-bodied, if a little leathery and dark, and, aside from
some unruly climaxes, he keeps it well under control.

But years of amplified arena shows and pointless pageantry, all the
regrettable foofaraw of the Three Tenors phenomenon, have not been
beneficial to his artistic sensibilities. Stringing together handfuls of
little musical nuggets -- two or three at a time between bows and trips
offstage -- hardly amounts to a serious undertaking.

More dismaying still was the lack of any sense of urgency or engagement
with the music. Carreras played it very safe, husbanding his vocal
resources and taking no chances that might have involved rethinking or
redirecting a song. Pianist Lorenzo Bavaj followed Carreras' lead.

The result was a flattened-out version of most of the music, with a few
standardized phrase shapes applied to nearly all of it and an emotional
profile that was equally formulaic. The titles and composers changed,
but somehow the performances didn't.

There were exceptions, including Costa's "Era de Maggio" and an account
of Granados' "Andaluza" that was ardent and clear-toned in a way that
seemed startlingly genuine. The loveliest part of the program was
Carreras' light, sweet-toned account of Enrico Toselli's "Serenata."

The low turnout was a surprise, and depressing in the way that low
turnouts always are (after intermission, many patrons seemed to have
gravitated toward seats in the front of the orchestra sections, creating
at least the illusion of a denser crowd). Perhaps it is a warning,
though, and perhaps even a salutary one -- that the days of operatic
bread and circuses, exemplified by Carreras and his tenorial teammates,
are winding to a close.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Tenor of the Times
David Hale, The Fresno Bee, 14 May 2002

Though sometimes seen as the third of 'The Three Tenors,' courageous
leukemia survivor Jose Carreras holds his own.

Tenor Jose Carreras is undoubtedly one of the most famous opera singers
in the world -- next to Luciano Pavarotti and Placido Domingo, the other
two-thirds of "The Three Tenors."

But Carreras, who starred in important opera houses all over the world
in the 1970s and 1980s, has not been heard in years in a mainstream
opera, at least not in this country.

So just what in the world is Carreras up to, when he isn't sharing a
stage with his pals as the spectacularly successful "The Three Tenors"?

Presumably, we can believe him when he says he is doing exactly what he
wants to do, holding the course as a concert singer. He'll perform
Sunday at Saroyan Theatre as part of the Fresno Grand Opera's season.

"I started when I was 22," he says. "I have done so many things. If
after 32 years I was not able to do what I wanted, that would be cruel.

"I try to do the kinds of things I can do, but I enjoy being on stage --
the communication with the audience. Anyone is lucky who is able to
devote himself to something that fulfills himself as a human being as
well as a vocation. I enjoy singing, to bring emotions and some feelings
that I have inside. Call it selfish if you like, but I make myself happy
doing it," he says.

Spanish-born Carreras' early career was sensational, fired by a honeyed
lyric tenor voice, his indisputable Latin good looks and the influence
of Spanish diva Montserrat Caballe.

Caballe saw him in a minor role in "Norma," in Barcelona's Liceo
Theatre, and invited him to appear with her as Gennaro, his first
principal role, in Donizetti's "Lucrezia Borgia."

It was enough to launch Carreras on a career as featured tenor in 24
different operas by the time he was 28, beginning in 1974 with the Duke
of Mantua in "Rigoletto" in the Vienna Staatsoper and Alfredo in "La
Traviata" at London's Royal Opera House.

He went on to perform some 60 roles, appearing with leading co-stars
under the direction of prominent conductors, until 1987. He collapsed in
Paris while working on a film version of "La Boheme." A checkup at the
hospital revealed that he had leukemia. Many thought he would never sing
again; indeed, in the weeks that followed, his survival was in doubt.

"I was 11 months in the hospital, six months in Barcelona, five months
in Seattle for bone-marrow transplants and chemo," says Carreras. "My
whole body was suffering extreme situations.

"I was lucky. I thought it would be very hard, and it was, but never did
I think I would not make it. I had so many unbelievable proofs of
affection from around the world, I felt I had to pay back."

One method for giving back is the Jose Carreras International Leukemia
Foundation, founded in Barcelona.

"I feel proud we have branches in Germany, Switzerland, the U.S. [in
Seattle] and soon in Japan," Carreras says.

Today, Carreras gives about 50 concerts each year, many of them as
benefits for the foundation, which provides funds for research for
therapies for diseases like leukemia.

"Compared to the incredible treatments we have today, the treatment I
received is like history," Carreras says. "But we still are losing too
many patients."

That's inspiration enough for Carreras to continue working. He flies to
the mostly one-night concerts in Europe and America in his private jet.

In Fresno, a fund-raising dinner with Carreras to benefit the Fresno
Grand Opera will be held at Upstairs Downtown before the concert.

"I think a lot of people have feeling for him [Carreras] because of what
he went through," says Edward D. Fanucchi, a member of the board for the
Fresno Grand Opera and co-chair of the dinner.

"We think of him as the underdog. You see him with these two big guys
[Pavarotti and Domingo] and he's just singing his heart and soul out for
you. But I saw them in San Jose and I thought he sang magnificently and
outshone the others," he says.

The repertory provides Carreras the opportunity to exhibit his
versatility in Spanish, Italian and French. Fans may anticipate a
sampling of zarzuela, Spain's national form of operetta; Neapolitan love
songs; something late Baroque from Alessandro Scarlatti; a light medley
from Paolo Tosti, including the English "Because of You"; Giordano's
"Caro mio ben"; and the familiar "Luna Nova" by the Italian-born English
composer Michael Costa.

And what about "The Three Tenors," the pops spectacle that reportedly
pays its stars fees of $1 million and up?

"I was the one who proposed the first one [in Rome, 1990] -- something
for the World Cup," says Carreras, a rabid soccer fan. "Somebody else
said, 'Let's do something special, something that's not been done
before.' We all agreed, and here we are."

Carreras dispatches that perpetual rumor of tenor rivalry, particularly
between Domingo and himself, with a bit of humor.

"The three of us are very different in our talent, our personality and
our physique," he says. "Because we are different type of characters, it
creates a kind of chemistry. There is one common thing . . . the three
of us are really good."

MEDIA ARTICLES 47

Carreras delivers pleasing platter of standard fare
Kenneth LaFave, The Arizona Republic, 15 May 2002

Arizona Opera classed up the Dodge Theatre for José Carreras' recital
Tuesday night. In the lobby during intermission, you could buy fruit
and cheese platters, in addition to the usual corn dogs and beer.

Onstage, shubberies framed a place where "the third tenor" and his
longtime accompanist, superlative pianist Lorenzo Bavaj, performed to
an audience of 2,000 in the Dodge's 5,200-seat configuration.

In fit voice and amplified by an area mike, Carreras sang Neapolitan,
Spanish and American popular songs. The highlight was to hear this most
Spanish of Spanish tenors sing a sterling Andaluza. The grand old thing
by Enrique Granados needs emotional abandon, and Carreras managed to
give that without abandoning good taste.

The program progressed from songs written in the relaxed lower range
(beginning with Caro mio ben, every voice student's starter) to
materials steadily higher in tessitura. By the time, in the second
half, Carreras came to Stansilao Gastaldon's Musica proibita and the
Mario Lanza potboiler Be My Love, he was careering in the upper
stratosphere, if very carefully so.

Strangest of the 16 songs: Un Ombra, a Spanish-language lyric set to
Richard Addinsell's big-boned piano melody, the Warsaw Concerto.

Miking, necessary to overcome the Dodge's bat-cave acoustics, resulted
in the odd sensation, from my seat in the eighth row, that singer and
pianist were sonically remote from each other. Blend was better further
back, where I moved for the second half.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Vigasio già pensa a Josè Carreras
Valerio Locatelli, L'Arena di Verona, 3 April 2002

Canterà in giugno nel paese natale di Montemezzi

Il tenore sta preparando brani del veronese

C'è grande attesa a Vigasio, paese natale del compositore Italo
Montemezzi, per il concerto di Josè Carreras. Il famosissimo tenore
spagnolo è stato inviato dall'Amministrazione comunale a celebrare il
cinquantesimo anniversario della morte del musicista veronese,
scomparso il 16 maggio 1952. Il concerto di Carreras costituisce un
vero e proprio evento per il paese di Vigasio e si terrà il 23 giugno
nella piazza centrale, a pochi passi dalla villa del maestro. In
programma pezzi tratti dall opere «Giovanni Gallurese», «Hellera»,
«L'Amore dei tre re», «La notte di Zoraima» e «Incantesimo». Ultimo
artista della grande fioritura operistica italiana, Montemezzi ebbe
l'onore di avere una sua opera, «Incantesimo», in cartellone nella
stagione lirica areniana solo nel 1952, quando il maetro era morto da
pochi mesi. Undici anni fa, nel 1991, al Teatro Filarmonico venne
rappresentato il melodramma con il quale Montemezzi raggiunse fama
universale: «L'Amore dei tre re».

Josè Carreras sta lavorando alle partiture di Montemezzi, per il
concerto in programma. Famoso e popolare in tutto il mondo, Josè
Carreras fa parte dei mitici «tre tenori» ed è unanimemente considerato
fra i più significativi interpreti del nostro secolo. Più di sessanta
opere interpretate, in teatro ed al cinema, in video musicali, 150
incisioni, con 50 opere complete; oratori e recital di musica classica
e popolare. Ha ricevuto dischi d'oro e di platino per il numero di
copie vendute, e riconoscimenti ovunque per la qualità, dagli Emmy e
Grammy negli Stati Uniti, al Grand Prix du Disque parigino, al Premio
Illica, al Sir Lawrence Oliver. Medaglie a Londra, Vienna, Madrid;
Legion d'Onore in Francia, cavalierato ed insegne di grad'Ufficiale in
Italia; onorificenze in Austria, Inghilterra: insomma un lunghissimo
elenco di riconoscimenti.

Ad accompagnare il famoso teneore ci sarà a Vigasio l'orchestra della
Fondazione Arturo Toscanini di Parma, diretti da Piergiorgio Morandi,
ed altri artisti di fama internazionale. Come il soprano Daniela Dessì,
il baritono Alberto Mastromarino, il tenore Fabio Armiliato e il basso
Riccardo Zanellato.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Big Soccer Fan - The Three Tenors - to have their final concert in Yokohama
Shukan Bunshun, May 2002
[In English translation from the original Japanese by Odani Keiko]

The well-known Three Tenors - Pavarotti, Domingo and Carreras - will
have a concert at the Yokohama Arena on June 27.  Since 1990 in Italy,
their singing together has been an integral part of World Cup. There
were rumors, however, that they might not have the concert this time,
but we shouldn't have underestimated the trio, big soccer fans.  It's
reported that their enthusiasm was strong enough to have the show
again: "We want to rank with Pele and Maradona, who made the record of
being in World Cup for four consecutive times."  As soon as the
conversation shifted to soccer, the sweet face and voice of Carreras
that so many people adore turned very serious. "Of course, I have hope
for Spain, my country," he said, but his analysis that followed
immediately was objective. "In World Cup, old established teams tend to
do well.  The winner this time will be perhaps Argentina."  Carreras is
a soccer aficionado who says, "I don't miss games when I'm home in
Barcelona."  Asked what he would do if the game of the Spanish team and
his opera performance fall on the same day, he said, "I don't
even  think about it; I will go see the game" (laugh).

English translation © Odani Keiko
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Madama Butterfly
Opera Actual, May-June 2002

MADAMA BUTTERFLY- Giacomo Puccini
R.Scotto
J.Carreras
J.Patrick
J.Forst
Orquestra y Coro de la Opera de San Francisco
Dit: K.Adler
MYTO Records 2MCD 013.248.2CD.ADD.
(1974). 2001 DIVERDI

Renata Scotto ha decado varias muestras de su dominio del canto
exspresivo y de la fascinacion de su sensibile fraseo en el rol
titular de Madama Butterlfy.  Aparte de sus grabaciones de
studio,dirigidas por Barbirolli (EMI,1966) y Maazel (CBS,1978)
respectivamente,la Scotto,ideal interprete de repertorio verista,
paseò por medio mundo de la  vision de la japonesa mas famosa
de la opera.

En este registro, procedente de la temporada 1974/75 de la
opera de San Francisco,su talento escènico se combina
idealmente con la bellezza sin par del Pinkerton de un joven
Carreras,que ricrea la passiòn incosciente del "marine".

Ni que decir tiene que la ultima escena del premier acto es pura
delizia, ya que Carreras aporta ese impetu y entrega tan
caracterìsticos, fundiendose con una Scotto transfigurada, si
bien està presente ese peculiar "vibrato" que desmerece lo
estrictamente vocal, specialmente en el registro agudo y en
frases elongadas.

Carreras luce sus virtudes sin ninguno de los defectos o errores
posteriores.  El resto de intèrpretes està logicamente a un nivel
inferior, aunque ninguno desentona.  Predomina, por tanto, la
correcciòn del officio de los comprimarios.

Kurt Adler hace una lectura detallista y de tiempos ràpidos, sin
caer en el sentimentalismo al que tienden otras batutas.  La
toma de sonido es muy nitida, lo que siempre se ha da tener
en cuenta en los registros en vivo.  Butterfly imprescindibile
para fans de la pareca protagonista.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Beiteddine Festival gears up for summer concert season
Tiare Rath, Daily Star, 15 May 2002

Fusion of world music to dominate diverse lineup

The fusion of world music is the unofficial theme of this summer's
Beiteddine Festival, which will open with the musical Cats and close
with performances by legendary singer Fairouz.

The lineup for the 2002 festival, which runs from July 3 until Aug. 10,
includes Rai great Khaled, formerly known as Cheb Khaled, who will
perform the same night as the "sheikh of Sha'abi music," Egyptian
artist Hakim. Oud and violin players Simon Shaheen and Qatara will also
play Arabic-influenced jazz and blues music from their latest album,
Blue Flame.

Festival coordinators are calling its one-night premier opera
performance of tenor Jose Carreras with Lebanese soprano Rima Tawil the
festival's "pride," and "a milestone in Lebanon's lyrical history."

Other cultural mixtures will include Tabla Beat Science, which fuses
Indian rhythms with modern electronic beats. The July 19 performance
will include seven performers and will be led by Zakir Hussain on tabla
and Bill Laswell on bass.

Laswell, a New York-based musician and producer, will be one of the few
Americans performing in Lebanon. Baalbek and Beiteddine, the country's
most popular summer music festivals, historically were unable to
attract popular American artists, although in the past both brought
major Western pop stars such as last year's performances by Elton John
at Beiteddine and Sting at Baalbek.

Beiteddine Festival spokeswoman Hala Najjar said organizers did not
invite any major American artists to perform, nor were they approached,
but maintained that it had nothing to do with tensions between the Arab
world and the United States after Sept. 11."The plan happened that we
had Europeans," she said.Najjar said Beiteddine's lineup this year "is
great. I think we have an unbelievable diversity" of performers.

Andrew Lloyd Webber's Cats, which opened in 1981 and was the
longest-running musical in history, closed last Friday in London.
Beiteddine will mark its first showing in Lebanon, and will be
performed for six nights.

It will be followed by two nights of performances titled Mouwashah
al-Haramlek by composer and musician Zad Moultaka and singer Fadia Tomb
al-Hage. The two Lebanese trained and performed separately in Europe
before releasing an album together two years ago.
Later in the month, famous German Cabaret singer Ute Lemper, who once
starred in the Viennese production of Cats, will present her
interpretations of songs by Kurt Weill, Marlene Dietrich and Edith
Piaf. African superstar Youssou N'Dour, whose modern pop style helped
him cross over to Western audiences, will also perform at the festival.

And for the third year running, the festival will close with
performances by Lebanese diva Fairouz, who will be accompanied by her
near-legendary musician son, Ziad Rahbani.

When it began in 1995, the Beiteddine Festival drew 11,000 people.
Organizers are expecting 50,000 people to attend this summer, about the
same number as in 2001.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Carreras enchants Fresno fans with his resonant, tender tenor
George Warren, The Fresno Bee, 21 May 2002

Thousands of adoring fans crowded into William Saroyan Theatre Sunday
to hear -- not Garth Brooks, not Elton John, not Aerosmith -- but tenor
Jose Carreras, accompanied by pianist Lorenzo Bavaj. In a remarkable
anomaly of our age, the man from Barcelona inspired his audience with
Italian and Spanish art songs. There were no fireworks; there was no
amplification. The power of his voice filled the hall and was
enchanting.

The list of men on Earth with the poise, the passion and the vocal
instrument of Carreras is short. With Carreras, it's not the brazen,
soaring, loud timbre of Luciano Pavarotti; it's not the virile,
confident voice of Placido Domingo. It's a fluid, tender instrument
that resonates like a cello.

Carreras stood in the curve of the piano, leaned forward, left arm
upraised, right hand on the piano lid, and made his music. One sensed
that the instrument had to be coaxed to life, revved up to an adequate
volume carefully, so the timbre didn't suffer.

The program consisted of only 16 songs, not arias -- about 50 minutes
of actual music. Carreras would sing two or three songs, and then
retire backstage for a rest. The program opened with Scarlatti's "A
cessate di piagarmi," followed by the ubiquitous "Caro mio ben." (If
you're a tenor and you've taken voice lessons, you know the song.)

The first half ended with three songs by Francesco Tosti, a
19th-century Italian songwriter. By this time, Carreras had adequately
warmed up, and his singing became more animated.

In a further departure from the standards of entertainment we are
accustomed to, Carreras returned from the intermission and did not
build on his earlier program. He simply offered more of the same:
beautiful singing with masterful accompaniment. And the audience loved
it. Remarkable songs in this set included "L 'Oreneta" by Enric Morera,
"Andaluza" by Enrique Granados and "Un ombra" by Richard Addinsell, a
20th-century British composer.

One of the most ridiculous and comical aspects of the performing arts
is the ritual of the encore, and that ritual was on display in the
extreme for this performance. After the final song, Carreras and his
accompanist each accepted a huge bouquet of red roses, bowed to the
standing, cheering fans, and left the stage to await the demand for
more.

Carreras returned, of course, bowed gratefully to the crowd, sang his
first encore, and the ritual repeated itself. The fans stood and
cheered, the primo don bowed humbly, as if to say, "Really, no, it's
too much, really, I'm not worthy," left the stage, and then returned
for another song. This cycle occurred five times, each time the
cheering getting louder and more self-conscious.

Perhaps we should not find fault with this; after all, Jose Carreras is
a great artist, not just someone famous for his novelty, and Fresno is
fortunate to have had the opportunity to hear him sing.

MEDIA ARTICLES 48

Carreras out of turn: a chat with Ilona Tokody
Emöke Solymosi Tari, Népszabadság, March 1992
[In English translation from the original Hungarian by Zsuzsa Simon]

On March 14, the same time when the Budapest Spring Festival is
ceremonially being opened with a concert at Music Academy, in Budapest
Sport Hall a long awaited sensation takes place, Jose Carreras' aria and
song recital.  Carreras usually announces the program at the last minute
only though we have known for long that his partner will be Ilona
Tokody.

' When and how  has your joint work with Carreras begun ' - I ask Ilona
Tokody

' We were partners at first in 1981 on the stage of the Staatsoper in
Vienna.  We sang Halevy's La Juive in a concert-like performance. After
the dress rehearsal Carreras just came to me and said: ' I like singing
with you very much on stage too, I feel that you would make an excellent
partner for me in La Boheme.  I am going to my Spanish impresario to
invite you, let us sing something together in Spain ' I thought it was a
wonderful idea, a beautiful dream, but I did  not dare believe that it
was to come true soon.... On the following day I was called from
Staatsoper that in the very same year, in May I  should sing in La
Boheme with Carreras for the sake of whom they have  inserted two
performances into the schedule out of turn.  This was a great honor for
me since I had really just begun my career then! '

' So Carreras was one of Ilona Tokody's discoverer? '

' Yes.  He was my greatest patron.  It is evident that the support from
world-famous colleagues, directors, conductors can help the most for a
beginner.  Typical to Carreras' modesty is that he did not even tell me
that it was his advocacy why I was asked to sing eight Boheme
performances with him in the Covent Garden.  This was my debut there. A
member of Covent Garden's leadership told me  ' You don't even know what
a giant fan you have....'  I was taken aback, I did not know  whom he
referred to.  ' Jose Carreras told us he would be glad to sing  a few
Boheme performances here in case we invite Ilona Tokody for his partner.
'
' How many times have you performed together? '

' 15 -20 times altogether.  In La Boheme, Pagliacci, La Juive, and  we
also sang together Verdi's Requiem in concert. '

' How was your Budapest concert brought about? '

' Carreras himself offered to perform in Hungary.  Since his illness he
prefers singing in concert to opera performances.  Though he has played
in La Boheme, Pagliacci, Carmen since then, he always says that the
stage is more tiring for him then the concert.  It seems strange because
he almost always appears alone at the concerts and unlike Domingo he
rarely invites guest artists.  When his performance in Hungary was
talked about he suggested to ask me for his partner. '

' You have sung with Pavarotti and Domingo too...  In your opinion what
constitutes Carreras' uniqueness, charm? '

' He makes the impression of a helpness man yet he is the strongest of
the three of then because he came back from the brink of death.It is a
miracle of medical science and of his incredible vitality that he was
cured.  Perhaps the people's affection brought him back... Afterwards he
established a foundation to support the healing of children with
leukemia and primarily the scientific research related to this
illness.To return to the comparison of these three artistic genii,
Pavarotti has the voice to give you the impression that you are bathing
in the golden sunshine of Italy... Domingo is the permanent dramatics,
heroism. He comprises all: a perfect musician, a terrific singer, and he
even has a sense for management.  Later on I got a lot of support from
him too. Pavarotti and Domingo can never be a loser. By contrast,
Carreras is somebody who needs protection.  This is why his playing
Rodolfo is so human, so touching.'
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Espanha aqui tâo perto
Correio de Manha, 25 May 2002

'Bienvenida España' abre com um concerto de José Carreras

Um concerto do tenor José Carreras inaugura no próximo dia 31 o festival
"Bienvenida España", que decorrerá em Junho, no Parque das Nações.
Celebrar a diversidade e riqueza da cultura popular espanhola é o
principal objectivo deste evento, que visa igualmente a partilha de
identidades culturais que aproximem Portugal e Espanha do muito que têm
em comum, de um ser e estar ibérico. Concertos, exposições e projecções
de cinema fazem parte deste festival, organizado pelo Parque nas Nações,
em parceria com a Embaixada de Espanha, o Instituto Cervantes e Câmara
de Comércio e Indústria Luso-Espanhola. O concerto de abertura vai
reunir, no Pavilhão Atlântico, uma das grandes vozes do repertório
clássico e popular espanhol, José Carreras, com músicos nacionais, como
a cantora Dulce Pontes, o guitarrista António Chaínho e o
multi-instrumentista Rão Kyao, acompanhados pela Orquestra Clássica da
Madeira. Mais tarde, entre 15 de Junho e 21 de Julho, poderá ser
apreciada a retrospectiva "Granell, A Arte da Conversa. O último
surrealista espanhol", na Sala de Exposições do Oceanário. Trata-se da
primeira mostra restrospectiva do trabalho de Granell e pretende
divulgar e fazer justiça a um dos últimos representantes do surrealismo
espanhol, recentemente falecido aos 89 anos. Para além de dois
espectáculos de flamenco - a dança de Antonio Canales e o bailado
antológico Bailaor -, está prevista igualmente uma homenagem musical ao
poeta Federico García Lorca, no aniversário do seu nascimento. Este
evento, marcado para 5 de Junho, vai juntar a complexa arte da guitarra
de Manolo Sanlúcar e o canto clássico de Carmen Linares.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Die gestörte Erschütterung
Salzburger Volkszeitung 15 April 1976

Geistliches Konzert der Osterfestspiele: Verdis Requiem

Die Aufführung des Verdi-Requiems kann ohne Zweifel der eigentliche
Höhepunkt der heurigen Osterfestspiele genannt werden. Das mag zwar an
und für sich keine sehr erfreuliche Bilanz sein, aber unleugbar hat
Herbert von Karajan erst mit diesem seinem Naturell wohl am nächsten
stehen-den Werk die Faszination und den Glanz der Ausstrahlung
zurückgewonnen, die beim "Lohengrin" und den beiden vorhergehenden
Konzerten etwas verblaßt schienen. Das Requiem wurde die krö-nende
Jubiläumsfeier der Spiele und wird es am Karfreitag abend sicherlich
nochmals sein.

Naturgemäß forderte dieses Konzert einen Vergleich mit der sommerlichen
Aufführung des Wer-kes, ebenfalls unter Karajan, heraus, und hier
gebührt trotz allem der früheren eindeutig die Palme. In der
musikalischen Auffassung hat sich nichts Entscheidendes geändert.
Gleich großartig bestür-zend erklang das Werk am Dienstag in seiner
ganz ausgelasteten Dramatik, der vollen Soße seiner Kantilenen, der
geballten Wucht in der Symbiose des Transzendenten mit dem schillernden
Äußer-lichen. Der Nerv dieser Musik ist bloßgelegt worden.

Wer aber die Aufführung der Sommerfestspiele noch im Ohr hatte, wird
dem damaligen Solisten-quartett in seiner unbedingten Ausgewogenheit
etwas nachgetrauert haben. Diesmal zerfiel das ab-solut homogene
Stimmensemble von damals in vier herrlich gesungene Einzelpartien. die
Stimmcharaktere der Sänger schlossen sich nicht mehr zu einem solchen
Ganzen zusammen sie "schlugen" sich zum Teil sogar. Montserrat Caballés
warmer und leuchtender Sopran entfaltete sich erst. richtig in der
unerhörten Expansion, in der sie ihre Partner mühelos überdeckt.
Mirella Freni an ihrer Stelle war keine unnahbare Padrona, sondern ein
Wesen von berührender Einfalt, stimmlich flexibler, glockenrein, wenn
man so will: himmlischer. Fiorenza Cossottos hoch-dramatischer Alt in
seinem ebenfalls exponierten Timbre war kein idealer Kontrast zu
Caballé, für sich allein genommen kann man sich diese Partie kaum
wahrhafter, unmittelbarer, erschütterter ge-staltet denken.

José Carreras zu junge Stimme kam neben solch ausgereiften "Veteranen"
nicht ganz zur Geltung, was nicht gegen seinen wunderbaren dunkel
gefärbten Tenor spricht. José van Dam kann, was das Volumen seiner
Baßstimme betrifft, sicher nicht mit Ghiaurov konkurrieren, sehr wohl
aber in der Differenzierung des Gesanges, im Textverständnis und der
geistigen Durchdringung. Van Dam hat die monumentale Gewalt der Worte,
die gerade dem Baß unterlegt sind, in sich aufgesogen, seine
Interpretation gleicht an vielen Stellen einer gemessenen. ernsten, auf
das Inhaltliche bezogenen Rezitation. Beeindruckend und in seiner
Klang- und Wortdifferenzierung ebenfalls kaum zu über-treffen war der
Singverein der Gesellschaft der Musikfreunde, wenn er auch an manchen
Stellen zu überpointiert und straff-militärisch wirkte.

Nach dem ersterbenden "Libera me" des Soprans wurde man brutal aus der
Erschütterung gerissen, durch ein ohne Einhaltung auch nur der
kürzesten Pietätspause einsetzendes, an dieser Stelle nicht mehr als
albern wirkendes Klatschen. Da auch der Maestro diesmal keine Anstalten
machte, die un-statthaften Ovationen zu bremsen blieb für den, der sich
etwas von der Ergriffenheit bewahren wollte, keine andere Möglichkeit
als die Flucht aus dem tosenden Saal.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
El tenor José Carreras, nuevo doctor 'honoris causa' de la UMH
La Verdad, 29 May 2002

M.T.B. ELCHE. La Universidad Miguel Hernández (UMH) ha incluido en su
lista de doctores honoris causa al tenor José Carreras. La decisión fue aprobada
por la comisión gestora, que se reunió el pasado día 21.

En este encuentro también se dio el visto bueno al Reglamento de Régimen
Interno de la Facultad de Ciencias Sociales y Jurídicas de Orihuela y al
de la Facultad de Ciencias Sociales y Jurídicas de Elche.

Asimismo se autorizó la firma del convenio de colaboración entre la UMH
y la Universidad Politécnica Ilmenau de Alemania y de diversos convenios
con empresas para prácticas de estudiantes.

Por último, se aprobó la realización del Máster Internacional de Gestión
Ambiental, organizado en colaboración con la Universidad de San
Francisco, en Estados Unidos.

Olimpiada de Física

El estudiante del instituto La Madelleta de La Vila Joiosa Tomás Lloret
ha quedado en primer lugar de la Fase Nacional de la Olimpiada Física,
celebrada en la Universidad de Burgos. Este centro educativo forma parte
del distrito universitario de la UMH.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
O sole mio
Frank Junghänel, Berliner Zeitung, 5 August 1996

Bei ihrem Konzert im Münchner Olympiastadion sonnten sich die drei
Tenöre im Ruhm. Das Publikum saß im Regen
Die göttliche Kraft der drei Tenöre hat ihre Grenzen. "O sole mio"
flehten die Sangesbrüder im grande Finale gemeinsam zum Himmel. Nun
konnte wohl niemand im Münchner Olympiastadion damit rechnen, daß eine
halbe Stunde vor Mitternacht die Sonne noch mal rauskommt. Ein Ende des
Dauerregens hätte als Zeichen schon genügt. Aber nichts dergleichen
geschah. Jose Carreras versammelte noch mal sein ganzes Heldentum in der
Kehle, Placido Domingo bebte vor Leidenschaft, Luciano Pavarotti riß die
Arme hoch. O meine Sonne! Es regnete Strippen. Tenöre sind eben auch nur
Menschen. Menschen, die einfach besser singen können als andere. Das
macht sie so besonders.

Schon beim Anflug auf München lag das Besondere dieses Tages in der
Luft. Über dem Erzgebirge meldeten Captain Stricker und seine Crew die
Bodentemperatur in der Bayernmetropole, 16 Grad Celsius, und beendeten
die Durchsage mit der Prognose, daß es "für die Besucher der
Veranstaltung im Olympiastadion" sehr gut aussieht. Rein wettermäßig.
Kein Regen in Sicht, behauptete der Kapitän noch über dem Erzgebirge.
Piloten und Tenöre, alles nur Menschen. Dann wünschten Captain Stricker
und seine Crew "viel Spaß heute abend".

Maske an Bord

Es war kein Sonderflug, und eigentlich galt die Aufmerksamkeit nur einem
einzigen Passagier. Henry Maske war an Bord. Mit einer riesigen
Smoking-Tüte in der einen Hand und Ehefrau Manuela an der anderen
verschwand Henry Maske am Ausgang des Münchner Flughafens in einer
schwarzen Limousine bayerischer Bauart. Den Boxer und die Tenöre eint
derselbe Sponsor.

Henry Maske hat es auf die goldene Liste geschafft. Die Liste mit den
Very Important Persons. Genau 41 Menschen von 65 000 Besuchern des
Münchner Stadions sind sehr wichtig. Beckenbauer Franz natürlich, quasi
als Hüter des heiligen Rasens, Becker Boris, Biedenkopf Kurt, Kirch Leo
und dann ein interessantes Duo auf den Plätzen 17 und 18 der
alphabetisch sortierten V.I.P.-Notierungen: Kohl Helmut, Krüger Mike.
Die drei Tenöre sind eben für alle da.

Jedenfalls für alle, die den Eintritt zu Preisen zwischen 90 und 1 800
Mark bezahlen wollten oder konnten und sich ihre Tickets bereits vor
einem Jahr gesichert hatten. Seit 12 Monaten galt das Konzert in München
als ausverkauft. Etlichen Musikfreunden muß in der Zwischenzeit die Lust
vergangen sein. Vielleicht haben sie andere Prioritäten für ihr Leben
entdeckt, als einem Rundgesang alter Männer beizuwohnen und dafür auch
noch einen Haufen Geld auszugeben.

Vielleicht sind sie weggezogen, krank geworden oder fahren für das
Eintrittsgeld lieber eine Woche in den Urlaub. Seit Tagen wurden in den
Münchner Zeitungen Karten anonciert. Allein in der Wochenend-Ausgabe der
Süddeutschen Zeitung bieten drei Dutzend Leute ihre Tickets an. Könnte
hinter diesen Offerten noch Schwarzhandel vermutet werden, so entkräften
die fliegenden Händler am Veranstaltungsabend selbst jeglichen Verdacht
krimineller Kartenhorterei.

Frauen und Männer in gediegener Garderobe stehen gleich reihenweise an
den Wegen zum Stadion mit Billets in der Hand oder Schildern, auf denen
der eilig hingemalte Schriftzug "Verkaufe Karten" zu lesen ist. Die
Gesichter der Anbieter sehen sorgenvoll aus. Die Preise sind reell.

Die drei Tenöre und ihren Promoter Matthias Hoffmann kann der
Kursverfall an der Abendkasse nicht jucken. Sie haben gut kalkuliert.
Insgesamt 30 Millionen Mark Einnahmen, allein für das Münchner Konzert,
liegen bereits auf dem Geschäftskonto. Das ist neuer deutscher Rekord in
der Disziplin Großveranstaltungen. Jeder Sänger bekommt laut
Wirtschaftsmagazin Impulse pro Auftritt eine Gage von einer Million
Mark. Der Dirigent James Levine soll mit der Hälfte zufrieden sein.

Welcher Lohn den 120 Musikern des Orchesters und den 500 Technikern,
Beleuchtern, Bühnenbauern zusteht, ist nicht überliefert.
Produktionskosten und sonstige Aufwendungen abgezogen, bleibt dem
Impresario pro Abend eine Gewinnspanne von 7,5 Millionen Mark.

Teddy Pavarotti

Noch nicht mit dabei sind die Einnahmen aus dem Verkauf von
Fan-Artikeln, Merchandising genannt. Wie jede große Band bringen auch
die großen Tenöre ihre eigenen Mützen und T-Shirts unters Volk. Und noch
ein bißchen mehr. Die "The 3 Tenors Collection" umfaßt ein rundes
Angebot von der Tasse (20 DM), über Seidenkrawatten (50 DM) und
Sweatshirts (75 DM) bis hin zu Waren des gehobenen Bedarfs, wozu gewiß
die Spieldose (835 DM) zählt. "Beim Öffnen erklingt ein Auszug aus dem
neapolitanischen Liebeslied ,O sole mio`", verspricht die
Gebrauchsanweisung. O Mama mia. Schmuckstück der Sammlung ist ein
Teddybär (35 DM), der beim zweiten Hinsehen unverkennbar die Züge
Luciano Pavarottis trägt.

Die Devotionalien gehen weg wie Weißbier im Hofbräuhaus. Der
Berichterstatter gesteht, sich ein T-Shirt mit den drei Köpfen gekauft
zu haben. Sie sehen ein bißchen aus wie Marx-Engels-Lenin. Der Clou des
Abends sind allerdings die Sitzkissen mit den Gesichtern der Sänger. "So
nahe kommen sie den Tenören nie wieder", verspricht die Werbung.

Die Werbung lügt nicht. Aus dem Stadionrund betrachtet, sind die Stars
vorn Mitte kaum von der dritten Geige hinten links zu unterscheiden.
Winzige schwarze Tenörchen recken ihre Brust. Nicht zu sehen, daß sie
allesamt Fräcke eines Ingolstädter Schneiders tragen. Kostenlos
natürlich. Das nennt man Kultursponsoring.

Die Bühnenkonstruktion in der Nordkurve, wo sich an normalen Tagen die
Münchner Löwen versammeln, ist dem Geburtsort des Trios in den römischen
Thermen nachempfunden. Dort, wo vor sechs Jahren zur Fußball-WM der
kollektive Singsang begann. Zehn Säulen umrahmen das Podium. Rechts und
links hängen blühende Landschaften herunter, darüber die riesigen
Videowände, ohne die das ganze Ereignis ein Hörspiel wäre. Der
Ausstatter arbeitet gern mit Palmen. Die mediterranen Künstler sollen
sich wohl fühlen, auch jenseits der Alpen.

Eine Woche lang war im Olympiastadion gebastelt worden, um für den
Sängerwettstreit die optimalen Bedingungen zu schaffen. Rote Auslegeware
bedeckt den Rasen, die 25 000 Stühle im Innenraum sind in aufsteigender
Linie angeordnet. So, daß auch die hintersten Gäste noch den
Bühnenkasten sehen können. Beim Trockentraining klappte das gut, im
Regen klappt das überhaupt nicht. Unmittelbar nach Beginn des Konzertes
aus dem Innenraum herauftönende Kommandos, wie "Schirme runter",
beeinträchtigen die Festlichkeit des Events empfindlich.

Die erste Garnitur V.I.Ps sitzt standesgemäß in der ersten Reihe und
damit im Regen. Die billigeren Plätze unter dem Tribünendach sind
diesmal die besseren, was bei Umsitzenden primitive Genugtung auslöst.
Alsbald hat der Kanzler eine Pellerine um, die Kanzlerin hat sich die
Frisur sowieso längst verdorben.

Dann kommen SIE. Zur Ouvertüre des Tourneeorchesters zieht ein satter
Duft von Pfeifentabak durch die Traversen. Bei den Rolling Stones riecht
es nach Haschisch, bei den Tenören nach Prestige. Das ist der
Unterschied. Dann singen sie. Erst mal einer nach dem anderen, in
alphabetischer Reihenfolge, Carreras, Domingo, Pavarotti. Der Beifall
schlägt bei Pavarotti am stärksten aus. Er hat in letzter Zeit für die
meisten Geschichten gesorgt. Als Turteltäuberich mit der Sekretärin
erwischt, solche Aktionen machen einen Tenor ungemein populär. Tenöre
sind ja von Natur aus sexy.

Bereits bei Pavarottis erstem Auftritt stoßen Damen aus dem Publikum
vereinzelt spitze Schreie aus. Der Bann scheint gebrochen. Luciano "Big
P." Pavarotti faltet die Hände und hebt sie gen Himmel. Das wird er an
diesem Abend noch öfter tun.

Sie bringen alles, was die Leute hören wollen. Die Greatest Hits der
Belcanto-Bewegung. Carreras singt "Granada", Domingo "Dein ist mein
ganzes Herz", Pavarotti "Mamma". In immer gleicher Reihenfolge wechseln
die Solisten. Wenn der eine das Mikrofon verläßt, kommt der andere aus
der Tür im Bühnenhintergrund. Auf halbem Wege treffen sie sich, wie
Fußballer beim Elfmeterschießen. Nur sicherer. Manchmal gehen sie mit
einem Augenzwinkern aneinander vorbei. Mal klatschen sie sich mit einer
Hand ab. Dann klopfen sie sich auf die Schultern. Richtige Kumpels sind
das. Am kumpligsten sind sie, wenn sie zusammen ihre Medleys bringen.

Endlich das hohe C

Oberkörper an Oberkörper, die Hemdbrüste platzen beinahe aus den
Fräcken. Ein Auge auf dem Notenblatt, ein Auge beim Nachbarn, ein Arm in
der Luft, wiegen sie sich in "Be my love", "Te quiero, Dijiste", "Torna
a Surriento". Das Publikum vergißt den Regen. "Maria , Maria, Maria,
Maria". Das Publikum vergißt die Eintrittspreise. "O sole mio". Das
Publikum vergißt sich selbst. Er hat es getroffen! Ein Raunen geht
durchs Rund und dann der kollektiver Jubel. Pavarotti hat das hohe C
gepackt. Wußten wir es doch, dieser Luciano. Beinahe hätte es La ola
gegeben.

MEDIA ARTICLES 49

Auch "Carmen" hat etwas mit Zirkus zu tun
Berliner Zeitung, 19 April 1994

Aktiv in Berlin: Veranstalter Matthias Hoffmann
Ein Newcomer drängt auf den Berliner Veranstaltungsmarkt: Der Mannheimer
Matthias Hoffmann wird nicht nur das "Carmen"-Spektakel in der
Deutschlandhalle produzieren, das von der Berliner Zeitung präsentiert
wird. Er übernimmt mit Norbert Döpp von der Berliner Agentur "Downtown"
auch die Freilichtbühne in der Wuhlheide. Im Januar wurde der Vertrag
mit dem Senat unterzeichnet, der zunächst eine Laufzeit von fünf Jahren
vorsieht. Silke Lambeck sprach mit Matthias Hoffmann über seine Berliner
Pläne.

Berliner Zeitung: Sie sehen so zufrieden aus.

Matthias Hoffmann: Wir haben gerade eben vom Bezirksamt Mitte die Zusage
bekommen, daß wir im nächsten Jahr für den "Cirque de Soleil" den Platz
direkt neben dem Brandenburger Tor bekommen können.

Was ist "Cirque de Soleil"?

"Cirque de Soleil" kommt aus Kanada und ist eine Mischung aus Theater,
Rock, Akrobatik und romantischem Zirkus. In meinen Augen ist das der
beste Zirkus der Welt, und der wird im Sommer '95 für zweieinhalb Monate
in Berlin gastieren. Ich liebe den Zirkus. Vor fünf Jahren habe ich den
Chinesischen Nationalzirkus auf die Beine gestellt. Da war auch Peter
Schwenkow dabei.

Der ist ja jetzt ein Konkurrent.

Der wird sicherlich ein ganz harter Konkurrent von uns. Beziehungsweise
umgekehrt: Er ist da, wir werden seine Konkurrenten.

Da Sie den Zirkus so lieben: Hat "Carmen" im Juni in der
Deutschlandhalle auch etwas davon?

Es hat etwas mit Zirkus zu tun. Es ist ein Spektakel in der Art der
Inszenierung. Wir machen viel drumherum: Pferde auf der Bühne, die Bühne
dreht sich, es machen 500 Akteure mit. Die Inszenierung stammt
allerdings von Opernleuten. Auch Verona ist ein bißchen Zirkus, Bregenz
genauso. Und wenn sich dann noch ein Jose Carreras und eine Agnes Baltsa
auf die Bühne begeben - dann wird man wohl von einem Spektakel im
positiven Sinne reden können. Ich kann Herrn Bizet nicht mehr fragen,
aber ich glaube, daß ihm unsere Inszenierung gut gefallen würde.

Was sind dabei Ihre Aufgaben?

Bei einer Inszenierung wie "Carmen" sieht das Ganze so aus, daß ich ein
Jahr vorher anfange zu planen. Die Technik muß zusammengestellt werden.
Dann beginnen die vielen kleinen Koordinierungsarbeiten: ein
Arbeitskatalog mit etwa 1 000 Positionen. Wir müssen auch die Solisten
engagieren. Innerhalb eines Jahres so viele Superstars auf einmal zu
bekommen, ist schwere Arbeit. Und natürlich muß man das unternehmerische
Risiko auf sich nehmen können, das ich hier zusammen mit Harvey
Goldsmith und Fredy Burger trage. Ein Mords-Risiko. Zu "Carmen" müssen
mindestens 30 000 Leute kommen. Da hat man schon mal eine unruhige
Nacht. Aber 10 000 Karten sind bis jetzt verkauft, das ist für Berliner
Verhältnisse sehr gut.

Sie gehen in Berlin demnächst ein noch viel größeres Risiko ein.

Das ist mehr eine Belohnung. Ich habe mich mit Norbert Döpp zusammen um
die Wuhlheide beworben und in der Bewerbung klargestellt, wie das
finanziert wird - nämlich aus eigenen Mitteln. Ich plane Investitionen
für dreieinhalb Millionen Mark. Diesen Sommer bauen wir die Wuhlheide so
um, daß sie noch schöner wird als die Waldbühne. In den nächsten Wochen
beginnen wir zu bauen: ein permanentes Zeltdach, in das auch Licht und
Sound bis zu zehn Tonnen gehängt werden können. Wir renovieren den
Innenraum, so daß die Wuhlheide 14 000 Sitzplätze haben wird. Nächstes
Jahr im Mai wollen wir eröffnen.

Holen Sie sich die Investitionen über die Eintrittspreise zurück?

Nein, wir orientieren uns an den bundesweit üblichen Preisen.

Wie wollen Sie sich von der Waldbühne absetzen?

Gegenüber dem Zuschauer gibt es nur eine Profilierung, nämlich die über
das Programm. Wir müssen besser sein als Herr Schwenkow.

Herr Schwenkow ist schon ganz schön gut.

Herr Schwenkow ist sehr gut, aber er war die ganze Zeit allein. Da ist
es leicht, gut zu sein.

Vom 17. bis zum 23. Juni ist die Oper "Carmen", präsentiert von der
Berliner Zeitung, mit Jose Carreras und Agnes Baltsa in der
Deutschlandhalle zu sehen. Karten gibt es im Kundencenter der Berliner
Zeitung. Telefonische Bestellung: 23 27 57 77.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Diva auf der Drehbühne
Berliner Zeitung, 26 May 1994

Berliner Zeitung präsentiert: "Carmen" in der Deutschlandhalle /
Vorbereitungen auf Hochtouren
Sie sind die Besten. Sie haben das neueste Material, sie haben große
Erfahrung, und sie wissen, wie man sich einen unbekannten Raum
einverleibt. Dave Hodsdon, technischer Direktor, sein deutscher Partner
Jürgen Liepold und ihr für Licht, Kostüme und Sound zuständiges Team
werden dafür sorgen, daß die "größte Arena-Opern-Produktion der Welt",
Georges Bizets berühmte "Carmen", vom 17. bis 23. Juni in der
Deutschlandhalle zum unvergeßlichen Ereignis avanciert. Die Berliner
Zeitung präsentiert die Veranstaltung.

Noch ist große Leere

Die später unsichtbaren "Bühnengeister" sind schon einmal nach Berlin
gekommen, um sich vor Ort ein Bild der Lage zu machen. Dave Hodsdon
breitet auf dem Fußboden seine Konstruktionspläne aus. Und erklärt, wie
es denn funktionieren soll. Vorstellungskraft ist da gefragt, inmitten
der großen Leere.

Zentraler Bestandteil der 6,5 Millionen Mark teuren Produktion ist die
in der Hallenmitte plazierte Drehbühne. Alle Zuschauer, und das sind bei
ausverkauftem Haus immerhin 8 500 Menschen, sollen bei optimalen
Sichtverhältnissen in etwa das gleiche Hörerlebnis haben. In etwa, denn
diejenigen, die weiter oben oder hinter dem 80 Musiker starken Orchester
sitzen, werden geringe Einbußen in Kauf nehmen müssen - aber auch
weniger bezahlen.

Daß die Unterschiede nur gering ausfallen, dafür will Richard Lienard
sorgen. Der sympathische, ruhige Engländer, Chef der Sound-Company, kann
zwar "die Gesetze der Physik nicht aufheben", aber er kann mit einem
ausgeklügelten System deutscher Mikrophone, mit Lautsprechern aus den
USA und englischem Mischpult den Zuhörern vermitteln, daß alles, was sie
da hören, natürlich sei. Stimmen und Instrumente, sagt Lienard, sollen
unverstärkt an die Ohren dringen, so als säße man im Wohnzimmer vor dem
Stereogerät. Wie das gehen soll? Nun, erklärt der Fachmann, ganz
einfach. Die Sänger haben - unsichtbar natürlich - ein zehn Millimeter
langes und drei Millimeter breites Mikrophon auf der Stirn, das per
Kabel mit einem Gerät an der Hüfte verbunden ist. Wilde Umarmungen,
stürmische Küsse? Nun, das geht nicht. Carmen und Don Jose werden sich
beherrschen müssen.

20 Schaltstationen

Mit über 20 am Bühnenrand versteckten Schaltstationen wird der Sound auf
die Ränge geleitet. Dazu werden im Orchester 35 Mikrophone installiert.
Ob es dann wie in der richtigen Oper ist? Nein, dem könnten sie sich nur
annähern, gibt der Spezialist zu. Um die vielgeschmähte Akustik der
Deutschlandhalle macht er sich keine Sorgen. Sie sei nicht schlechter
als die in der Münchener Olympiahalle.

Dave Hodsdon hat unterdessen seine Pläne eingerollt. Wenn man sie so
sieht, diese "Stars hinter den Kulissen", deren Arbeit eigentlich schon
beendet ist, wenn am 17. Juni der erste Akkord durch die Halle rauscht,
kann man es glauben. Sie sind die Besten.

Eine Woche vor der Premiere werden sie wieder anreisen. Ihr Gepäck wiegt
schwer: 20 Tonnen Dekoration, 7 000 Spots, 50 Tonnen
Beleuchtungsmaterial, 410 Tonnen Stahl für den Bühnenbau und 1 200
originalgetreue Kostüme.Jürgen Otten

Karten für "Carmen" mit Jose Carreras und Agnes Baltsa gibt es im
Kundencenter der Berliner Zeitung. Tel. 23 27 57 77.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Untitled
Berliner Zeitung, 11 June 1994

Knapp sieben Jahre ist es her, daß Jose Carreras an Leukämie erkrankte
und sämtliche Auftritte absagen mußte. Doch schon ein Jahr später konnte
er nach einer gelungenen Knochenmark-Transplantation den Weg zurück auf
die Bühne antreten. Der heute 47jährige Startenor reißt insbesondere
sein weibliches Publikum zu Beifallsstürmen hin. Bevor Carreras sich zum
Sänger ausbilden ließ, studierte er nach dem Abitur zwei Jahre Chemie.
Sein Operndebüt gab Carreras 1970 in Barcelona. Seither trat er an allen
bedeutenden Opernhäusern der Welt auf. Den "Don Jose" aus der Oper
"Carmen", den er jetzt in Berlin singt, bezeichnet Carreras als eine
seiner Lieblingsrollen. Zu Berlin hat der Sänger durch langjährige
Zusammenarbeit mit Herbert von Karajan eine enge Beziehung. Hier war er
zuletzt 1992 bei einem Open-air-Konzert auf dem Gendarmenmarkt zu sehen.
Carreras ist seit mehr als zwanzig Jahren mit der Geschichtsprofessorin
Ana Elisa Carreras verheiratet, er ist Vater von zwei Kindern, Albert
und Julia. 1988 gründete er in Barcelona eine internationale Stiftung
zur Erforschung und Bekämpfung der Leukämie. Foto: Rehfeld
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Störrische Pferde, williger Tenor
Jürgen Otten, Berliner Zeitung, 16 June 1994

Deutschlandhalle: "Carmen"-Proben mit Jose Carreras haben begonnen
Wie heißt es so schön bei Verdi: Frauen sind wankelmütig. Das gilt seit
gestern auch für die weiblichen Vertreter unter den Pferden. Zwei Tage
vor der Premiere der Oper "Carmen" in der Deutschlandhalle erwiesen sich
die beiden Schimmelstuten im Gegensatz zu ihren männlichen Kollegen, die
lässig über den Belag trabten, als widerspenstige Wesen. Wie Ginger
Rogers steppten sie über die drehbare Holzbühne und protestierten so
gegen das ungewohnte, von künstlichem Licht überflutete Areal. Ansonsten
läuft alles nach Plan. Die Lichtkonstruktion an der Hallendecke bietet
einen imposanten Anblick, Aufgänge und Bühne sind mit Bändern
geschmückt. Die ersten Proben mit dem Korrepetitor begannen am
Nachmittag, die Technik steht: Alles scheint bereit.

Szenenwechsel. Riesenauftrieb gegen 15 Uhr im Foyer des Hotel Kempinski.
Warten auf den Star der Produktion - Jose Carreras. Fast unbemerkt kurvt
er im beigen Sommeranzug um die Ecke und stellt sich bereitwillig den
Fragen der Journalisten. Seit seinem Debüt in Berlin vor zwanzig Jahren
liebe er diese geschichtenreiche Stadt, erzählt der Literatur- und
Sportfan Carreras. Und auf die Aufführung in der Deutschlandhalle freut
er sich, weil sie einem breiteren Publikum einen leichten Zugang zur
Oper ermögliche. "Oper in dieser Form wird immer populärer", sagt der
spanische Tenor. Und schon verschwindet er, von kräftigen Männern
abgeschirmt, im silbergrauen Mercedes und winkt ein letztes Mal.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Ungebrochener Optimismus
Jürgen Otten, Berliner Zeitung, 17 June 1994

"Carmen" in der Deutschlandhalle: Denyce Graves übernimmt Titelrolle
Traurige Botschaft für alle Fans von Agnes Baltsa. Die griechische
Mezzosopranistin wird heute abend nicht, wie geplant, als Carmen in der
gleichnamigen Bizet-Oper an der Seite von Jose Carreras auftreten. Grund
für die überraschende Absage ist, wie Veranstalter Matthias Hoffmann
gestern mitteilte, ein Rückenleiden. Bereits Anfang Juni konnte Agnes
Baltsa deswegen eine Opernpartie in Zürich nicht singen.

An ihrer Stelle wird nun Denyce Graves die Rolle der Carmen übernehmen.
Die amerikanische Sängerin, die im vergangenen Jahr an der Deutschen
Oper gastierte und in der Deutschlandhalle zum ersten Mal gemeinsam mit
Carreras auf der Bühne steht, war ursprünglich als Zweitbesetzung
vorgesehen. Über das unerhoffte Zusammenwirken mit dem spanischen Tenor
äußerte sie sich zuversichtlich: "Es verbleiben zwar nur wenige Stunden
bis zur Premiere, aber ich glaube, daß es eine gute Show wird."

Jose Carreras erschien, obwohl angekündigt, nicht zur Pressekonferenz.
"Wegen eines Konzertes, das er am Sonnabend, zwischen den beiden
Carmen-Auftritten, in Sarajevo geben wird, will sich Carreras keinen
zusätzlichen Belastungen aussetzen", bat Hoffmann um Verständnis für das
Fehlen des Stars.

Was er zunächst verschwieg: Auch die Besetzung des Dirigenten hat sich
geändert. Nicht Jacques Delacote wird die vier Aufführungen dirigieren,
sondern der Engländer Simon Joly, in den 80er Jahren Assistent von
Delacote und Chef des BBC-Symphonie Orchestra. Grund für die
kurzfristige Änderung ist ein finanziell höher dotiertes Angebot, das
Delacote angenommen hat.

Dennoch: Der Optimismus scheint trotz aller Irritationen und Pannen bei
allen Beteiligten ungebrochen. Patricia Wise, die Sonnabend und Sonntag
die Partie der Micaela singen wird, versprach dem Publikum ein visuelles
Vergnügen. "Diejenigen, die diese Carmen-Produktion nicht sehen wollen
oder können, werden es bereuen, nicht gekommen zu sein", sagte die
amerikanische Sopranistin.

Man darf gespannt sein. Rund 30 Stunden vor dem ersten Takt wurden in
der Deutschlandhalle zu den Klängen des Klaviers noch Schritte
einstudiert. Denyce Graves und ein Assistent von Regisseur Steven
Pimlott übten mit einem Lächeln auf den Lippen leidenschaftliche
Umarmung. Jose Carreras schaute derweil interessiert zu - heute abend
darf er dann die neue attraktive Carmen anhimmeln und für wenige
Augenblicke das Gefühl genießen, ihr Herz gewonnen zu haben.

MEDIA ARTICLES 50

Der Star hieß Denyce Graves
Berliner Zeitung, 20 June 1994

"Carmen" in der Deutschlandhalle: Ein großes buntes Fest fürs Auge
Wie wunderschön sie aussieht in ihrem blütenweißen Hochzeitskleid. Aus
der Arena dringt das Jubelgeschrei, kündend vom Sieg des Heroen
Escamillo, und dorthin zieht es Carmen, das schöne Biest. Doch am Tor
steht Don Jose, der eifersüchtige Ex-Liebhaber, ein blinkendes Messer in
der Hand. Gefährliche Liebschaften.

Dreieinhalb Stunden steuert das Geschehen auf dieses tragisches Ende
hin. Eine Zeit, in der sich Denyce Graves, die kurzfristig die
Titelrolle übernommen hat, in die Herzen der Zuschauer singt. Agnes
Baltsa haben die meisten schnell vergessen.

George Bizets Oper "Carmen" in der Deutschlandhalle changiert zwischen
inszenatorischer Feinsinnigkeit, choreographischem Ideenreichtum und
boulevardesker Massenshow. Eine kurzweilige Mischung, die dem populären
Stoff und der Musik durchaus bekommt.

Regisseur John Cruickshank hat sein Konzept dem Ort des Geschehens
angepaßt und den Schwerpunkt auf visuelles Erleben gelegt. In sorgfältig
disponierten Abständen verwandelt sich die riesige Drehbühne in ein
Volksfestfeld. Es wimmelt von Menschen, die in bunten Kostümen
herumrennen. Das ist gut fürs Auge, und es lenkt von so mancher
Ungenauigkeit ab. Schön ist es, wenn keifende Weiber messerwetzend
aufeinander losstürmen und am liebsten auch gleich die Soldaten
verprügeln würden. Und welch hübsches Szenario, als der hünenhafte
Escamillo (Gregg Baker) mit einer Kutsche in die Arena gefahren wird. So
etwas kommt beim Publikum gut an. All dies kann jedoch nicht über
Schwächen der Inszenierung hinwegtäuschen, die vor allem dann auftreten,
wenn die Bühne fast leer ist, wenn duettiert wird. Da entsteht
Langeweile. Jose Carreras begeistert zwar mit sonorem, strahlendem
Timbre, ein guter Schauspieler ist er aber nicht. Steif, mit bisweilen
hilfloser Gebärde, schlendert er umher. Den schmachtenden Verliebten
will man ihm so recht nicht abnehmen. Ganz anders Denyce Graves. Sie
sprüht vor Spiellaune, wirbelt tänzerisch über die Bühne und singt mit
stimmgewaltiger Inbrunst. Hervorragend auch die Micaela von Ilona
Tokody. Ihre Arie im dritten Akt ist wundervoll einfühlsam und gestisch
voller Ausstrahlung - ein Höhepunkt.

Das ausgeklügelte Soundsystem schafft hier eine Transparenz, die nicht
immer erreicht wird. Denn während die Personen sich bewegen, kommt die
Stimme stets aus der gleichen Richtung. Das führt zu Irritation,
Verfremdung. Eingeständnisse müssen auch an die Qualität der Musik
gemacht werden. Simon Joly dirigiert die Janacek-Philharmonie Ostrava
mit überlegter Routine, kann aber nicht verhindern, daß die Abstimmung
zwischen Orchester, Chor und Solisten zuweilen unausgewogen ist. Zu groß
sind die Entfernungen in der riesigen Halle.

Dem Erfolg des Spektakels tut dies keinen Abbruch. Glänzende Solisten
und ein schlüssiges Aufführungs-Konzept sorgen für nette Unterhaltung.
Das Premierenpublikum dankt es mit tosendem Applaus und hat erkannt, wer
der überragende Star des Abends gewesen ist: die bezaubernde Carmen.
Ach, wie wunderschön sie aussieht, in ihrem Weiß Jürgen Otten
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Da capo für drei glorreiche Tenöre
Eckard Presler, Berliner Zeitung, 16 July 1994

Carreras, Domingo und Pavarotti singen bei der WM / ZDF überträgt live
Mit einem Konzert dreier großer Sänger wird am Sonnabend das Halali der
Fußball-Weltmeisterschaft eingeleitet.

Morgenstund' hat Gold im Mund. Die drei teuersten Spielmacher des
Musikbetriebes geben ein Vorspiel zum Endspiel. Jose Carreras (48),
Luciano Pavarotti (58) und Placido Domingo (53) lassen für einen Tag
ihre berufsüblichen Sticheleien beiseite und singen in dem seit Monaten
ausverkauften Dodger Stadium von Los Angeles vor 56 412 Zuschauern, die
bis zu 1 000 Dollar (1 550 Mark) Eintritt zahlen. Am Sonntag morgen um 5
Uhr früh mitteleuropäischer Zeit wird das Spektakel live im ZDF
übertragen.

Schon 1990 fand in den antiken römischen Caracalla-Thermen vor 6 000
Zuschauern ein musikalisches Gipfeltreffen der glorreichen Drei statt.
Damals wie heute ist der Anlaß die Fußballweltmeisterschaft. Auf CD, LP,
MC, Video und Laser-Disc millionenfach zu Markte getragen, zahlte sich
der Sänger-Wettstreit aus. Eine Lawine im "Klassikbiz" war losgetreten:
Warum denn komplette Opern singen, wenn ein Liederabend finanziell auch
recht erträglich ist?

Jetzt, im Angesicht von "König Fußball" konzertieren die drei
Heldentenöre erneut für Glanz und Geld - oder umgekehrt? Auf der Bühne
versammeln sich drei Stimmkünstler, die trotz ihrer gemeinsamen
Begeisterung für den runden Ball unterschiedlicher nicht sein können:
Carreras ist der "Aristokrat" unter den Tenören. Seit 20 Jahren gastiert
der Perfektionist in den größten Opernhäusern dieser Welt. 1987
durchkämpfte der Katalane eine schwere Leukämie. Heute ist Jose Carreras
wieder obenauf, bis Ende 1998 zeigt sein Terminkalender kaum einen
freien Tag.

Pavarotti ist seit vielen Jahren der "König der Oper". Sein Debüt gab
der Sohn eines Bäckers 1961. Vor sechs Jahren feierten die Berliner
seinen "Nemorino" in Donizettis "Liebestrank" mit 115 Bühnenvorhängen.

Domingo sonnt sich in dem Image eines "Gentleman und Frauenhelden". Zu
den Glanzrollen des "besten Othello aller Zeiten" zählen die großen
Tenorpartien in Opern von Verdi und Puccini. 90 Partien umfaßt sein
Repertoire, und im Gegensatz zu seinen Kollegen baute sich der Spanier
eine Zweitkarriere als Dirigent auf. Ab Juli 1996 übernimmt Placido
Domingo als künstlerischer Direktor die Leitung der Washingtoner Oper
für vier Jahre.

Im Dodger Stadium wird das Belcanto-Dreigestirn vom Los Angeles
Philharmonie Orchestra begleitet. Die musikalische Leitung hat - wie
schon in Italien - Zubin Mehta übernommen. Auf dem Programm stehen Arien
und Lieder von Verdi, Puccini, Gershwin und Bernstein. Ohrwürmer non
stop. Höhepunkt: ein Medley in neun Sprachen.

Angeschlossen sind 144 Länder, Experten rechnen mit einer Sehbeteiligung
von 3,6 Milliarden Menschen. Ein Jahrhundert-Ereignis, eine Tenor-WM. Am
Tag danach beginnt bereits die CD-Produktion. Ehrgeiz der Dollar-Tenöre:
den Titel als Gagen-Weltmeister zu verteidigen und das Rom-Konzert als
meistverkaufte Klassik-Platte aller Zeiten noch zu überbieten.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Stuttgarter "Carmen"
Berliner Zeitung, 9 March 1995

Die Stuttgarter Schleyerhalle wird zum zweiten Mal Schauplatz einer
gigantischen Operninszenierung. 8 000 Zuschauer werden bei der Premiere
heute abend Startenor Jose Carreras in der Rolle des Don Jose und
Stefania Toczyska als Carmen erleben. Sie werden begleitet von
Orchester, Chor und Ballett der Budapester Staatsoper unter Leitung von
David Gimenez. Bei der vier Millionen Mark teuren Produktion treten
insgesamt 800 Sänger, Tänzer und Statisten auf. Regie führt Laszlo Vamos
von der Staatsoper Budapest.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Maestro Carreras, ein Tenor hält Berlin die Treue
Peter Buske, Berliner Zeitung, 6 September 1995

Morgen Gala in der Deutschlandhalle

Magisch sind nicht nur die Töne, mit denen das tenorale Dreigestirn Jose
Carreras/Placido Domingo/Luciano Pavarotti Millionen von
Musikbegeisterten zu bannen versteht. Auch die Ausstrahlung der drei
Herren sorgt dabei stets für zusätzlichen Hörkitzel.

In Berlin müssen wir auf dieses Gemeinschaftserlebnis leider verzichten.
Statt dessen bekommen wir die Asse scheibchenweise angeboten. Nach
Domingo (in der Deutschen Staatsoper) dürfen wir uns nun morgen abend,
20 Uhr, in der Deutschlandhalle auf Jose Carreras freuen. Mit diesem
Auftritt setzt er seiner Deutschlandtournee den Schluß-, sicherlich auch
den Höhepunkt.

Um Journalisten- und anderweitigem Rummel zu entgehen, schwebt der
Maestro heute vormittag heimlich, still und leise mit seinem Privatjet
in Berlin ein. Kommt er direkt aus dem schönen Barcelona? Dies ist
ebenfalls ein großes Geheimnis, das zu lüften der Veranstalter nicht in
der Lage - oder willens - ist.

Als unumstößliche Tatsache dagegen stellt sich dar, daß Carreras
Zeitplan mehr als dichtgedrängt ist. Nachmittags finden am Orte des
Geschehens der Soundcheck sowie eine Verständigungs- und Anspielprobe
mit allen Beteiligten statt. Dazu gehört die Philharmonica Hungarica
unter Leitung von David Gimenez, die an ihrem Stammsitz in Marl am
gestrigen Tage noch eifrig ihren Orchesterpart probte. Als Partnerin mit
dabei ist die ungarische Sopranistin Ilona Tokody, die auf direktem Weg
aus Budapest nach Berlin kommt.

Auf dem Programm der Stimmengala stehen Arien und Duette von Rossini und
Puccini, Verdi (Trinklied aus "La Traviata") und Lehar ("Lustige
Witwe"). Da werden bestimmt nicht die Lippen schweigen, sondern
wohllautend Strahletöne in das weite Rund katapultieren. Und natürlich
gehört auch "Granada" - was sonst - wieder zu den stürmisch umjubelten
Hits von Carreras & Co.

Wer dessen Kehlengold jedoch schon jetzt hören möchte, sollte sich die
Sony-CD "Classic Night" kaufen. Mit ihrer Titelauswahl ist sie
maßgeschneidert für Carreras Deutschland-Tour. Und die Frage aller
Fragen: "Gibt es denn noch Karten?" läßt sich eindeutig mit Ja
beantworten. Peter Buske

7. 9., 20 Uhr, Deutschlandhalle. Karten zum Preis von 95 bis 230 Mark
erhältlich über den Ticket-Service, Tel.: 8 34 40 73 oder über die
Kassen der Deutschlandhalle, Tel.: 30 38 44 44.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Carreras,  romanze per 800 spettatori
Luciano Curino, La Stampa,19 December 1986

TORINO  -  Per il concerto di Josè Carreras  mercoledì sera al Regio ,
si era previsto il teatro esaurito. E' risultato invece mezzo vuoto. Dei
1538 posti del Regio se ne sono venduti 863. Vedremo più avanti perché l
'aspettativa è andata delusa. Prima parliamo della serata.

Sono state due ore di bel canto e di applausi, signorile ed efficiente
il servizio del Regio.

Si sa che lo spagnolo Carerreras è uno dei migliori tenori del mondo.

Domandarono a Placido Domingo: in quanti siete ? Rispose : "Siamo in
tre. Io, Pavarotti e Carreras".

Carreras si è ispirato a Di Stefano, ma ha ammesso che "lui è andato
molto più avanti di me".

Ha cantato accompagnato dal bravo pianista italo-americano Vincenzo
Scalera.

Il sipario era quello di Aligi Sassu per i Vespri Siciliani di qualche
anno fa.

Il programma del recital era pieno di romanze da salotto, di banalità e
di luoghi comuni.

Perché Carreras è venuto con questo repertorio non eccelso ? Forse per
dimostrare che la banalità può essere riscattata dalla classe e dll'
intelligenza musicale, dalla finezza del fraseggio e dall'impeto della
passione.

La sfida gli è riuscita: ogni brano ha avuto pplausi e anche ovazioni.
Sedici i brani in programma: quattro romanze di Tosti, Fenesta ca
lucive, due arie di Denza e Respighi, l'immancabile Mattinata di
Leoncavallo, quattro liriche spagnole e argentine, quattro melodie di
Puccini (due ricalcavano i temi della Bohème e della Manon, a
consolazione degli orfani delle arie d'opera).

Alla fine  molte insistenti chiamate. Carreras ha offerto altri quattro
brani, tra cui quello più nobile della serata, la Ninna nanna di
Schubert e, subito dopo, addirittura Granada.

Era arrivato nel pomeriggio in aereo da Vienna, dove era stato
trionfante Don José nella Carmen; con lo stesso aereo, appena finito lo
spettacolo è volato dalla famiglia a Barcellona.

Il concerto era benefico. Una iniziativa presa dalla Provincia in favore
della Fondazione Piemontese per la ricerca sul cancro. Perché gli è
mancato il pieno successo ? E' probabile che molti abbiano ritenuto il
programma per nulla attraente, anzi stucchevole.

Avrebbero voluto sentire Carreras interpretare Cavaradossi, Calaf,
Chénier. Invece: le romanze di Tosti e Core 'ngrato! Altri potrebbero
non aver gradito che Carreras abbia chiesto un cachet ritenuto eccesivo
per un recital di beneficenza.

L'incasso lordo del concerto è stato di circa 31 milioni. Alla
Fondazione andrà il netto di 25 milioni.