Note:  This is a machine-based translation.  We offer it only a a general guide but it should not be considered definitive.

"I became a musician because I wanted to conduct"   

Momus

Sz. J.

 28 October 2003  

Translated by Lilian

He has been rehearsing with the Matáv Symphonic Orchestra for three days. They say he is a bit tired, nevertheless he is very friendly with everybody in the agreed 10 minutes. He is friendly with us as well though we get only five minutes. Then comes another rehearsal, in which, as we find out, they prepare not “only” for a concert but also for a recording.

I took a look at your website and was surprised to see that tomorrow’s concert is a recording at the same time. No word of it was spoken "officially" in the press conference.  You mentioned it almost incidentally in one of your answers. Is this a secret project?

José Cura:  No, it is not secret at all. Tomorrow for example everybody will be able to see the microphones...  The only reason I did not want to talk about it by all means is because I am not a manager, this is not my task – then I mentioned it because I saw that nobody else was bringing it up. But it is not at all a secret, just the opposite! Speak about it, let more people buy the recording!

The 100^th anniversary of Dvorak’s death will be next year, this means that we will have to wait for the album a few months.

José Cura:  Yes, it will be released in spring.

Beside the "From the New World" symphony Dvorak’s other vocal works will also be featured on the CD. Have you already recorded these?

José Cura:  Yes, the recording was finished three days ago, and since I sing in the original language, we recorded the material in Prague.

Speaking about languages: you said once in an interview that you do not sing in German with pleasure. Has your attitude changed?

José Cura:  No, but it referred to the fact that I do not sing in German in a whole opera in a live performance because I do not speak the language, and I cannot properly identify myself with the role. If I make a recording, I can stop at any time, I can be helped with the language, they can explain to me exactly what I sing: in case of a recording one does not have to hurry. But the stage is different, there you always have to be ready. So it is possible that I will have German recordings but I will not undertake to do such a thing live.

We got to know you as a singer but recently you have stood on the stage also as a conductor more and more times.

José Cura:  This has always been my plan.

The double work or conducting?

José Cura:  Conducting. I became a musician in 1978 because I wanted to conduct. It has been my profession since then, and I will always want to remain faithful to it. This of course does not mean that I will stop singing. It is very important to me, but I will sing less – on the other hand, it will always remain a special thing this way, it will not become boring, habitual, routine.

And where is the composer José Cura?

José Cura:  Well, for that I have to wait until I get old, and have time for it.

Note:  This is a machine-based translation.  We offer it only a a general guide but it should not be considered definitive.

Concert Review

Muzsika

Csengery Kristóf

December 2003

[Excerpts]

Once again, the world-famous Argentinean tenor José Cura sang in Budapest. His latest visit, if I count correctly, is now his fourth. I also reported on the first one (28 July 2000, Erkel Theater), but the second and third ones – an appearance at the Budapest Opera Ball and then a concert on Margaret Island - were not among the genres reviewed by Muzsika. This time, however, a traditional concert provided the framework for the guest performance.

In 2000, I formulated everything I had to say about Cura in a column. In retrospect, I believe this was the appropriate reception that a showbiz creation deserved from a music critic - provided that critic adheres to certain aesthetic and quality standards. However, it would hardly be worth repeating. So now comes a softer note: let’s take seriously and consider objectively what we’ve heard.

While the tone may change, what the critic has to say remains the same, because Cura has remained the same: three years has not brought any development or change in his artistic personality and tools. What did change was the proportions of the show, to the detriment of voice lovers. As it was three years ago, we hear an evening of arias but only half an evening, because after the break, a full symphony now offered us the opportunity to get to know Cura's conducting art, which was first tasted in the summer of 2000.

With his partner, the patient and enthusiastically devoted András Ligeti on the podium and with the attentive and adaptable accompaniment of the Matáv Symphony Orchestra, Cura sang remarkable few vocal numbers: a total of five arias, mostly short songs (Mascagni: Cavalleria rusticana; Puccini:  Edgar;  Massenet:  Le Cid;  Meyebeer: L'Africaine;  Verdi: La forza del destino), along with two Puccini encores at the end of the evening, a total of seven vocal excerpts — incidentally, one of five programmed, the Edgar Orgia, chimera dall'occhio vitreo aria had already been heard in the concert three years ago.

But it was not just this one aria that returned but also the theatrical and vocal toolbox as well as everything the observer can say about the characteristics of the voice.  Actor José Cura is hopelessly provincial.  The “performance” that accompanies the singing is put together as lego-like structures of matched pretentious fashion:  the head is thrown backwards, the legs are spread wide, the writhing, the darting eyes that shoot looks at the audience, the cautious gazes, the extra jokes, the mannerisms that delays the artist’s entrances during the orchestral introduction of the arias, the walking about on stage during an aria, the persistent fixation on orchestral members, the singing with his back to the audience.  All of this together as a stage phenomenon is a bizarre blend of the characteristics of a semi-amateur traveling actor and a pop star with no self-reflection. As far as vocal culture is concerned, there is essentially no such thing here (culture assumes consistent control); instead we can talk about the use of matter found in nature in its unrefined state.  Cura doesn’t usually bother with nuances of color or dynamics; instead, he sings in a slightly thick and undifferentiated voice, mostly with force.  His high notes are unrefined, the ends of phrases are often cut with a violent moan - the whole phenomenon is painfully lacking in polish, beauty, poetry and (despite all the forced macho allure) eroticism that is characteristic of the voice of a compelling tenor and, at best, of the stage personality associated with it.

Note:  This is a machine-based translation.  We offer it only a a general guide but it should not be considered definitive.

“Victory is Mine” was a Raging Success

Gondola

30 October 2003

José Cura enchanted the audience of the Congress Center. The Argentinean with the golden-throat did it all that night. Now, the critics may argue about what it was:  performance or art? One suspects it is both.  The audience will say, “Who cares?  It's been a long time since I've had this much fun."

Everything for the audience—that could be José Cura's motto. The evening began with classical opera arias. It’s a little disconcerting to hear Edgar’s aria or Cavaradossi’s farewell to life as a “quasi” hit, highlighted in the “context” of the opera’s drama. To hear the dramatic climaxes of opera literature, which are the crown of the great works, or more precisely the most beautiful diamonds of that crown, and to hear them in such a beautiful and captivating performance, on such a beautiful instrument, leaves nothing more to be desired by the connoisseur. Maybe it was too much of a good thing—it’s impossible to take in so much in one night. 

The New World Symphony was also performed nicely and will be on CD next year, the centenary of Dvorak’s death.

Yet the audience was driven crazy by the encores.  Cura finally pulled out the most beautiful arias then came Rossini's overture to William Tell, overwhelming and everyone.

Note:  This is a machine-based translation.  We offer it only a a general guide but it should not be considered definitive.

José Cura at the Congress Center

Momus

30 October 2003

[Excerpt]

José Cura has come again, this one who is worshiped by about as many as those who consider him Public Enemy Number One.  There are those who could not say a negative word against him while others see him as unforgiveable as singer or conductor but most of all to do the two together. 

Now, as usual, he has taken to the stage in both capacities. In addition to the orchestral program, five arias were added to the first part; the first one began from outside the auditorium, in the hallway, the rest from inside, in his traditional simple outfit, with less movement than usual, sometimes walking, sometimes burying himself in the orchestra.  About halfway through the set, after Cavalleria rusticana and Edgar pieces, came the aria (Massenet: Le Cid - Oh, souverain) whose performance might have convinced even the skeptics.  The production quickly moved on with an aria from Meyerbeer's L'Africaine, and finished with the overture to the indispensable Force of Destiny as well as Alvaro's aria, which Cura sang with a more restrained, smoother tone than previously. Whether it was on purpose or not, it came out well.

Part Two: Cura, the conductor, conducting Dvořák’s New World Symphony. In fact, he was also recording it, though it seems no special significance was attached to this fact.  

Before the work, Cura personally asked the audience to stay still and then, on his knees, asked them to please turn off the phones because they were recording.  This was all said in English.  It is commendable that the organizers assumed that all ticket buyers understand the language or realize what was going on anyway, so there is no need to let them know on the ticket or in any other way what is happening.

Cura's plea made an impact: the phones remained silent.

But only the phones.

We were just at the beginning of the second, slow, quiet movement when someone coughed. Cura turned aside, pointing his finger to "shh!" Then, a minute later, the next cough came and from then on there was no stopping it. A cough here, the answer from the other side of the room ("I’m with you, comrade!"), a crackling from behind ("Why not me?"). Cura collapsed a little—probably from just thinking about how much it would all be heard on the recording.

Well, we'll listen.  It was evident Cura enjoyed the conducting, the third movement was the purist, most elaborate success, and the fourth went as it should.

In the end, he just stood there, his head bowed, his back to us, and raised the score high. The applause belongs to Dvorák.  

Then, of course, the encores:  William Tell put Ligeti in the place of the first violinist and of course Nessun dorma at the end – Cura had already indicated at the press conference that he would have to sing it or the audience would kill him.

Which must obviously be understood metaphorically.  Because it was a riot all night and even without a stopwatch the applause was long and at the end a standing ovation.

The audience loved him.

But sooner or later it will become clearer whether they also respect him just as much.

Munich

Note:  This is a machine-based translation.  We offer it only a a general guide but it should not be considered definitive.

José Cura, the (all too) Casual

Der Neue Merker

DZ

28 August 2003

[Excerpt]

Manrico's serenade sounded from off-stage and with the second verse the hero of the eveining appeared, slender and handsome as always.  The voice has grown in volume. After the last note of the serenade, he offered a friendly "good evening." This start [of the evening] had charm, but what followed was a bit too loose, with some things degenerating directly into a "Punch and Judy show." At his earlier concerts, or at events with this unusual Argentinean, I found his audience-relaxation exercises quite funny, something different. Over time, however, this “trick” has gone a bit dead; Cura's behavior no longer appears spontaneously relaxed but used very purposefully and the perpetual wandering becomes annoying with time.  His worshipers melt away either way. But if you know what a great artist Cura can be on stage (Otello, Munich), then you finally wish for a little more artistic seriousness. And Cura actually altered course and served a highly haunting Alvaro aria (La forza del destino) and a gripping Pagliacci monologue.  In the first part, his conducting performance was surpassed in the first half by conductor Tulio Gagliardo (Cura's assistant) who offered a really exciting Pagliacci intermezzo (with the quite good Orchestra of the National Opera Szeged). In the second half, there was Puccini and a brief introduction to the Argentine composer Héctor Panizza. By 9:43 the official part was over.  But then the encores were “celebrated” - 2 arias, a brisk conducting bit and some chat with the audience, which unfortunately could only be understood by those in the immediate vicinity of the singer. I got only that Cura had to sing Calaf the following evening in Verona, because only 2 hours before the concert he had been asked to perform 2 more performances in Verona [and had to rush back]. Therefore "Nessun dorma" was the final end of a somewhat confused concert.

Note:  This is a machine-based translation.  We offer it only a a general guide but it should not be considered definitive.

Solid, Vigorous and with a Talent for Showmanship at the Philharmonie (Munich)

Accolades for tenor José Cura and his song recital

Sueddeutsche Zeitung

R. Schwarz

August 2003

Whenever healthy self-confidence and artistic power come together, one can expect a thrilling event-which is exactly what happened when the Argentinean tenor José Cura performed in the sold-out Philharmonie. He kept his conductor sidekick Tulio Gagliardo in constant suspense and simply took over the reins of the orchestra of the National Opera of Szeged during the overtures, which were interspersed among his arias.

 Granted, Cura conducted with inspiration, with vigor, with knife-edge rhythmic acuity and with a talent for showmanship. Besides, whoever knows how to excel at singing the way Jose Cura does should be granted a generous amount of free expression, even tomfoolery. Whether it was Verdi's Manrico from Il trovatore, Macduff from Macbeth or Alvaro from La forza del destino- Cura felt and conveyed the dramatic tension of each part with great intensity, as he sang from the heart.

No tenorial sighs and no sentimental super lows- everything had format and was done with class. Cura kept his baritone-colored voice masterfully under control up to the highest height. Even in Puccini's crowd pleasers from Tosca, Madame Butterfly and Turandot, he proved his stylistic firmness. Moreover, he topped all this with a vocally brilliant highlight, the Intermezzo epico from Aurora by his fellow countryman Hector Panizza. Adoring ladies were at his feet and cheered him. He thanked them vocally with special treats and a dashingly conducted Slavic Dance by Dvorak.

Note:  This is a machine-based translation.  We offer it only a a general guide but it should not be considered definitive.

Overwhelming presence

Frenzied applause for José Cura at his Munich concert

Bayerischer Rundfunk

Dorothea Hußlein

July 2003

 The two photos of José Cura in the playbill of the Munich concert do not give away anything of the true nature of the Argentinean star tenor, with which he will fascinate the audience in the not entirely sold out Philharmonie. He doesn’t correspond too much to the Latin lover type, nor to the foolishly and jovially looking Latino; he’s rather the southern bodybuilder type, and the evening is in many ways an extraordinary experience, a far cry from the usual clichéd programs. Exceptional already his entry: accompanied solely by the harpist of the Orchestra of the National Opera of Szeged, with which he plays the entire evening, he kicks off the concert with Manrico’s aria “Deserto sulla terra” from Verdi’s Il Trovatore, sung from backstage and thus demonstrating his singer-actor qualities.

In the face of such overwhelming stage presence the conductor of the evening, Tulio Gagliardo, has the thankless task of accompanying. In recent years Cura, aside from singing, has been devoting himself increasingly to his original profession, conducting, and he already takes the lead in the second piece, the overture to Verdi’s Nabucco. He takes advantage of the rostrum, conducts in a very unique and characteristic manner most of the orchestral intermezzi and thereby displays his little ‘caprices’: he always receives the applause with his back to the audience. Sure, with some of his gags and antics in between the arias, overtures, and intermezzi he gets close to slapstick, but this also is part of Cura, the Showman.

Cura sings the dramatic and lyrical arias by Verdi, Leoncavallo, Puccini, and Héctor Panizza bewitchingly beautifully, sovereignly, and seemingly effortlessly. He is brilliant on the high notes, full in the low register, marked in the middle voice. Cura doesn’t have to force or shout. The heat is too much for him and he asks why one can’t simply make music in jeans and T-shirt. After the wildly cheered concert Cura arrives in all black again for the autograph session in the Philharmonie’s foyer.

Note:  This is a machine-based translation.  We offer it only a a general guide but it should not be considered definitive.

According to Tenor Cura, the Most Difficult Roles are as Husband and Father

České noviny

29 January 2003

PRAGUE, Jan 29 (CTK) - None of the three most difficult roles named by internationally renowned singer José Cura is an opera character. The forty-year-old Argentine tenor, who describes his life as traveling around the world as a gypsy, considers the role of husband, father and dog owner the most difficult.

Important and challenging according to him, returning to his wife and playing with his children as well as controlling the dog, who—once more allowed to be unsupervised for a long time—managed to destroy all the newly planted flowers in the garden.  

Cura sings and conducts. Before, when he was not yet part of the world show business, he also composed. "I miss it. Composing is an amazing experience," he admits. However, he adds, he wrote primarily when he was desperate—and fortunately he is no longer experiencing that. "Now that I happen to have time, I have some kind of conversation," he says.   

Singing in the early 1990s after relocating to Europe was the safest way José Cura could raise money to support his family. "My livelihood then became my passion," he confesses. The former choirmaster does not regret the decision to make singing his career. He continues to conduct. He takes the baton for some symphonic numbers during concerts and tried even something very unusual - singing and conducting the orchestra simultaneously.   

As a tenor, he attracts a greater audience than as a conductor; however, at the same time he knows that in the role of conductor he can be hosted anywhere more easily - without the carousel of sponsors and advertising that revolves around him as an opera star. He therefore considers conducting more enjoyable.   

The singer was pleased to be greeted in Prague, where he will sing on Friday, by the ambassadors of Argentina and Spain - his native country and the place where he now lives with his family. He does not consider such diplomatic attention a common occurrence. He joked, "Not everything in politics is lost."   

And Cura revels in how nicely he is accommodated. "My room is as clean as new, as if it had just been finished. You are not always lucky to be in the hotel toilet while traveling around the world without feeling that someone had been sitting there just a few minutes before," the artist praised the Prague maid in front of the journalists.  The director of the renowned international establishment seemed embarrassed with the singer’s directness.

Note:  This is a machine-based translation.  We offer it only a a general guide but it should not be considered definitive.

The King of the Opera:  José Cura

Lidovky

Dita Hradecká

10 January 2003

Classical music lovers are looking forward to the event of the season - the most sought-after tenor of the day is coming to Prague

˝I am a musician of choice and a singer by mistake.˝ So claims the man who is consistently considered the greatest contemporary tenor star. José Cura (40), whose attractive face now looks down on Prague citizens from a flood of huge billboards, considers himself, first and foremost, to be a theatre artist and musician. The charismatic Argentinean long resisted the profession of opera singer, yet today audiences lie at his feet. In his case, popularity is not merely the result of successful media promotion: it is the result of 20 years of hard work. Behind him stands a neat series of pivotal roles on prestigious European and American stages as well as acclaimed recordings.

In 1996 the newly famous opera singer José Cura met with conductor Riccardo Muti in a production of Cavalleria rusticana. At lunch, Muti asked the singer: "Have you sung in Carmen?"  “No just sung it, "Cura responded.  “I also conducted it.˝ A versatile and thorough musical education is the first thing that differentiates the lively Argentinian from most of his colleagues. The singer's image also includes a proclaimed normality.  “Look at my hands,” he says, exposing his calluses. “Are these the hands of a tenor? At home I am an electrician and a carpenter.˝ Home to José Cura is now Spain, where this Argentinian and his family settled after years of changing countries.

He was not a prophet at home

José Cura came into the world on December 5, 1962 in Rosario (Santa Fe) and made his debut as a choirmaster at the age of fifteen. A year later, he has devoted himself to composition and piano, and in 1982 he entered art school, where he became deputy conductor of the school choir a year later. One day, just as he was singing to his students, the singing teacher heard him and persuaded him to try a singing career. "My interest in opera has been long and slow," recalls Cura. “I was twenty-one, and soon I gave up.”

He started again a few years later under Horace Amauri's direction, and only then did he begin to enjoy opera. If the opera singer wanted to excel, he had to go to Italy. So, in 1991, the 29-year-old father left his native country with his four-year-old son [and wife] and moved to Verona. Perhaps his career would have developed differently had the Teatro Colón in Buenos Aires not refused to hire him. They could not have guessed that three years later the largest opera houses would be clamoring to hire the tenor. "They told me to go and find another place, so I went," Cura comments on his departure from homeland.  But he has forgiven his compatriots and performed in the Colón Theater in 1994 at a gala concert.

But Italy would not become his promised land. The bureaucracy there made his life worse. ˝ I had to say goodbye to that beautiful country. France finally offered me the right conditions.” však But his Italian stay meant an important meeting with the teacher Vittorio Terran, who taught him to the art of bel canto. 

I want an elephant, not a tank

Cura might have stayed on the sidelines had it not been for an unexpected victory in the Operalia competition initiated by Plácido Domingo. The road to the big stages was finally open. And soon after came the ˝fateful role˝ - Otello in a Turin production conducted by Claudio Abbado. Cura was thirty-four and many doubt whether he can handle the demanding role in Verdi's last and most wondrous opera. But Cura convinced all the doubters. Enthusiastic headlines proclaimed, “A new Otello is born!˝  And what makes Cura's Otello new? “It’s one of the most dramatic roles.  That doesn't mean I'm screaming from start to finish. Great feelings can also be expressed in pianissi,” Cura describes his approach. 

He often and eagerly expresses himself on the meaning of opera, the meaning of words and their appropriate theatrical representation. “Personally, I consider myself to be a theatrical performer and action-friendly actor.  That’s what I do when selecting a choice of operas.  The performance should be believable. My career is dominated by 10-13 essential roles, which I can portray in a more dramatic way that is close to my interpretation.˝ And so the singer falls to the ground, crawling, sobbing and raving, convincing us of his madness and death.

Modern direction and stage concepts don’t always find favor with him.  “Bohème is a story of everyday life—you can stage it in jeans.  But when I do Aida, I want to have a pyramid and an elephant, not a tank.  I consider this ridiculous modernism.” 

In 1997, Cura signed an exclusive contract with Warner Music. The very first record of Puccini's Arias earned him the title of the new Domingo. He joined both of his professions—singing and conducting—on a CD which he conceived as his homage to Verdi. In addition to the opera repertoire, he also loves Argentine folklore: he also includes folk songs in the program of his recitals.

Cura is one of those singers that the listener recognizes immediately. It’s revealed by the dark, baritone color of the voice. However, his teachers did not initially know whether to train him as a baritone or tenor. ˝I was tired of using the wrong technique then. We didn't know what to do, so I gave up,” the artist says, remembering the difficult beginnings. He says he doesn’t pay excessive attention to his vocal cords now. “I eat when I'm hungry, sleep when I'm tired, and wash when I'm dirty… I'm simply not a slave to my voice. But of course I won't go barefoot through the snow when I have a performance in front of me.˝ 

"I'm totally normal"

Cura is well aware of his attractiveness. “On stage I am diva like any artist. But at home I'm completely normal.  Husband, lover and father of three children.˝ About his relationship with the media, which he sees as a necessary evil, he said: “I have to watch journalists. When I go to dinner with a girlfriend, they write that I am having an affair with her. When I go out with a man, I'm gay. What if he sees me walking my dog…”  The former enthusiastic gym visitor today refuses to overestimate his appearance or become a victim of his own image. ˝I can assure you that I am slowly losing my hair and I have gained a few pounds. Perhaps my critics will think about that and say maybe he's not so sexy anymore, so perhaps we can take him seriously now,” he said recently.  He credits the fact that he stands with both feet to a happy family background, which consists of three children and a wife (still one and the same since 1984—Cura has not yet succumbed to the “Pavarotti syndrome˝ of frequent partner rotation).  "For me, this is the only way to maintain my sanity in this absolutely crazy world," says the singer. “When you come back from a concert where hundreds of people applauded standing up and you have to change diapers when you get home, you think, this is just as nice as an opera.˝

Sponsors give preference to  football

José Cura's January performance in Prague was preceded by two years of intensive preparations. According to the organizing agency Panart, it is always difficult to find the terms that would suit the soloist, conductor, orchestra and hall owner at the same time. José Cura has a diary full of commitments until 2006, which is customary for an artist of his stature. It also takes a long time to raise funds for a concert. It is no secret that the budget for a performance by a prestigious classical music artist is equal to the cost of a first-rate pop star - in the order of millions of crowns. Managers of artists and organizers of cultural events have agree that in recent years it has become increasingly difficult in the Czech Republic to persuade management of large companies to participate. Sponsors today put more money into sports, organizers complain. Fortunately, there are companies whose bosses realize the importance of supporting quality projects. They do not have to act out of pure altruism: they are rewarded not only by the logo on the poster and the visibility of the company, but also by the good image in the eyes of clients.

Pavarotti et al. is over; the South American generation is coming

The tenor superstar cult has its roots as deep as the opera genre itself - in the seventeenth century. In the nineteenth century, Mario, Rubini, and Jean de Reszke, could dictate dizzying royalties, and in terms of popularity, they equaled today's biggest stars of pop music. It was the golden age of singing that also gave birth to ˝Il Tenore di Tenori˝, the tenor of all tenors, Enrico Caruso, who was credited with the huge expansion of the gramophone industry. The perfect voice of an exceptionally gifted singer without proper musical education was desired by people of all social strata. Since Carus' death in 1921, the bearers of this popular tradition have been sought. In the second half of the 20th century, the gradual commercialization of musical life brings a new phenomenon: the stadium tenor and the names Pavarotti, Domingo and Carreras. These masters of their field have long been skillfully balancing on the edge of kitsch and gaining fame around the world. Today, the former trio is more pity and embarrassed: Luciano Pavarotti is struggling with overweight health problems, José Carreras has withdrawn into the background after a constant cancer, and Plácido Domingo's latest recordings can no longer be taken seriously artistically. Meanwhile, a new generation of singers have reached the top. In the last decade, three talents, all coincidentally originating in South America, have attracted the most attention. Forty-year-old José Cura was the first, followed by Marcelo Alvarez of the same age, followed by Juan Diego Florez, 30, of Peru. Everyone profiles differently: while Cura looks for dramatic roles, Alvarez is an ideal lyrical tenor, and Florez excels in coloring Rossini's roles. Today, however, the opera singer cannot stand the stage with only talent. The time of primadonas and belly tenors is gone, and viewers spoiled by film and television also want to have something to watch. The bosses of record labels know well that the sex symbol on the CD cover is a magnet for customers - and it’s even better when they can sing.

Note:  This is a machine-based translation.  We offer it only a a general guide but it should not be considered definitive.

The Prince of Tenors in Prague

Prague Radio

Vaclav Richter

30 January 2003

He is tall, tan, charming and has one of the most beautiful voices in the world. His name is José Cura and this Friday he is giving a recital at the Prague Municipal House.

The man considered to be the crown prince of Pavarotti, Domingo and Carreras, great tenors of the previous generation, will sing a dozen opera arias and some Latin American melodies for the Prague audience. As he divides his activities between singing and conducting, he will also conduct the orchestra during part of this concert. Singer, conductor, however, he considers himself primarily as an actor, a man of theatre. That's why he chooses roles that match his temperament. He seeks the truth in everything he sings.

Today he is in a country with a long musical tradition. Among the inevitable questions that were asked to him in Prague there was therefore that on his relationship to Czech music. "It’s fascinating music but very difficult because you can feel the rhythm of Czech language in music. As Czech language is foreign to us, Latinos, we do not find words that could serve as support. So, when you first approach Czech music you come up against its strange aspect until you start to dive into it, analyze it, study it and start to find support. For me, the most fascinating thing about Czech music is the impressive orchestrations."  And who is José Cura's favorite Czech composer? "Well, it's Janacek since I sang it," he says and emphasizes that in order to sing a Czech opera in the future, he would first learn the Czech language.

The great ambition of this dynamic artist is to attract young people to so-called "classical" music. He tries to give his recitals a casual character, refuses to wear formal dress, sings in a shirt and pants, does not reject light music and sometimes sings pop hits at the end of these opera recitals. He knows how to attract crowds. His Prague recital is sold out and is eagerly awaited. "The audience is like a woman, it wants to be seduced," he says, and it is already obvious that he is right. The audience in Prague is only asking for that.

Note:  This is a machine-based translation.  We offer it only a a general guide but it should not be considered definitive.

Show Business is a Dangerous Game

 So says Argentine tenor José Cura, who will perform in Prague on Friday

Lidovky Noviny

Dita Hradecká

29 January2003

Tenor José Cura (40) is currently one of the most sought after artists. He spoke with LN before his concert on Friday about the conditions in the music industry, the future of the opera and his own record label.  He will perform not only as an interpreter of operatic Italian arias and Argentine songs, but also as a conductor.

LN: It is said that there are fewer and fewer tenors. Is this true in your opinion?

José Cura:  Nonsense.  The problem is not that tenors are dying out:  I can’t remember a generation full of so many excellent tenors.  But the ability of young singers to sacrifice the long time required for training has been lost.  It takes years to train a tenor.  While the baritone is more natural and corresponds to the range of normal speech, to reach tenor heights you need a special technique that takes years to master.  So there are no voices, only patience.  Young people today want to achieve everything by pressing a button.

LN: Does that mean the tenor is also more delicate?  At what age can a tenor still sing high C?

José Cura:  Alfredo Kraus sang at the age of seventy, Franco Corelli finished in his 50s. You cannot control human nature; dispositions are given.

LN: But there are ways to take care of your voice.

José Cura:  For example, try to catch a cold.  But if in one week you sing in Tokyo, Warsaw and Madrid, you are not only exchanging extremely different climates, but also various strains of germs. So even if I am immune to the Prague flu, I can still catch it in Madrid.  I act normally, I try to be considerate of my body. A lot of people tried to figure out the perfect recipe, but it doesn't work.

LN: Was the Spanish climate also one of the reasons that played a role in your decision to settle in that country?

José Cura:  Not only the climate, but of course the social structure and way of life that is close to Argentina. I feel at home there - and yet I am in Europe.

LN: After Teldec was dissolved, life became difficult for many artists. How did you cope with the loss?

José Cura:  For me personally it was not such a break. There is a huge crisis in the music business - not only in the classics, but also in the music business in general. There are many reasons and symptoms: high taxes, piracy, high carrier prices and so on. No one knows if a normal stereo CD has a future, or a DVD or a Super Audio CD will prevail.  But things are moving, and I think the era of multinational mammoth groups is over. Small labels come on the scene and I have set out on this path as well. I produced my last CD myself under my own label.

LN: Do you want to release just your recordings or projects of other artists?

José Cura:  We are at the beginning, we have to wait until to see if the cost of the first records are recouped.  Not that I don't want to produce other artists, but we don't even have my own projects yet. We will see, maybe we will do well in the future and we can afford it.

LN: You claim to be an actor rather than a singer. Do you prefer the traditional concept of opera rather than modern direction?

José Cura:  First, I am not saying anything. Anyone who tries to vehemently convince is not sure. So I’d rather act than say. It is not so important to me how traditional the direction is but whether it is intelligent.  There are very traditional productions that are spoiled with poor directing. Some directors will take advantage of the chance the production gives them just to satisfy their own phantoms. And the result is ridiculous.

 LN: Did you thought of trying to direct an opera?

José Cura:  I have already received such an offer, but the time is not right yet.

LN: While watching Traviata, taking place in real time and in authentic backdrops, I wondered if realism in the opera could go even further.

José Cura:  The balance in opera productions is provided by the artists, not the sets. It's not how many effects and what lights you use. When there is only a table, a chair, a candlestick - and a charismatic artist on the scene, it's a big show.

When there's only a table, chairs, a candlestick - and a charismatic artist on stage, it's a great spectacle.

LN: In what proportion is your singing activity to conducting?

José Cura:  So far, I'm pursuing it - there are times when I conduct more, and others, when I return to opera. I’ve had a lot of conducting duties lately, and there are rumors: Cura is finished, he doesn't have a voice anymore. It's funny, but you can't ban speech. If rumors were fined, people would finally watch what they say.

LN: From the very beginning of opera, the period of its heyday and crisis alternates.  Do you think the opera will survive, say, 2100?

José Cura:  At this point we don't know if we'll live to see next week. Look at all those wars, bombs, assassinations. If humanity survives, opera may survive as well.

LN: The tenors have always been considered superstars among singers. Is it difficult to maintain independence in show business?

José Cura:  It is difficult. For example, I am not subject to any agency - on the contrary, a team of people works for me. I am one of the first, if not the very first artist, to go down this path. And of course, it bothers many people. In the music industry, there are a number of excellent agents and the same number of corrupt people who are spinning intrigue. And they sound the alarm when they see that an artist can make a living without their help, that he doesn’t need them. They have two options, then—to leave or to attack. It's a dangerous game.

LN: Did you experience anything like that yourself?

José Cura:  Of course. I have already mentioned the rumors that circulated about me since I have been conducting a lot now. I am absolutely sure that people are deliberately spreading them. They are pirates waiting for the slightest excuse to discredit you in the eyes of others.

LN: If your son came to you and said he wanted to be an opera singer, would you discourage him?

José Cura:  My older son studies piano and guitar, has a rock band and is very gifted. When I was 14 years old, I did exactly the same thing. So it may happen that he will follow in my footsteps.

LN: There is a large singing area you haven't entered yet - songs. Are you attracted by the big cycles of Schubert or Schumann?

José Cura:  It is very tempting, but I do not feel entitled to do so. I don't want to go into anything just because everyone is doing it and because it's expected of me. It would be fake. I never say never, but there are many experts in the world. I don't know what else I could contribute.

LN: How did conducting influence your approach to singing?

José Cura:  A lot.  But singing has an even greater influence on conducting. The singer has a natural, spontaneous sense of phrasing. And if you allow the orchestra to phrase just as naturally, the result is amazing. Most conductors feel the music vertically, rhythmically and harmoniously, making sure everything is under control and no one is lost. Only a handful of the best think vertically and then they make great music.

Note:  This is a machine-based translation.  We offer it only a a general guide but it should not be considered definitive.

Cura: I will sing Czech opera only in Czech

Idnes

Věra Drápelová

6 Jan 2003

The 40 years old tenor José Cura is labeled “star” with good reason. He sings brilliantly, has an actor's talent, unmistakable charisma and is an original.  In the world he is considered to be one of the possible successors of the famous three tenors—Domingo, Pavarotti, Carreras.  He sings at Prague's Municipal House on January 31, accompanied by the Prague Symphony Orchestra;   he also sang with this orchestra 2 years ago but only for a private audience of bankers and financial experts attending the session of the International Monetary Fund. Like every star José Cura shoots among the countries and continents – not long ago he was in Japan.

Do you feel uncomfortable being compared to the 3 tenors by journalists? Does it annoy you?

José Cura:  I think we have a huge misunderstanding here.  I can’t pretend I am as successful as these great artists, for I was born a generation later.  They could be my fathers!  But whenever this comparison arises I take it as an inspiration.

Do you know them personally?

José Cura:  Yes, I know them, but nothing more than that.  We are not friends. I am only a young man who admires them.  Nothing more.

What about other tenors of your generation? Does friendship in the operatic world exist or is there only rivalry among singers?

José Cura:  Friendship is perhaps too strong a word but I must say there are no problems among us.  When we find ourselves in the same town, we go out for dinner together. We are a good group and mutually follow each other's careers.  It might even be that in future we participate in some joint projects.  Problems in show business are often just tabloid stories.  You can read that one likes one and hates another and two are sure to fight—but if you ask them, no one has any idea what you’re talking about.

What do you think about the criticism that Domingo, Pavarotti and Carreras turned classical music into a profitable business?

José Cura:  People who accuse them of making money should sweep their own threshold first! I think we should let artists live and express themselves as they feel.  And where money is the issue – after all, everybody is striving to reach a certain standard of living and one needs money for this purpose.  If an artist claims he is not interested in money and that he lives only for art, he is a hypocrite.

Your concerts are presented in a rather unusual way: you do not wear formal attire, you joke with the audience, and you even quite coolly sit down on the podium. Why?

José Cura:  Because I think that a recital should be a show where you communicate [directly] with the audience through music.  If you want to see something different, check out a classical opera performance.  But in a recital, you choose small parts of different operas and try to present them to the audience in the different way.  It is true that people of an older generation prefer to see a singer dressed as a penguin.  I don’t.  That is why I tackle things in a different manner.  I want to entertain people.

You have suggested that even Mozart should be regarded as a show-business star?

José Cura:  Absolutely!  And this is the reason why I perform as I do.  Classical music is not gloomy music for the old.  Classical music must be agreeable, pleasing.  Let’s not forget that Mozart played piano during the emperor's dinner!  Franz Schubert wrote some of his most beautiful songs after a pleasant beer drinking evening in a pub with friends.  Often he wrote a new song on his handkerchief.

Fame is a very tricky thing.

A lot of people say that you do all this not for the sake of the music but for the sake of your own popularity. What would you tell them?

José Cura:  They should take a look what they do.  If somebody who understands classical music treats it like popular music, he is immediately falsely accused of abusing the music solely to further his aim of making himself attractive for marketing.  John Lennon's songs are no worse than those written by Schubert in the nineteenth century.  In 50 years, perhaps Lennon’s songs will be considered classic.

Do you think that the world of classical music is narrow-minded in comparison with the world of pop music?

José Cura:  No, it is not like this.  On the contrary, popular music is often more elitist than classical.  When a pop singer turns up his nose at the classic, it is also ridiculous elitist—the same as when a classical musician turns his nose up at the pop music.  This is the same as thinking racism exists only from the side of the whites towards the blacks.  But when blacks act the same way [go against white], it means the same.

What does fame mean to you?

José Cura:  Fame is a very tricky thing.  Some photos at the right time are enough for everybody to know you. Besides, it is rather comfortable to believe one is prominent, famous. My aim is to be famous for being good.

Do you come from a musical family?

José Cura:  No, my father was accountant.

So how did a boy from the Argentine city of Rosario get to the opera?

José Cura:  I've always wanted to be a musician.  Ever since I was 10.  My father was an amateur piano player.  In families like ours it was customary for children to learn to play.  When I was 12 I started playing the guitar because I had discovered this had an effect on girls.  When I was 15 I started conducting a church choir.  After that I studied conducting and composing.  And after that it was discovered by chance I possessed a good voice.  So my career started.  I left for Europe for studies definitely decided to become a singer.

But you continue to conduct.  Reputedly you are the only person in the world to sing and conducted at the same times.

José Cura:  Yes, that was a very hard work.

Should you decide one day between conducting and singing, what would you give priority to?

José Cura:  I will make no decision.  I'll sing as long as possible.  I'll stop only for the reason of age.  But who knows when this will happen... Maybe I'll move to the country to live the life of a provincial and disappear from the audience.  I really do not know what the future will bring.  Only God does.

Your domain is the Italian repertoire, yet at the very beginning of your singing career you encountered the music of Leos Janacek?

José Cura:  Yes, this was in Turin 1993 and I sang the part of Albert Gregor in the opera Makropolus Case.  I remember the splendid Janacek's orchestration and how difficult it was for me to sing the part in the Italian translation.  In the Czech the stress falls on different syllables than in Italian. It sounded very unusual.  Therefore I think operas should be sung in original.  And until I learn Czech, I won’t sing in another Czech opera.

You have founded your own company. Do you want to tackle the CD-industry beside singing and conducting?

José Cura:  That was actually a coincidence.  When I was appointed the Principal Guest Conductor of Sinfonia Varsovia we decided to record our inaugural concert.  That is why we founded a publishing company, not that we expected to record more.  But now we have one recording, perhaps we will make another one.

While traveling I miss my family.

Your latest record is called Aurora. What’s behind the title?

José Cura:  Aurora is an Argentine opera. From this opera comes the famous song about the national flag. The opera was composed in 1908 by a composer, half Italian, half Argentine – in those days there were many immigrants from Italy in Argentina.  At the premiere this song was very well received and soon became our second national anthem.  From this time on it has been sung at the raising of the flag—for example in the army and in schools.

In schools?

José Cura:  Yes, every day, when we arrived for classes, the flag was raised.  So at seven o'clock in the morning we looked at the rising national flag and sang Aurora.  We suffered a lot for the tune because it is written very high.  Just imagine: small kids had to sing a heavy operatic aria every day early in the morning.  Well, at least it was good training for me. 

Argentinean music is very often connected to tango in Europe. Do you feel this is wrong?

José Cura:  I like tango, but it must be in its original form – as composed by those like Astor Piazzola.  But to assert that Argentine music consists only of tango is the same as saying that German music is identical to popular songs (Schlager). We have a rich musical tradition in Argentina to which lots of artist attributed, such as the pianist and conductor Daniel Barenboim.

You have 3 children. How is it possible to lead a normal family life while you are constantly traveling?

José Cura:  I’m devoted to my family.  I miss them very much when I’m on the road.  But my wife Silvia often accompanies me. When she is not with me I’m sending her flowers.

And how a top operatic tenor stays in shape?

José Cura:  I try to eat healthy, go to bed early, I do not drink or smoke.

Your hobby is photography. Is this only your hobby or do you enjoy it as much as your profession?

José Cura:  I’m been taking photos from 1977 or 1978 and this activity helped me understand, among other things, the impact of the light on the stage.  I think I am a pretty decent photographer, though not exactly a genius.  Many people have music for a hobby, but being a musician, you must find something else for a hobby.

Do you have any favorite subject you prefer when taking photos?

José Cura:  People for sure.  I like people.  I like faces.

Note:  This is a machine-based translation.  We offer it only a a general guide but it should not be considered definitive.

José Cura added Yesterday

Novinky

Jiří Tlučhoř

3 February 2003

 [Excerpt]

The reputation that preceded the Argentine tenor José Cura before his arrival in Prague did not lie. After his Friday recital in the Smetana Hall of the Municipal House it is clear that he is indeed an excellent singer and showman.

PRAGUE - However, his show is completely different from any we have seen from other opera singers. His arrival at the opening serenade of Manrico from Verdi's Il trovatore down the center aisle and through the full length of the entire Smetana Hall seemed like a revelation. Cura immediately scored with the audience and won the hearts of the ladies present. However, such a triumphant scenic entrée did not quite correspond with the fragility of the in love serenade that Manrico sings under his window of his chosen one.

Singer with baton

The Prague Symphony Orchestra, which accompanied Cura, was alternately conducted by the singer, showing himself to be a savvy conductor, and Tulio Gagliardo. The singer demonstrated this additional skill during orchestral inserts, such as the Prelude to the Force of Destiny or Intermezzo of Manon Lescaut.  Certainly we can say that as a conductor he has a future, but no pronounced uniqueness was hidden within these performances.

But as a singer he was impressive. Cura's tenor is certainly not one of the huge 'storms,’ which is full of sound in the biggest halls, but it is perfectly mastered technically, in intonation and color. There is a pleasant softness throughout its range, with enviable mobility and, finally, sufficient strength without a sign of excessive exertion, all assets.

The basis was the Italian repertoire

These assets came out by way of the best in the Italian repertoire (Verdi's Corsair , Leoncavallo's Pagliacci, Boito's Mephistopheles, Puccini's Turandot, La Fanciulla del west, Tosca, Meyerbeer's L'Africaine), both in dramatic and lyrical terms. He spiced the middle part of the evening with Argentine music, both the heroic epic intermezzo from Panizza’s opera Aurora (Argentina's second anthem) and four fragile songs, where he charmed with his graceful vocal expressiony (and accompanied himself on the guitar).

However, the undeniable highlight of the evening was the Puccini numbers, which exuded intoxicating musicality and vocal nobility. Among the four encores, Puccini was heard twice, and the famous Nessun dorma could not be missed.

Showman

And what was the show that was always talked about in connection with his concerts? It’s on display in how casually he moves on stage like a real dude. He constantly walks, while singing, he turns sideways and his back to the audience, sits on stage, occasionally uses some props (chairs), talks funnily between numbers, one acting scene alternating with another. It is presented in exactly the spirit of his idea that serious music must not be boring.

But only a singer of Cura's format and temperament can pull off such a show; anyone else would be embarrassed.

Note:  This is a machine-based translation.  We offer it only a a general guide but it should not be considered definitive.

José Cura in Prague

Radio Prague

Evelina Himalová

9 February 2003

[Excerpt]

A concert of one of the world's most respected tenor, the Argentinean José Cura, which took place on 31 January in the Smetana Hall of the Prague Municipal House, was considered a cultural event of extraordinary importance. Opera fans and fans of musical megastars eagerly awaited the evening, called "Opera Gala," which was the first public performance of this charismatic artist in our country.

José Cura, backed by a massive media campaign that preceded his arrival, certainly did not overdo his performance and completely captivated the audience. The magnificent voice, the theatrical speech, and his conducting performances in several orchestral numbers throughout the program was rewarded by the audience with thunderous applause.  Cura sang opera arias and South American songs, occasionally accompanying himself on guitar. He lifted spectators to their feet with the famous aria from Puccini's Turandot, which, thanks to the "three tenors", has become the anthem of the world championships. He also created excitement by singing Yesterday from the Beatles repertoire, so gently it was almost inaudibly, during the encores.

A modern man in his forties living in Spain, where he has a family—a wife and three children—came to the Czech Republic at the height of his creative powers; that is unlike the tenors of the so-called first league - Pavarotti, Domingo and Carreras, who have performed in Prague with great success in opera recitals in recent years, but only with their best years behind them.  A generation younger, Cura regularly shines at prestigious world stages, for example, he sang throughout January in Tokyo and Osaka, Japan, singing the pivotal and demanding role of Otello in Verdi's opera of the same name, for which he earned his first critical acclaim back in 1997. In addition, he has been diligently devoted to his original profession - last year José Cura was appointed as Principal Guest Conductor of the Sinfonia Varsovia Orchestra.  Next up he will perform, among other things, Pagliacci in Hamburg, where he will also conduct Cavalleria rusticana, Tosca in Vienna, Don Carlo in Zurich and La traviata in Verona. Next year he will perform again at the Metropolitan Opera in New York, this time in the title role of Samson et Dalila.   He mentioned held in Prague prior to his concert that his calendar is already filled to the end of 2006.  I asked Dr Taťána Čechovská from PANART, who has been in contact with José Cura for many years, and is responsible for the current concert if we have any hope to seeing him in the Czech capital in the near future again.

"We've been working with José Cura cooperating since 1996 and the collaboration has been conducted on a very good basis, with both sides always satisfied.  I did promotion in Italy, in England, back then within Warner Music recording company, where he was an exclusive artist and I represented it—we formed a certain professional confidence. The moment the concert was being considered here, he chose our agency as the agency he wanted to work with, and with which he just wants to do the concert.  There’s another one.  But for big stars like Mr. Cura, it's a big problem to find a hole in their busy schedule. So right now, we're looking for the hole, but we don't have the date yet"

Note:  This is a machine-based translation.  We offer it only a a general guide but it should not be considered definitive.

Opera Silence

Reflex

Honza Dědek

31 January 2003

He is the pop star of the opera stage.  After his arias the audience rise to applaud, the women burst out with shouts of enthusiasm, some cry. It is not just the appealing appearance of this Argentinean tenor and his unconventional behavior on the stages of leading opera houses.  José Cura (40) is, first and foremost, the most distinctive opera voice of his generation.  Prague will be able to experience him when this star of classical music will be introduced to the city during a sold-out concert at the Smetana Hall of the Municipal House on 31 January.

You like to say that your biggest musical dream is to bring young people to opera. What can you do to do that?

José Cura:  By presenting opera to them. That what I’m doing. I know that many people, especially the younger ones, are turned-off by the simple fact that it is sung in a tailcoat and bow tie. Me, too. I do not like tailcoats and bow ties.  It’s such a terribly serious dress that I do not wonder at all that it discourages young people from listening to classical music. That's why I sing my recitals dressed in a casual shirt and trousers. It outrages older people and some of my singing colleagues are even telling me via the newspaper to stop mocking opera. But young people like it.

Does that also go for the music?

José Cura:  Of course. Just because you are singing classical music doesn't mean you have to look deadly serious about it. After all, it is worth remembering that composers such as Schubert, Schumann and Mozart were in their day stars comparable to today's popstars. What was Mozart doing? He played his music in the royal salons at His Majesty's lavish dinners.

Among the opera singers you are already renowned for your unconventional behavior during a performance, especially for singing lying down or throwing a paper airplane. Do you think this is the only way to bring young people to opera?

José Cura:  I don't know if this is the only way, but it's effective. And I don't see anything wrong with it. After all, everyone likes to joke sometimes.  So do I.  On the other hand, I have also been the victim of jokes.  Recently one such thing happened to me in one performance. In the last act I have to open an envelope and read a letter telling me my mother's death. So I opened the envelope and there was a picture of a beautiful naked lady instead of a letter. I almost laughed, but that wouldn't be a good match for such a tense musical scene where my partner was crying in the corner and in front of two thousand spectators. I had to control myself and perform appropriately. By the way, I never found out who did this to me.

It has been said that although you have never studied acting, you are among the best actors in opera.

José Cura:  The audience is like a woman – it wants to be seduced.  It wants to feel that the artist on stage is thinking about giving them his whole being. Opera is primarily a theater, a reflection of life. That is why it must be credible. I want to cry, love, hate, hurt, laugh on the stage. I want to portray characters of flesh and bones.  Personally, I consider myself a theatrical performer. Only in the second level am I a singer. I often subordinate it in selecting roles.  It's about creating musical authenticity. First you have to understand what lies behind every word and then figure out how the rhythms of the theatrical should align with the musical.  Another way to attract young people's attention to classical music is through the concerts at football stadiums with the participation of pop stars hosted by Three Tenors, especially Luciano Pavarotti.

Even though they are accused of making classical music cheap show-business…

José Cura:  Classical music is now something that is untouchable, but if Mozart, Puccini or Beethoven were to live today, they might also compose their music for stadiums. At their time they wrote for opera houses for technical reasons. They did not know things such as the microphone and video screens, so they were forced to compose for concert halls. In fact, music can be played anywhere, in the opera house, in stadiums, even in the bathroom. And people go to those stadiums, that are important. Thanks to Carreras, Domingo and Pavarotti, opera has touched millions of people who would never go to the opera. Moreover, I personally do not consider the commercialization of classical music to be a negative phenomenon. On the contrary, I consider those artists who claim that they are not interested in money, but only art to be hypocrites.  It is natural to want success, to achieve a certain standard of living, to secure family well. And all that costs money. So why not make music as much as a business?

Do you like pop music yourself?

José Cura:  I do not like it when music is distinguished between popular and serious--after all, there is only bad or good music. Some classical songs are absolutely horrible, some pop melodies are beautiful and vice versa. Lennon's songs are no worse than Schubert's compositions; in fifty years they will be classics like Mozart's compositions today. As a kid, I loved the Beatles, black spirituals and jazz, and I definitely didn't listen to opera. Perhaps I even wanted to become a pop singer.

So, aren't you contemplating making songs like The Beatles, like Anne Sofie von Otter did recently?

José Cura:  I have too much work and clearly defined projects right now, but maybe one day it will be my turn.  I don't care about musical style, only quality. People often ask me who I’d like to do a duet with. They probably expect me to say some operatic wonder, but I'd like to sing with Karen Carpenter. Do you know The Carpenters? She has a beautiful voice, I've always admired her. And I’ve already made two albums dedicated to Latin American music, especially boleros. There are very melodic songs by Alberto Ginastera, Carlos Guastavino and Armando Manzanero, arranged for me. In a way, it's also pop-music that I pay tribute to Argentine composers.

What about tango? Isn't it strange that as a singer from Argentina you don't have this Argentine national style in your repertoire?

José Cura:  It is strange how strongly Europeans associate Argentine singers with tango. Tango is the music of Buenos Aires. I come from Rosario. Argentina's musical culture is much deeper and multilayered than most Europeans can realize. Of course I also like tango, especially in its original form by composers such as Astor Piazzola, but we cannot forget the values ​​that our country owes to conductor Carlos Kleiber or pianist and conductor Daniel Barenboim.

Why did you settle permanently in Madrid more than a decade ago? Is Argentina not a suitable country for opera singers?

José Cura:  Argentina is a very eclectic country, classical opera is as famous as folk music. There are very good music schools taught by excellent professors, often from Italy and France. The only drawback is that there is no opera market in Argentina. It is a country that is torn by economic and social problems, which, of course, are do not in any way favor culture. So every Argentinian opera singer who really wants to succeed has to go to Europe. That is why I live in Spain, but I regularly return to Argentina.  My roots are there.

Do you come from a musical family?

José Cura:  My parents have some musical talent, probably all Latin American people do , but they have never been professionally involved in music. My father had me enroll in piano lessons at the age of seven or eight, but the teacher felt I had no talent, so he sent me home. I don't know if I really lacked talent so much as I lacked interest. At that time I wanted to do other things, play like other boys. Fortunately my father understood and he didn't force me into anything, so I could have a normal childhood like everyone else. I didn't get to music until I was twelve, when I started to learn to play guitar because of girls. Three years later, I started conducting a local choir and I was so caught up in it. That led me to the decision to study music.

I heard you wanted to be a rugby player when you were a kid.

José Cura:  Yes, I even have several medals at home. The problem is that no one plays professional rugby in Argentina.  It is a very poorly paid sport. If I could hold on, I would have been a member of the national team, but I would hardly make a living. So I preferred singing, which at that time seemed more interesting.

At that time you not only sang, but also composed and conducted. Why did you decide to sing?

José Cura:  I composed religious music – a requiem and Stabat mater. I wrote Pinocchio as an opera for children and wrote several songs for guitar. At the moment I have no time to compose.  I am very busy singing and conducting.  My diary is full until 2007, especially with singing performances, but I would like to concentrate more on conducting now. I was the first to sing and conduct at the same time. It's extremely challenging, but it's worth it. It makes some people nervous because they feel like I’m breaking the rules. But if you want to write history, you have to break the rules.

You're  not a humble person, aren't you?

José Cura:  The most famous impresarios want to work with me, I am invited to the world's most spectacular opera houses, music companies are promoting me, so why should I be modest? I know I'm good, but I want to be even better. It took me twenty-five years to become who I am today. I worked very hard for my success, so why should I be ashamed of it now?

Many critics compare you with the famous Three Tenors. Do you feel to be the successor to Pavarotti, Domingo and Carreras?

José Cura:  I don't like comparisons. I want to be myself. Great artists have no successors. It was once said that no one would sing like Caruso, but then Gigli and others came. It's about creating something new ...