"I saw the temple and I thought I was going to faint": Josè Cura embraces Agrigento Capital of Culture

Samson et Dalila, Barcelona, 2001:  “Cura sang Samson--an opera that he knows perfectly--with spirit, guts, and a taut and vibrant voice which gave to his character a dramatic force that corresponded to the action on the stage. Few times have we heard the sad monologue of the mill-turning sung more emotionally, dramatically, and movingly than from the mouth of José Cura. Then, in the Bacchanal, his performance was immense, without neglecting the vocal demands: he thrust himself into the crowd, rolled towards the ground in his knot of chains, and rose up to bring down the pillars of the blazing temple with a high note that sent the audience into delirium.”  Vangardia

Samson et Dalila, Barcelona, 2001:  “Now to the star of the show: the Argentinean tenor José Cura.  He is a stage animal. His presence has such electricity it is almost impossible to take your eyes off him. He simply fills the stage. The magnetism is captivating to the point that there are more opportunities to be trapped by the eyes and become more indifferent to the ears. After 'Arretez, o mes freres!' the vocal problems were exposed... yes, everything was there to be heard, but his presence and acting convinced that he was Samson. Vocally there was little difference between the heroic character of the first act and the tormented lover, struggling internally and finally seduced in the second, until the vanquished, anguished and vengeful hero of the last act. The singing was always raw but none of this seemed to bother the audience, who clapped wildly and offered a final standing ovation. Yes, the show was undoubtedly a great triumph for Cura. Certainly he scored a public success in his debut at the Liceu. And at last I could understand the reason for the public uproar.”  Cronicas

Samson et Dalila, Barcelona, 2001: “So I watched two shows – one with José Carreras and one with José Cura - very different from each other.  This is a great opportunity, especially since I think that José Cura, because of his interesting voice, interesting interpretation and great appearance, is one of the most interesting tenors of the younger generation.   During the first act, José Cura was a bit hidden and probably did not evoke any great emotions; by the second act, José Cura rose to the top, singing in a strong voice and playing dramatically his role.  Cura was a good tenor singing with all his notes in a beautiful voice.

In the final of the third act, both tenors were great but objectively speaking, it seemed that the heroic voice of the Argentinean was better than the voice of lirico spinto Spaniard. ”   Trubadur,  20 March 2001

Striking Debut

\Avui

Xavier Cester

March 2001

[Computer-assisted translation  // Excerpt]

One of the great things about all performing arts and, above all, its highest and most extraordinary form, opera, is its character as a living and, to a certain extent, unpredictable phenomenon. The most exhaustive preparation, the most intense rehearsals can never foresee the magic of a night with a singer in a state of grace in front of a sympathetic audience, or the disenchantment of a performance in poor form with an audience with its claws ready. And there is no musical instrument more variable, more influenced by a thousand and one factors, than the human voice. That is why it is the most fascinating of all. When we add to this the unexpected replacement of one of the stars in a specific performance, to the (perhaps) disappointed expectations of the people sitting in their seats, we can now add the uncertainty about who will appear on stage.

In the second performance of Samson et Dalila at the Liceu (March 18), José Carreras cancelled his participation due to a flu-like illness. The theatre could have been content with performing with the Catalan tenor's cover, but the artistic direction achieved a major success by securing the participation of José Cura, one of the most sought-after artists of the present, in what was his debut in Barcelona. The Argentine divo had in his favor the fact of having already sung Elijah Moshinsky's production at Covent Garden, alongside Markella Hatziano, five years ago, at the Royal Opera House. Cura's presence galvanized both the entire production (Hatziano herself was much better, with a firmer voice and without breaks) and the audience, which responded more warmly than the one at the premiere.

The most immediate gain from Cura's performance was dramatic. His Samson had an indisputable stage charisma, he moved with great agility, successfully emphasizing the transition from almighty hero (a bit saucy, even arrogant, when he kills Abimelech) to humiliated man after passing through passionate lover stage, with a more active relationship with Dalila in the grand duet of the second act. The imposing physique of the tenor, which a different costume from that of his predecessor clearly showed, also helped and added to the greater enjoyment of voyeurs of all kinds.

On some occasions we have spoken of the Argentine tenor with certain reservations reinforced by the aggressive marketing that accompanies him. His records, especially the recital disks which he conducts himself, often fall into the merely self-indulgent exercises.  But the recent recording of Pagliacci with Riccardo Chailly (Decca) already showed a positive evolution in the singing style, until then rather rough, of Cura, an evolution fortunately confirmed by this debut at the Liceu. To begin with, the singer has the ideal instrument, the vocal testosterone indispensable for the biblical protagonist, with a dark, baritone center, and highs, if not sample then at least sufficient to knock down columns and whatever else is needed.   Moreover, the performer is now able to control his resources and modulate his phrasing: for example, the delicacy of his participation in the trio in the first act, the well-found lyricism of the duet in the second and, above all, the moving monologue in the first scene of the third.