Gala ЭКСКЛЮЗИВ (Гала №32001)
Jose Carreras: I want to reveal hidden treasures
Catalan swan, golden tenor...
His sensual singing has always been given most splendid epithets.
He is coming to Moscow again. Gala interviewed Jose Carreras before his performance at the Bolshoi Theatre.
At 28 he sang all main tenor leads at the world's best opera houses. One usually achieves such success much later in life. Is there anything else to wish? Yes, there is. His main victory Jose Carreras has won at the age of 41 in the battle against leukemia. He is founder of the international Leukemia Foundation, participant of many charitable activities and cultural projects. He continues to perform at the best stages of our planet. This time the great tenor will sing with the popular English musical star Sarah Brightman.
Gala: Why does a tenor, and not a baritone or bass, produce such agitation among women?
Jose Carreras: I believe, it is because a tenor voice is not very typical for a man. Also, tenors usually sing main leads in operas, which are mostly lover roles.
Gala: You now seldom sing in operas and more often in concerts. Why?
JC: Frankly speaking, now I sing less on the whole. After my illness I founded the international Leukemia Foundation and I devote much effort to it. We have already helped many people, thanks God. Our goal is to cure every leukemia patient. Besides, I am not interested in singing La Boheme over and over again any more. I like to change things. I want to find new operas and reveal hidden treasures to people, like it was with Ermanno Wolf-Ferraris Sly. There are very many operas I think of.
Gala: Your mother used to say (after you almost drowned and she saved you) that you were going to be a great person. Her words came true. Did they have an influence on you when you were young?
JC: My mother indeed was a very important person in my life. She supported me very much. Any particular words are of no importance.
Gala: Has your character changed after your amazing recovery?
JC: Whatever happens, you remain the same person. What changes is your view of what is important in life. Thanks God, I am still alive, and with my Foundations activity I want to thank those who helped me overcome my illness.
Gala: You are a record-holder what the amount of your audio recordings is concerned. You recorded over 150 albums with 50 operas among them.
JC:
I think its very important to bring music any music to young people.
They are our future. We should make every effort that they may be interested
not only in rock and pop, but also in classical music. Discs are
very good help, to say nothing of live concerts.
Gala: Your famous Three Tenors project took opera out of academic halls. Luciano Pavarotti, Placido Domingo and you became pop idols. Do you strive for the same goal with audio recordings?
JC: We just work and follow the example of great tenors of the past Caruso, Lanza and others. They all sang popular music. We are glad people like our concerts, whether they consist of opera arias or popular songs. The Three Tenors project brought classical music to thousands of those who have never been to opera.
Gala: Would you call your tour with Sarah Brightman a continuation of the same theme?
JC: No I would not. However, since the time Sarah and I recorded Amigos Para Siempre, a song written by Andrew Lloyd Webber many years ago for the Olympic Games in Barcelona, weve always wanted to perform together. Finally weve done this. Sarah is a splendid artist.
Gala: Why are many of your performances in some way connected with sports events?
JC: Oh, I am a real sports fan! I love football and I am a faithful supporter of Barcelona. I attend their games when I return home. Also I am interested in basketball, tennis and American football. Sports and culture have much in common; sportsmen are all artists in some sense.
Gala: There is a memorial plaque placed in your hometown during your lifetime. What do you feel?
JC: I consider it a great honor.
Gala: Does your repertoire contain Russian songs?
JC: On my new disk Around the World there is a song Midnight in Moscow.
Ilya Ginzburg