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Salzburg Concert of
Jos Carreras on 11 August 2002 Little
surprises accompanied me all the way on my first "Carreras tour": a
group of Catalonians flying to Barcelona from Moscow, a magazine
"Window to Spain" at the airport, completely dedicated to Catalonia
and its famous natives. The first music I heard at my friend's apartment in
Berlin was Misa Criolla broadcasted by the Klassik Radio; our farewell supper
included "Crema Catalana" (vanilla ice cream plus caramel in
ceramic bowls). Somebody up high kept reminding me of Jos Carreras. Singing in the Rain The day before the concert it was warm and sunny.
I was hoping that the next day would be as wonderful in spite of forecasts.
Alas! Salzburg is known for its rains that last long because surrounding
mountains bar the way for clouds. Nevertheless, it is a city where one feels
at home from the first minute. The rain did not
prevent us (Nancy Smith, Lydia Clary, other members of the Friends of Jos
Carreras from USA and UK, and myself) from having a good time. At the day of
the concert we joined a guided tour to all festival houses early in the
morning, and then settled down in a nearby caf to talk. Of course we took
pictures of each other, but instead of "say cheese" (usually
resulting in a silly grin) they taught me to "say Jose", that each
time evoked a sweet feeling and a hearty laugh. It began to rain even harder in the evening. The
lobby of the Great Festival Hall was filled with beautifully dressed people
and journalists taking pictures of local celebrities. I would have preferred
to be lost in the crowd, but flowers and camera gave me away as a
"Verehrerin" ("she-admirer"), as one man said with a
touch of irony behind my back. My reward was some beautiful pictures I am happy to share with
you.
Jos sang with feeling and taste. The four pieces
by Peter I. Tchaikovski really surprised and moved me. (I wish he had sung
them in Russian. Our phonetics is no harder than French or German, to say
nothing of Polish, but I think Jos wants to have an idea of the language and
its structure before he starts to sing in it, "not to be
ridiculous".) About the third piece, a very popular song to J. W.
Goethe's text (usually sung in Russian translation by L. Mej), I can say that
it was the best rendition I ever heard. Our tenor was simply telling the
story of loneliness and longing, as if it were his own, as he always does.
The familiar melody had never sounded more Russian to me.
Talking with Bettina Rose in the interval I
learned that Jos's brother, son and daughter were there. Soon I noticed a
glance of Jos's brother Alberto who was walking toward his seat. He saw my
flowers and looked straight into my eyes. "Admirers are in the minority
tonight," Bettina said. It rained and rained. Jos was truly
"singing in the rain". One of the encores, "Vierno", he
dedicated to this very rain, and I was grateful to the weather for the
opportunity to once again hear this beautiful sad song. Wonderful encores followed one after another.
Five, six, seven 45 minutes or more Jos sang for us without rest, without
any intermission but applause. The hall was half empty. Some left, but most
of the people just came up closer and crowded in the gangways. Jos was given
flowers and small presents; he accepted them with gratitude, sometimes
raising his eyebrows in sly surprise: "for me?" Lydia's bouquet of
yellow roses with a red ribbon landed on the piano. Jos seemed to be willing to sing all night in
this relaxed atmosphere of love and admiration, but he was so tired that he
could hardly smile, and his eyes asked our pardon. With the first notes
of "Return to Sorrento" we
realized that it was the farewell song. I did not go backstage. Getting into a taxi in
the rain I saw a few excited Japanese ladies rush toward the Festival Shop
with huge umbrellas and without. A suspicion crept into my mind But it was
late and cold, and we passed by. I know how much this concert meant for you, and I
congratulate you on your triumphant return to Salzburg, the city so special
for you because of Herbert von Karajan, your favorite conductor, and many wonderful
days you had here. Maria Kozlova |
