Was checking the Times on line this morning and this headline caught my eye and I flicked over to the article.
http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/tol/arts_and_entertainment/stage/opera/article6243600.ece
Jose Carreras says he is now calling time on his operatic career as he finds the demands of performing on an opera stage too much for him now. My feeling was that he had left the opera stage some time ago, so perhaps this is just a confirmation of his career over recent years. I have seen that he has performed in many concerts and festivals but the last time I saw him on stage was in Stiffelio at Covent Garden, must be back in the early 1990s, but my memory may be faulty on this.
I first fell in love with Jose back in the 1970s when my then hubby was doing some extra chorus work at Covent Garden in a productoon of Verdi's I Lombardi and he got me a ticket for the dress rehearsal. All great fun, lots of choruses and all most enjoyable and then this tenor came on stage, opened his mouth and out poured this glorious, golden, limpid tone that simply knocked me for six. None of us had heard him before and my reaction was the same as all around me. His voice, its timbre, phrasing (which has always been immaculate) reminded me so much of Guiseppe di Stefano, an Italian tenor I used to love when I was learning my opera andlistened to the old Scala recordings with him, Callas and Gobbi. Was extremely pleased to discover that I had not been wrong as Carreras cited Di Stefano (as well as Mario Lanza) as his role model.
So that was it, I was hooked and fell in love. On this particular occasion, I went backstage to meet my husband and we ended up in the canteen having lunch. This was before Covent Garden was poshed up and it was all pretty basic in the back areas and I was standing in the queue having fish and chips doled out by a dinner lady when I became aware that her eyes had glazed over and when I looked to myleft there was the man himself standing next to me in the queue. Oh my goodness, he was SO handsome with cheek bones you could hook a hanger on, tiny mind you, only up to my shoulder, but just gorgeous. Spent the next half hour gawping at him and watching him eat his fish and chips, mine went cold. I daresay I put him right off...
Then of course, several years later, he got leukemia and I remember being totally devastated at this and horrified at what had happened to him. Well, we know he made a wonderful recovery and I was present at Covent Garden on his come back recital, just him and a piano, and the audience was in tears, went potty and hurled roses onto the stage. However, it is true to say, and I am sure that the man himself would agree, that he was never the same again and the voice began to sound more strained and his vibrato started knocking on doors. He very sensiblyy cut back his operatic appearances and then of course, came The Three Tenors which I have posted about before here.
Pavarotti is no longer with us, Placido is, thank God though he is now singing baritone roles (Boccanegra next year at ROH), but his voice still rich, round and wonderful but with Jose only doing recitals in future, we are now down to One Tenor.
These three did so much to bring opera to a wider audience and I am forever grateful to them all, and though I adore Placido, I have to admit that my heart has always belonged to Jose.
And take a look at this early picture of him and then you will realise just why I fell in love with him. Yes, right the voice was wonderful but oh the packaging does help you know, it really does......
