Jose Carreras offered a second concert

published in issue page 16 at NINE O'CLOCK - 20 Dec 2004

Bucharest - The famous tenor Jose Carreras offered on Sunday evening at the Romanian Athenaeum a second concert, together with the young and charming soprano Alexandra Coman, further the encore. At the concert "A magic night" there were present and stayed next to the present President Ion Iliescu the elected president, Traian Basescu, the Prime-Minister Adrian Nastase, D.A. PNL-PD Alliance designated PM, Calin Popescu Tariceanu.

The magic evening under the splendid cupola of the Athenaeum "enchanted" the audience through the voice and the appearance of Jose Carreras, but also through the artistic behaviour of Alexandra Coman, the 27 years old soprano who performs more on European and American stages.

The two parts of the program were made up of pages from the large universal repertoire, there being interpreted both aria, duets and symphonies of some important composers' work, among which Schubert, Dvorak, Puccini, Lehar, Serrano but also Rossini, Gounod, Lama, Cezar Franck.

Each part of the concert included eight pieces, like the third unscheduled part, but interpreted by the two artists further the encore, who chose this time to interpret from the Spanish and Italian repertoire.

Carreras's generosity to the Romanian audience was rewarded with long applause. It is worth mentioning the "George Enescu" philharmonic orchestra, conducted at this concert by the Spanish conductor David Gimenez, a presence which as charming as the two lyrical artists.

At the end of the two and a half hours of the concert, Jose Carreras thanked his public in English, wishing them "Merry Christmas!" in Romanian.

An exceptional event

Musical critique Grigore Constantinescu PhD, said when asked to comment on the concert: "It seems an exceptional event because the meeting with one of the most important contemporary singer is in fact an special thing, yet the warm the music gave us tonight shows that Jose Carreras had a vocation which completely fulfilled and which was worth its glory. We had the chance to share this glory for few wonderful moments, with the best possible orchestra, with an audience who devoured him with its eyes, and he generously gave us not one concert, but two. I think we would have listen to him until the morning. Through the premiere from Saturday evening at National Opera from Bucharest - "Simone Boccanegra" by Verdi, through this concert and through Angela Gheorghiu's concert from December 23, Bucharest represents at the end of this year a metropolis of music."

Professor Grigore Constantinescu also had words of appreciation for Alexandra Coman: "I know Alexandra Coman since the years when she prepared at the University of Music. Her progress is really remarkable, as I noticed with every appearance an ascension which promises a very beautiful career. The progress I feel in her voice, in her interpretation, in her relation with her public proves to me that we had on the stage a star that is climbing up." Jose Carreras, whose repertoire contains over 60 pieces, with a discography of over 150 recordings, collaborated with the most famous conductors all over the world, among whom Herbert von Karajan, Claudio Abbado, Riccardo Muti, with important directors like Franco Zaffirelli, Jean Pierre Ponnelle or Giorgio Strehler. He interpreted main roles in several adaptations for television, cinema and video of some operas.

Alexandra Coman, the soprano who imposed on the international scenes, participated at the master class alongside Katia Riciarelli and Luciano Pavarotti, she performed several memorable roles. She sings, although not very often, for the Romanian public. In December, he took part in a concert broadcasted live on TVR Cultural and Vatican Television of Rome Opera, she impressed the audience from Timisoara and also the public from the "Ion Dacian" National Operetta Theatre from Bucharest.

The conductor David Gimenez held an ample activity in opera and orchestral productions. He conducted the philharmonic orchestras from Vienna, the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra from London or Orchestra from Paris. He was present in great music festivals in Chicago, Gstaad, London.