September 20, 2001: Josep Carreras in Oslo

2001-09-20 Recital, Oslo Konserthus

Josep Carreras, tenor
Lorenzo Bavaj, piano



Josep Carreras, Oslo Konserthus
20.9.2001 19:30
Lorenzo Bavaj, piano
Konserthus-serien (Pdf)

Program:

"Dolente immagine" (Bellini)
"Luna nova" (Costa)
"Era de Maggio" (Costa)

"Si tu m'aimes" (Denza)
"Vieni" (Denza)

"Chanson d l'adieu" (Tosti)
"Non t'amo piú" (Tosti)
"Because" (Tosti)

Pause

"Alfonsina y el mar" (Ramirez)
"Andaluza" (Granados)

"Déclaration" (Leoncavallo)
"Chanson des yeux" (Leoncavallo)
"Sérénade Napolitaine (Leoncavallo)

"Serenata" (Toselli)
"Vurria..." (Rendine)
"Musica Proibita" (Gastaldon)

Extras
"T'estimo" (Edvard Grieg)
"Coren'grato" (Cardillo)
"Aranjuez" (Rodrigo)


"T'estimo, Josep"
A Catalan-Norwegian love story in Oslo

I have never been in a concert before where the concert start on the dot. He came out to the stage, looking well and with Lorenzo Bavaj walking behind the tenor. A wonderful beginning with Vincenzo Bellini's "Dolente immagine". But to go directly to Costa from Bellini gave not the right feeling. Bavaj was as good as any orchestra when he accompanied the tenor in Costa's two pearls of medio quality. When going from Costa to Denza, especially in "Si tu m'aimes" the quality was up again, and a little down with "Vieni" although nobody could have given anything more to elevate these pieces up to Bellini's niveau, they were not ment to be elevated to such heights. Bavaj had a difficult task since the piano was not used to such high-quality performers, and its sound was always soft, no passion could be beaten out of it. When Tosti came be sung, it was again the highest class, the song of farewell was never so touching and "Non t'amo piú" came and was sending the listeners to the seventh heaven. There was true passion. But the last song was "Because", and personally and I regret this very much I did not so enjoy that. But then it was not the end, the second part would come after this.

Pause: I saw Bjørn Simonsen there, the chief of The Norwegian Opera (DNO).

Second part started with "Alfonsina y el Mar" . In the program it was saying Louie Ramirez was the composer, but it is Ariel Ramirez...? Well, splendid it was whichever composer. I loved it. And how wonderful to hear him sing Andaluza by Granados. Pure passion indeed. Leoncavallo's three jewels was another high delight. Toselli's Serenata, oh my heart, who would not fall in love at hearing this serenade, and sung like a god (probably the god called Amor), Rendine "Vurria..." and Musica Proibita by Gastaldon. Which of the latter three should I have chosen if I had to chose just one.

Surely, the people of Norway and Oslo was absolutely extactic that he had come. A happy audience, to hear and to our hearts delight he first encore was "T'estimo" by Edvard Grieg. Grieg, a Norwegian composer, national composer and in Carreras mother-tongue the Catalan, a magic encounter. And that Carreras would sing Coren'grato was like, we felt he was telling that he had had a special audience in us. And "Aranjuez" too, word cannot tell how happy and lucky we all felt.

Then, the end. The recital is over. Sad, and yet so many new and happy memories he gave us.

Oh, Señor Carreras, come back to Oslo soon!

T'estimo, Carreras! Jeg elsker dig!

OD Travel