Cura Thinks about Conducting

London, September 13 (EFE). The Argentine tenor José Cura may be singing in London in Puccini’s "Fanciulla del West" this Thursday but he is already thinking ahead to December when he will be picking up the baton to direct the Orchestra della Fondazione Arturo Toscanini in a series of concerts.

In an interview with EFE after the general rehearsal in the British capital, Cura reminisced about the fact that the Royal Opera at Covent Garden has been part of his performing history almost from the time of his debut in principal roles in Europe. The first time he acted at the theater, he remembered, was as cover for Spanish tenor José Carreras in "Fedora" by Umberto Giordano and since then he has been coming almost every year, except for when the theater was closed for repairs.

Cura says he feels completely at ease with his role as the bandit known as Dick Johnson who falls in love with bar-owner Minnie, sung by soprano Andrea Gruber.

It is a role "in which a Latin American sits in his own sauce, without having to resort to tricks: it is enough to use my own natural gestures" because the bandit is actually a mestizo, born of Spanish and American blood, he says.

"I fit into the role most comfortably. From the vocal point of view, it is neither Samson nor Otello, although there are two or three very dangerous points in the second act aria," he admits.

The Argentine tenor will soon interpret Puccini’s earliest opera, "Le Villi," in a new production of the Staatsoper in Vienna, which until now did not have the work in its repertoire.

"Then, in December, I will not sing. I direct the whole month. It will be a complete immersion with the Orchestra della Fondazione Arturo Toscanini," of Parma (Italy), says Cura, who praises the flexibilty of this group.

Cura will conduct the orchestra in two works by Rachmaninov, the second piano concerto and his second symphony, in addition to I Vespri Siciliano by Verdi.

The tenor, who has conducted other orchestras such as Sinfonía Varsovia and the London Philharmonia, says he is continuing in his role as conductor as opposed to the veteran Plácido Domingo, who also alternates between singing and orchestral direction.

"I devoted myself to being a conductor from the beginning, starting when I was fifteen and continuing until I was almost in my thirties, when I began to sing," which is the reverse of Domingo’s development, he says.

The Argentine musician explains he tries to conduct works that he does not sing and expresses his preference for the big symphonies of German composers, the works of Italians as such as Respighi and Hungarians such as Zoltan Kodaly.

When he conducts opera, he is most concerned with “helping the dramatic situation,” and this aspect is one of the things he most admires about Antonio Pappano, who is directing him now in "Fanciulla del West."

"He is alert to the strict requirements of the composer but he leaves space that allows every interpreter to feels at ease in his character," states Cura, who adds, "The opposite approach is the death of the interpreter."

Cura is optimistic about the future of opera and states that in opera, as in any artistic endeavor, "the key is sincerity in the moment," to achieve “an effect that shakes the public."

One of the biggest difficulties is, nevertheless, financial, "and that is not in our hands,” says Cura, who would like to see European countries approve a law supporting artistic patronage.

Asked when is he going to sing in Madrid Teatro Real, where, in December 2000, a scandal erupted when Cura stood up to a few in the audience who reproached him for not singing a note that does not appear in Verdi’s score for ‘Il Trovatore,’ Cura says that at the moment " there is no project. "

"We have had conversations (with the Teatro Real management), but we have not reached agreement," says Cura, who admits that it makes him sad because "it would be very comfortable to sing in house," since he lives in the Spanish capital.

"In contrast, Barcelona moves much more rapidly and we are already discussing the program for the 2009-10 season," says the singer, who add that the Liceu is "a beautiful theater" and "the people very affectionate.”