Articles & Interviews 2007

Argentine tenor Jose Cura sings a superb Prince Calaf in "Turandot" and immodestly says his "good shape, big and strong" is ideal for the role. But he calls the greedy, kingdom-hunting character "disgusting" and hopes Chinese audiences won't think ill of him, writes Michelle Qiao.

Opera singers often identify with, even love their roles, but Argentine tenor Jose Cura loathes "Prince Calaf," his character in the opera "Turandot" staging this weekend at the Shanghai Grand Theater.

"'Turandot' is not a love tale, but a tale of interests and greedy people trying to seize power," the tenor said during a press conference this week.

"The character of Calaf is not romantic. Chinese Princess Turandot loves Calaf but Calaf wants her for her kingdom, money and power. He is superficially charming but behind the mask he's an idiot, disgusting.

"The Prince has lost his own kingdom and searched in the world for another kingdom," says Cura. "He put in danger the people he loves to obtain something he wants."

"I'm sorry that for the first time in China, I must play an idiot. Please don't think ill of me or link me with the character."

However, playing the black-hearted and designing prince, the tenor still impressed his Shanghai audience with his charming "surface" and superb voice last night.

This production of "Turandot" is a treat for the eyes because both Cura and soprano Paoletta Marrocu, who sings Turandot, are in good shape compared with other overweight Calafs and Turandots in the opera world.

"My good shape, big and strong, is the result of many years of physical training in my early days," says Cura, wearing a pink sweater and a pair of comfortable white sneakers. "In the past, a long time ago, I weighed 20 kilos less. Now I'm 44, 20 kilos more, and 20 years older."

But he can still pass for a prince.

"For roles in modern theater, if you look like the character it's better for the theater fantasy. Old audiences gave the greatest importance to good singing. But the younger generation likes good spectacles."

Cura's charisma shone from the start of the production created by the Shanghai Grand Theater and the Zurich Opera House, when he showed up like a sexy secret agent in a black leather jacket, a tight-fitting gray vest and shades.

In sharp contrast to the antique green copper hues of the set and the icy demeanor of Princess Turandot, Prince Calaf casually smoked a cigarette and searched his laptop for answers to Turandot' love-or-death riddles.

He even stretched on the ground to sing his famous aria "Nessun Dorma," perfectly striking high B. His melodious vocals with beautifully held top notes were expertly controlled.

With the Bund as the backdrop, the prince ended his dangerous love pursuit with a romantic candle-lit dinner with the cruel princess who had actually fallen in love and changed her weighty formal robes for a fitted scarlet evening gown.

"Cura was not only acting, but also creating," says Zhang Guoyong, head of the Shanghai Opera House. "He demonstrated the talent of a true master."

Unlike other opera stars who often give pleasant, bland comments during interviews, Cura was bold and forthright. "Mama Mia," he occasionally exclaimed when occasionally targeted with surprising questions.

"I didn't know I'm famous in China," he said. "I thought I was completely unknown and so I could relax on stage. Now you will expect so much from me and I must rise to the challenge."

No matter whether he likes it or not, Cura is widely known in China as "the world's fourth tenor" (after Luciano Pavarotti, Placido Domingo and Jose Carreras).

"You can say I'm the successor of the three tenors who are as old as my father and you are also the successor of your own parents, right?" he says. "We are the next generation and the world was so different from their time around 30 years ago when CDs and DVDs had just been invented. "Now we face a big crisis of new media and the Internet and MP3s will be the future. If Bach were alive today, he might use a computer to write music. It's very complicated, not simply being a successor. It's difficult to succeed in the opera world today."

Cura has been a rare artist who's not only a tenor, but also a conductor and composer. In addition to the two "Turandot" operas, he will conduct the Shanghai Symphony Orchestra for a concert at the Shanghai Grand Theater on February 14.

"I will also try the role as an opera director," says Cura. "In every role I have put all my love, so I cannot say which role I'm best at. But what makes me happiest is conducting. I meant to do some deep, profound music for the Shanghai audience. But the organizers asked me to do some romantic music for Valentine's Day, such as 'Romeo and Juliet'."

As a tenor of IT times, Cura has an iPod with him that is filled with jazz, symphonic music, and his favorite singer Karen Carpenter - but no operas.

"I don't like some untuned pop music," says the tenor. "I cannot have music as a background. If music is there, I will have to pay attention to it. So I only like music with dramatic objectives."

Despite its modern elements, this production of "Turandot" closely follows the original Puccini plot. Princess of China, the dangerously beautiful Turandot, refuses to marry anyone but the man who can answer her three riddles. All suitors who fail will be put to death.

Enchanted by her beauty - and kingdom - the unknown Prince Calaf dares to try and at last succeeds, at the cost of the life of his slave girl Liu, who is in love with him.

"Prince Calaf has a disgusting personality," repeats Cura. "He can be a citizen of any country of any race, like the greedy people of all times. They don't hesitate to kill their mother to succeed."

Well, maybe Cura feels it's a pity to show up as a man with disgusting personality for his China debut. But through his on-stage acting and off-stage talking, the tenor has showed Shanghai the unique personality behind "the fourth tenor."

Turandot in Shanghai - Feb 07