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Le Cid, Zurich, Jan 2008:
It was an experience of twofold agony for José Cura on this evening, his father having died suddenly on the day of the premiere. Never before had the Argentine tenor been seen so emotionally involved in his role as on this evening as ‘Le Cid” in Jules Massenet’s opera by the same name. In Cura’s case it did not just mean: “The show must go on”; rather, in his singing there was a hint of personal pain vibrating along. The way he kept adjusted the heroic registers of his rich tenor voice time and again to muted piano tones was simply magnificent. Fritz Schaub, Neue Luzerner Zeitung, 16 Jan 2008
Le Cid, Zurich, Jan 2008: As a singer, [Cura] was impeccable; with commanding vocal brilliance, intensity and charisma as well as with stylistically secure, at times wilful, but always musically and emotionally comprehensible voice-leading. The standing ovations, which he merited in every respect, were certain to be his at the end. Only in the third act, which belonged entirely to the lovers, did refinement and sensitivity, French-style tone color play and vocal nuances come to life. The rest of the time it was fortissimo for all! That didn’t rattle someone like José Cura; his voice even eclipsed the entire chorus and the full orchestra when necessary. Reinmar Wagner, Die Südostschweiz, 15 Jan 2008
Pagliacci and Cavalleria rusticana, Verona, July 2006: "On the vocal side, the performance was dominated by José Cura, who was initially scheduled only for Pagliacci, but then stepped in for Vincenzo La Scola, who was ill, in Cavalleria as well. Cura has what one can call an 'arena-voice': sizable, clearly distinguishable; he has sung many times on this extra-large stage and knows how to do it most convincingly...." Opera Critic
Fedora, London, 1995: 'He has a vivid stage presence and shrewd dramatic intelligence which he used to add convincing dignity and warmth to an essentially two-dimensional character. He also has a voice of real distinction - - dry, slightly metallic, not always refined, but ardent and authentically heroic, with ringing top notes...' Ian Brunskill, Nov 1995
Samson, London, Jan/Feb 1996: 'At full throttle the sound is thrilling and this big, handsome man certainly brings a Victor Mature dimension to this portrayal of Samson, flaunting as much lower limb as the dancers in the Bacchanale. (And not all of it that low--I have not seen so much tenor rump on the Convent Garden stage since Peter Hoffmann accicently exposed himself in Parsifal.)' Rodney Milnes, The Times, Jan 1996
Otello, Barcelona, February 2006: ' José Cura can be a real ham--and he is--but nowadays, there is simply no one else who knows how to make so much out of the Venetian Moor. He was stunning in an impressive ‘Esultate!’. He glossed over a few notes in the love duet in order to make it more accessible, but he was irreproachable in the duets with Iago and Desdemona as well as in his two great solo scenes. It is a pleasure to be able to listen to an Otello like that, one who doesn’t make the spectator suffer in the least, when there have been outstanding Otellos who have had difficulties in the second and third acts.' Gonzalo Alonso, La Razón, February 2006
Il corsaro, Barcelona, February 2005: "The Verdi master Carlo Bergonzi found shattered gold in the role based of elegance, sense of phrasing and control of the Verdi style. Cura opts for a different approach, one more direct and visceral, one taking advantage of the strength of his voice with its resounding center, its dark color, its attractiveness, its great dramatic appeal. A straightforward Corrado, thrilling without filigrees, greatly applauded by the public." Javier Pérez Senz, Il Pais, February 2005
Stiffelio, Zurich 2004: "This role, in which he (José Cura) made his debut at Covent Garden and attracted attention ten years ago, does not come across as unoriginal or exaggerated in any way. Cura is rather looking to also emphasize the finer points, i.e. an inner drama—an intelligent portrayal, even if he can hardly enthuse with this on a superficial level.” TagesAnzeiger, 2004
Cologne Concert with Anna Netrebko, April 2005: “Cura threw himself into his roles; he hurled himself at the hearts of his audience. He might just have been the inventor of the large screen so that not a single glance gets sent out in vain. He has preserved for himself the heart of a child, he told an interviewer, and because of that, he slips into his characters totally and completely.
Cura's voice explodes like a volcano. If this, his indisputably God-given gift, which he uses lavishly, were ever to give out, Cura has the ability to conduct, compose, or become an opera house director. The man possesses many talents.” Kölnische Rundschau, April 2005
Cavalleria Rusticana, New York City, Sept 1999: 'Cura, stocky and handsome at 37, presents a picture of swaggering masculinity and commands a voice to match--a clear, focused tenor that carries well, rings nicely at the top and generates considerable emotional heat. It is not overwhelming in sheer volume, but his Turiddu stood up to the weight of his powerhouse co-star, soprano Dolora Zajick, and even when he was required to dash about the stage during a very busy drinking song, he maintained his stamina. Attractive tenors don't come along every day, and Cura promises to be around for a while.' Shirley Fleming, New York Post Online
Samson et Dalila, TWO Nov 1998: 'There can be no denying that this is a young singer with extraordinary gifts--combining a full, ringing and powerful tenor voice (complete with marked baritonal shadings and just a hint of the trumpet) with a commanding and athletic stage presence.... the aria 'Vois ma misere' was sufficient to prove that Cura's singing is more than merely loud and hard and that he is capable of some ravishing legato phrasing.’ The Washington Post, Tim Page - TWO / 1998
Samson et Dalila, November 1997: 'One cannot deny that the Argentine tenor gives an equally handsome and impressive vocal delivery hallmarked by mature expressivity. The color of the voice is that already familiar to us, dark and burnished, but at the same time and when needed rounded and soft . .. he is bravissimo in the third act, singing with great participation through very refined interpretation, all of which conveys the physical and spiritual suffering of Samson.' L'Opera
Norma, Los Angeles, September 1996: 'As for José Cura, the Argentine tenor singing the less important role of Pollione, the Roman proconsul who spurns Norma for Adalgisa, word of him him has traveled quickly. A magnificent signer, he is now the undisputed star of the show. ..' Mark Swed, The Los Angeles Times
Samson et Dalila, ROH, 2004: ‘Cura, unsurprisingly, reacts to her as one spellbound, tracking her every move with his huge eyes, fondling her body at every opportunity. His Samson is at once a sensualist and a fanatic, a man in whom desire and spiritual conviction burn with equal, violent intensity. His voice is in better shape than when he sang the role in concert at the Barbican two years ago. There are still moments of rawness in the tone under pressure, though he responds to Graves's seductions with honeyed whispers and captures Samson's mental and physical agony with frightening vividness in the closing scenes.’ The Guardian, 15 March 2004, Tim Ashley
Hérodiade, Vienna, September 2003: 'José Cura interpreted the figure of the Baptist-prophet-- as could hardly be expected otherwise-- in an extremely heroic manner and with vocal perma pressure, bursting with power and pride as well as decibels.' Der Standard
Samson et Dalila, Chicago Lyric, 2004: ‘Argentine José Cura certainly looked the part of the brawny biblical strongman [Dalila] betrays. His most impressive singing came in 'Vois ma Misere', when the despairing leader of the Israelites cried out to God...’ American Record Review, Spring 2004
Turandot, Verona, July 2003: ‘José Cura's Calaf, in metallic, shining armor, acts the restless, stubborn hero rather than a touchingly radical lover. Since his virile, darkly timbred tenor voice tends to get into trouble in big lyrical arias, he staked everything on one card in 'Nessun dorma' and mastered this, his test, with great bravura. The audience, overwhelmed by this brilliant performance, clapped and cheered already while he was singing the last note.’ Thomas Thieringer, Süddeutsche Zeitung, June 23, 2003 (translated by Martina)
Andrea Chénier, DVD: This production's Chénier is the Argentine tenor José Cura. He sang Chénier's two major arias on his "Verismo" CD, and his performance here remains similar – heroic, yet thoughtful. This is a much subtler interpretation than Mario del Monaco's and Corelli's. Cura is handsome, credible, and, at times, quite touching. (I confess to getting choked up during "Un dì, all'azzurro spazio.") .....Raymond Tuttle, Classical Net
Concert, Lisbon, 2002: '[...] The concert started with solemn tone, the first part filled with symphonies by Tchaikovsky and Rachmaninov and árias from Puccini and Verdi operas, performed competently by the Sinfonia Varsovia and the Chorale Lisbon Cantat. A genius in communicating with the public, many time setting the mood, José Cura showed himself as a conductor, tenor, pianist, and guitarist as required by the moment. [...] After an acoustic rendition of 'Yesterday' by the Beatles, José Cura closed the evening by calling the audience to join in the excellent song of hope, Imagine, and left the crowd in a standing ovation.' Correio da Manhã
Concert,
Poland, 2002 (conducting): ‘In
describing the concert with José Cura, one cannot ignore the whole
non-musical layer – the theater created around the music by the
Argentinean. The artist, who looks like an American movie star, wearing a
black, floating, long shirt, behaves himself too modest. On the one hand
he draws attention to himself with his very presence and his every
gesture. On the other hand, he cares for the orchestra all the time,
showing with every motion that they are the most important element.
When the composition finishes Cura hides somewhere among the musicians,
wishing to stress that they are the ones who deserve the applause. At the
end, making the musicians stand up with one gesture, he asks for applause
for each group of instruments separately. Finally, during the encore, he
steps down from his conductor’s stand and sits at the stairs, behind the
orchestra. The musicians play alone, without the conductor. When they
finish, he applauds them along with the rest of the audience.
José Cura’s concert is no doubt going to go down in as one of the most
important musical events in this region, in this season.’
Wyborcza Gazeta, January 2002
Don Carlo, Zurich, Feb 2001: 'Elbows held tight against his torso, he [Cura] portrayed Carlo as an introspective neurotic, an unloved child doomed from birth, baring his soul with his first words -- "Io l'ho perduta" -- in the burnished glow of his voice. He emphasized the brooding character almost to the point of monotony, but it is hard to resist his proud vocal thrust, and he caressed phrases eloquently, especially in the insinuatingly sung soft passages. This promising debut made one look forward to his Otello, which he brings to Zurich next season.' Horst Koegler, Opera News, May 2001
Otello, ROH, April 2001: 'Jose Cura is a phenomenally gifted artist: seldom can anyone have made the hideously difficult title role sound so easy to sing, or so rewarding in pure vocal terms.' Rodney Milnes, The Times, April 25, 2001
Otello, TWO, 2000: ‘Otello is a vehicle that requires a big star to carry it off. José Cura is that kind of star.’ T.L. Ponick, The Washington Times, March 2000
Le Villi, Martina Franca, 1994: ‘The Argentine tenor José Cura, a truly great performer with a vocal instrument beyond the common, very strong and expressive, imposed himself in the role of the main character, showing that he is an authentic spinto-drammatico tenor, a register today quite rare. Cura, besides a big and beautiful voice, has the stage power of a true actor.’ Il Quotidiano, August 1994
Concert, Ekaterinburg, 2004: ‘The Ekaterinburg concert proved to be an enormous success for the bright tenor from Argentina, José Cura. The star displayed a splendid voice, one rich with nuances and passion, effortless. This concert was not the usual academic performance of arias but a picturesque potpourri, in which the artist, with the aid of the orchestra of the Ekaterinburg Theater of Opera and Ballet and mezzo-soprano Helen Yeremenko, literally re-enacted scenes from Puccini, Verdi, Leoncavello, Saint-Saëns, Bizet, and others. Cura easily demonstrated the dual nature of his talent--as both vocalist and tenor….The end of the brilliant concert came with the aria Nessun dorma, during which the orchestra paused for an enormous period to allow the singer to complete the infinitely long 'Vincero,' eliciting a roar of enthusiasm from the hall.
José Cura's concert was capped with a seven minute ovation.’ Regions. RU, June 2004
Il Trovatore DVD: This DVD issue was drawn from a new production for the Royal Opera by Elijah Moshinsky, in conjunction with the Teatro Real, Madrid. It was recorded live on May 3, 2002 at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, and on the whole was a quite successful effort. The two principals, José Cura and the very attractive Veronica Villarroel are excellent. The sound is vivid and the production lavish overall. This is an excellent Il Trovatore, with a stellar cast.... Robert Cummings, Classical Net
Il Trovatore DVD: In the title role, Cura makes a heroic impression and sings with the requisite machismo....Raymond Tuttle, Classical Net
Samson et Dalila, ROH, 2004: ‘'It has to be said that [Denyce Graves] and her Samson, José Cura, looked really comfortable with each other. The body language of their fateful tryst was the one great lie that the production made believable - her deceit, his desire. Cura looks great in the role - and he sounds pretty good, too. The swarthy complexion of the voice has always been his strong selling point. And that's what counts in this role - middle-voice masculinity.' The Independent, 17 March 2003, Edward Seckerson
Ten Tenors Concert, London, November 2004: ‘You wait years for a nice young tenor and then 10 come along at once. Sadly, though, they're not all as dashing and gifted as José Cura…Cura made light work of the Leoncavallo and Puccini standards. The dashing Argentinian then proved himself a stylish and sympathetic master of ceremonies, giving all nine wannabes the time and space to display their wares in the shiniest possible light.’ Anthony Holden, The Observer, 7 November 2004
Pagliacci, Berlin, April 2005: 'One of the principal pay-offs of this extraordinary interpretation is that the pain felt by characters aware of the dislocations of their ‘operatic’ worlds was unusually present on the stage. Of course suffering has always been the defining quality ascribed to Canio, and here it was amazingly well realized by José Cura. At first the voice sounded a little threadbare, but that soon disappeared and ‘Vesti la guibba’, central in every way to this production, was unusually brisk threnody sculpted by floods of secure, burnished sound. But chief among Cura’s achievements was his ability to keep so much of the pain before us as he and Nedda negotiated the final burlesque.' Opera, August 2005
Otello, Barcelona, February 2006: 'In the title role, José Cura demonstrated that he is currently one of the best interpreters of Otello on the international stage. He relied on his middle voice and pianissimos, leaving for specific moments the vocal generosity required by the role. He is prone to use vocal excess to disguise the fact that the singing line is not properly projected in some passages. In spite of that, and thanks to his charisma and great theatrical gifts, Cura offered an exciting Otello.' Joaquín Fachado, Canto Lirico, 24 February 2006
Concert, Rijeka (Croatia), July 2006: 'The famous Argentinian tenor José Cura fascinated more than 1,000 opera lovers from not only Croatia but from other countries with his inspirational interpretations.....After the long-lasting applause of the audience, who had been lifted from the seats by Cura’s brilliant achievement and after repeated exclamations of “Bravo!” Cura gave as an encore a traditional love song from Argentina and the famous aria “Nessun dorma.”' Kim Cuculic, Novi list, July 2006
Stiffelio, London, 1995: ' His voice is certainly of that calibre; a reedy, almost pre-war tone in the quieter passages is replaced by awesome, open-throated power at high volume. At the top of his range he can supply unlimited pressure without buckling the sound....' Alexander Waugh, Evening Standard July 1995
Tosca, Palermo, January 2007: Wanted and yet neglected, it was seen in a format that succeeded in the end because of the providential arrival of José Cura, who found a day off between performances for this single night debut--the tenor arrived in the afternoon and stepped onto the stage without having rehearsed and will depart this morning. Cura stimulated the souls of the spectators who honored the tenor with its warmest applause. Giornale di Sicilia, January 2007
Last Updated: Thursday, January 31, 2008
© Copyright: Kira
