Madrid, August 4, 2023.
To go to the El Escorial Summer Festival held at the modern Teatro Auditorio, would be like making a pilgrimage to see the best music live, since this city, located about 25 miles from Madrid, and worldwide known for its royal palace-monastery, has become one more event to consider amidst the vibrant summer activities in the capital. This festival had its spectacular begin in 2005, featuring Riccardo Muti, and a concert version of Wagner's Siegfried with the Paris Orchestra and Christoph Eschenbach, with the idea of being a Spanish Salzburg Festival. However, the truth is that in the following seasons it has had a more modest budget, while continuing to bring world-class singers. In 2013, there was a memorable Mariella Devia concert, accompanied by Giulio Zappa in the piano. In the year 2021, the Bayreuth Baroque Festival brought his acclaimed version of the opera Carlo il Calvo. This year, the Festival has announced two recitals of major interest: the American soprano Sondra Radvanovsky and the Peruvian tenor Juan Diego Flórez.
Accompanied by the pianist Vincenzo Scalera, on this occasion, the world-famed tenor comes with a very interesting program, in the first part dedicated to Verdi, with arias from Rigoletto and La Traviata, among others, which he has sung a lot around the world, and a second part dedicated to zarzuela and mostly Spanish song. The program has been the following:
PART ONE
Giuseppe Verdi
“Questa o quella”, from Rigoletto
“Ella mi fu rapita… Parmi veder le lagrime… Possente amor mi chiama”, from Rigoletto
“La donna è mobile”, from Rigoletto
Romanza senza parole in Fa maggiore (piano solo)
“O dolore”, from Attila
“Dal più remoto esilio… Dal consiglio alla presenza… Odio solo, ed odio atroce”, from I Due Foscari
Valzer in Fa maggiore (piano solo)
“Lunge da lei… De’ miei bollenti spiriti… O mio rimorso”, from La Traviata
PART TWO
José Serrano : “Al mismito rey del moro”, fro. La alegría del batallón.
“Te quiero, morena (Jota)”, fro. El trust de los tenorios.
Pablo Sorozábal : “No puede ser”, from La tabernera del puerto.
Reveriano Soutullo and Juan Vert : “Bella enamorada”, from El último romántico
Manuel M. Ponce : Intermezzo en mi menor (piano solo)
Francesco Paolo Tosti : «L’alba separa dalla luce l’ombra»
Salvatore Cardillo :“Core’n grato”
Ernesto de Curtis :“Tu ca nun chiagne”
Ruggero Leoncavallo : “Mattinata”
Giacomo Puccini
Intermezzo, from Manon Lescaut (piano solo)
“Che gelida manina”, fro. La Bohème
ENCORES:
-José Antonio
- La Flor de la Canela y Fina Estampa (medley)
- Jalisco y Cucurrucucú paloma (medley)
- Ah, lêve-toi soleil, from Romeo y Julieta (Gounod)
- Una Furtiva Lagrima from L'Elisir d'amore (Donizetti)
After the inaugural speech by the artistic manager, since this concert was the first of this year's festival, Flórez and Scalera began a first part dedicated entirely to Verdi. The first three pieces belong to an opera he used to sing more than a decade ago, Rigoletto. After beginning with a version of Questa o Quella that was to warm up the voice, he continued with the great scene of the Duke of Mantua, the recitative Ella mi fu rapita, followed by the brilliant aria Parmi Veder le lagrime. It was here, when Flórez began to show signs of what would end up being a great night. It is no secret that Verdi is a bit of a difficult repertoire for Flórez's Rossinian voice, but with his exquisite taste for singing, his beautiful and gallant voice, as well as his bel canto virtuosity, he can carry out their interpretations. Then he continued with La Donna è Mobile, the famous aria, in which Flórez gave a brilliant performance, the first of the night, making his voice, not so big-volumed, even though it can be heard, resonated throughout the hall, especially with his high notes. Then followed two arias, more complicated than those of Rigoletto. In Attila's, he had a correct interpretation, but in I due Foscari's he was able to go further, closing it with an excellent high note.The Verdian part ended with an opera that he has been singing in recent years: La Traviata, from which he sang the great scene of Alfredo in the second act. He sang "De miei bollenti spiriti" in a sensitive way, singing in piano the "quasi" word of the beautiful line "Del universo immemore io vivo quasi in ciel". Then he closed the first part with the cabaletta "O mio rimorso", in which the character's anger, reflected in a devilish bel canto tessitura, accommodated the virtuosity and the youthful voice of the tenor, closing it with an impressive high note in "quest'onta laverò".
However, most of the audience, aware of the effort that Verdi repertoire always puts into this voice, did not expect that the second part, which had already raised many expectations, would not only fullfil, but also would exceed them until turning the evening into something unforgettable. The first four pieces of it were popular zarzuela romances, which (I sensed that it would happen) he approached with all the best of his artistry: the youthful and fresh voice, the gallant singing, the spectacular treble and the coloratura, the latter fitting very well with Spanish music, as well as surprising with his diction and showing signs of devotion and enthusiasm. Thus, the "Te Quiero Morena" sounded very seductive, the "No puede ser", very passionate, causing the theater to break into an outstanding ovation, and the "Bella enamorada", a whole display of gallantry. Then followed the Neapolitan and Italian songs, of which the best performance was Mattinata, which resulted in a huge ovation.
With his voice warm and full, the concert officially ended with "Che Gelida Manina", from La Bohème, an opera that he has sung in London and Zurich in recent years, which he sang very well, an interpretation full of romanticism, good legato and a precious high note on the word "speranza", as well as moving as if he were acting, giving a lesson in expressiveness. One knows that in each recital, Flórez takes the opportunity to sing Latin American songs accompanying himself on his guitar. As soon as he entered with it, the public began to ask him to sing Peruvian or Mexican songs. Flórez made the gesture of taking notes as in a restaurant. Finally, given the number of Peruvians present in the parterre, as he himself stated, the first encore was a famous Peruvian criollo tondero song, "José Antonio". Flórez has successfully sung and recorded popular songs from Latin America, in which his exquisite voice performs them from sensitivity to full enthusiasm and brilliance. He continued with a medley of "Fina estampa" and "La flor de la canela", a classic that he has already made his own. He did not forget the Mexican song, this time with a medley of "Jalisco" and "Cucurrucucú paloma", another classic from his repertoire, in which he made the audience laugh by purposely prolonging a high pitched note, with comical intention. Then he returned with the pianist, to sing the last two encores of the concert: first the "Ah, leve-toi soleil" from Gounod's Romeo and Juliet, which he sang marvelously, and ending the evening with his careful, beautiful, sensitive, exquisitely-sung and devoted version of " A Furtiva Lagrima" from L'Elisir d'Amore, an opera that he sang in his prime years and whose rendition of this aria is well-known and celebrated.
It must be said that Flórez was excellently accompanied by the pianist Scalera. It is worth highlighting his great accompaniment in Ella mi fu rapita, the Traviata scene, as well as in the zarzuela romances, helping Flórez to make the atmosphere more festive and at the same time more welcoming. He also stood out in the accompaniment of tips. For his own show off, the pianist played two charming pieces by Verdi in the first part, the first being the best, a beautiful interlude by Ponce and a shorter one by Puccini, in the second.
As Flórez began the aria from Romeo and Juliet, a woman yelled, "It's late!" And it certainly was, but despite all, the audience applauded so enthusiastically over and over again until the tenor finally returned to stage to give the last encore. That lady was not lacking in reason: the last bus to Madrid left El Escorial at 11:00 p.m., just when the Furtiva Lagrima finished singing, so many spectators who did not have a car had to wait for the night bus at 12:30 a.m., which makes one wonder two things: perhaps this festival's shows should start sooner (as the Teatro Real does in summer, at 7:30 p.m., or as the Devia concert began in this same place in 2013, so there was time to take the last train to Madrid) or the Regional Bus Madrid Company should stop lying bt stating in its website that the last bus to Madrid leaves at 11:15 p.m., because of that reason many people waited for the encores relying on this false timetable.
But nothing tarnishes a glorious night, in which the Peruvian tenor has confirmed himself again as the favorite divo of the Madrid audience, leaving the tickets sold out in every theater where he sings, whatever they are, and no matter how far away they are. Flórez has announced that he wants to record a zarzuela album. Many of us will be anxious for him to do so, and to buy it, after his amazing renditions last night.
My reviews are not professional and express only my opinions. As a non English native speaker I apologise for any mistake.
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