Herbert von Karajan interview about José Carreras

Taken from ESTRELLAS DE LA OPERA, Spanish television. The Maestro talks about his work relationship with the, at that time, young tenor, defining his voice as "the real one of Belcanto Italiano".

Category:

Music

Tags:

• classica

[inmylife9]

(3rd part)

...we're close friends, and I wish him all the best.

-What about his voice?

Well, if we've to define it, I'd say that it's re real voice of Belcanto Italiano.

This is what, more or less, I've understood. Maybe I forgot something or made mistakes. But that is the sense of what he said.

[inmylife9]

(2nd part)

...the complete orchestra and a selection of the greatest singers of the world. In some way we created a sort of group and worked together so often. We're going to do a Tosca disc because I use to make the disc first, and then it could be useful for a film production, either for television or for cinema. These are our next projects. I'm so satisfied with him, because we really need someone who can represent our working spirit. I'm so happy for the opportunity to count on him...

[inmylife9]

(1st part)

Is it a long time since you worked tohether?

My career started long time ago, but we've been working together for 5 years in a very fantastic way, and I'm very satisfied with it because we did our best, first of all his voice, so young and brilliant on stage. We've just finished working at Don Carlos performance appearing soon and now at Aida in Salzburg, that's going to be something great. In the Festival palace are going to be more than 300 musicians, Vienna's and Sofia's choir.

[Daeghraefn]

If you mean 'destroyed' - I doubt Carreras would agree with you.

[novice1959]

Thank you for the translation!!! Carreras and Karajan were kindred spirits and they worked very well together. Karajan did NOT destroy Carreras' voice, and Carreras is very proud of the work that he did with Karajan, his very favorite conductor.

[amatorynumber]

@Saruman38 Unfortunately, this was made for SPANISH PEOPLE, hence the voice over. Learn Spanish and you will get it... it would be easier than understanding K's hideous French. Or, altenatively, fuck off! :-P

[Cesaare]

@rumpwrestler Disagree totaly. The best productionof the operas were when Karajan was not only conducting but directing them.

Watch his Don Carlos-the best stageg and performed opera I've ever seen.

If you have your real opinion and not just what some "wise" critics say, please, tell me who is in your opinion is the best opera conductor

[etiterum]

@rumpwrestler - who are you talking about ? I think Carreras had a cancer. But I was writing about Karajan.

[rumpwrestler]

@Cesaare Karajan turned all operas into soap operas, all pretty with not power, drama, excitement. I've seen all of his Wagner and a few Strauss along with Fidelio, etc. and it was less than worthwhile.

[rumpwrestler]

@etiterum You don't think his cancer problems had anything to do with his career?

[SteveAndrewLangford]

Agreed. He is speaking French. At least don't voice-over when HE'S speaking.

[Saruman38]

No subtitles= 1 star.

(And when I think he's speaking French but there is this stupid Spanish voice-over which screws everything).

[etiterum]

he oversaw the decline of Wagner singing in Germany - a secret agent of Habsburg !

[gaemp]

Illness and Katia Ricciarelli destroyed Carrera's voice... I met hm in Rome in 1986, his face was really grey. Of course, Karajan was mostly a symphonic conductor, he had not too much to do with Belcanto....

[Cesaare]

Karajan was a truly great conductor but cared or understood voices very little-that's not just Carreras but El.Schwarzkopff also writes about it.

Carreras should've moved to dramatic repertoir where he distroyed his beautiful, lyric voice and the man who asked him to do it was Maestro Karajan. If the greatest opera conductore doesn't understand or cares about voices, what about others?