José Carreras
José Carreras, one of the legendary "Three Tenors," was born Josep Carreras (Josep is his Catalan name, the equivalent of the Castilian Spanish José) in Barcelona in 1946. He began singing at a very early age; family lore holds that he serenaded passengers on a voyage home from Argentina when he was only five. He was inspired by the film biography The Great Caruso, starring Mario Lanza, and is said to have learned each and every aria contained within.
After a mere two years of voice lessons, the young Carreras sang "La donna è mobile" from Verdi's Rigoletto on Spanish National Radio -- a performance that has been preserved and is included in one of his video biographies. He made his professional operatic debut at the age of eleven in Manuel de Falla's El retablo de Maese Pedro. This unique opera, written originally for a puppet theater, has as one of its primary roles an exceptionally difficult part for boy soprano -- a part so challenging that it is rarely sung by a child, usually taken instead by an adult mezzo-soprano.
After his voice changed, he took up studies with Francisco Puig, then with Juan Ruax, whom Carreras now regards as his "artistic father." At Ruax's encouragement, he auditioned at the Barcelona Liceo and landed the small role of Flavio in Bellini's Norma. This small break would have enormous consequences, since it brought him into contact with the already-famous Montserrat Caballé, who was very taken with the young tenor and recommended him to her management. The resulting engagement, opposite Caballé in Donizetti's Lucrezia Borgia as Gennaro, is now generally considered his real debut as a tenor, and helped to launch his career.
Carreras made his American debut in 1972 at the New York City Opera as Pinkerton in Puccini's Madama Butterfly. His Covent Garden debut (1974) was as Alfredo in La Traviata, and his first appearance at the Salzburg Festival was in Verdi's Requiem at the request of maestro Herbert von Karajan. He first appeared at the Vienna State Opera as the Duke in Rigoletto (1974), at the Met the same year as Cavaradossi in Tosca, and as Riccardo in Un Ballo in Maschera in 1975.
By the age of 28 he had already sung 24 different roles in the leading opera houses of Europe and the Americas. This busy schedule gave rise to some controversy: critics sometimes found his voice strained and complained that he might be overtaxing himself. It was not immediately recognized that this tiredness masked the onset and development of the blood disease leukemia, not diagnosed until 1987, when it had reached an acute phase.
It was during his treatment that the Three Tenors phenomenon was born. Having competed ruthlessly with both Domingo and Pavarotti for ascendancy in the world of opera, he now struck up genuine friendships with both men, who supported him during his illness. Their first concert together was conceived as a fundraiser for the newly created Josep Carreras International Leukemia Foundation. It drew a live audience in the tens of thousands and an international viewership of tens of millions. The resulting records and videos were phenomenal sellers.
Carreras is widely represented in operatic and concert recordings, numerous crossover recordings of various styles, and a large number of videos. He has over 50 complete opera recordings. His video biography, A Life Story, which included his battle with leukemia, won an international Emmy award.
© TiVo
Artisti simili
-
Prokofiev : Pedro y el Lobo - Obertura sobre temas - Sinfonia Classica
The Chamber Orchestra of Europe, Claudio Abbado, José Carreras, Stefan Vladar
Musica sinfonica - Pubblicato da Deutsche Grammophon (DG) il 1 gen 1990
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Classical Vocal Masters
Classica - Pubblicato da Carinco AG il 16 nov 2005
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Amigos Para Siempre - Friends For Life
Classica - Pubblicato da EastWest Germany il 20 lug 1992
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
We Wish You A Merry Christmas
Roberto Alagna, Bryn Terfel, José Carreras, Plácido Domingo
Classica - Pubblicato da Deutsche Grammophon (DG) il 23 ott 2007
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Puccini : La bohème [Highlights] (- Apex)
Classica - Pubblicato da Warner Classics International il 1 feb 1988
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Fortissimo (Remasterizado 2023)
Classica - Pubblicato da Sony Music Entertainment il 20 ott 2023
24-Bit 96.0 kHz - Stereo -
WEST SIDE STORY
Leonard Bernstein, José Carreras
Musical - Pubblicato da UME - Global Clearing House il 19 nov 2021
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Serenata
Musica vocale (sacra e profana) - Pubblicato da Warner Classics International il 1 lug 1995
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Missa - Sound of Eternity
Classica - Pubblicato da Decca Music Group Ltd. il 1 gen 1996
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Puccini & Verdi: Carreras Vol. 1
Opera - Pubblicato da ICENI il 1 ott 2011
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Ave Maria
Classica - Pubblicato da Deutsche Grammophon (DG) il 1 gen 1984
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
-
Love Is...
José Carreras, Robert Farnon And His Orchestra
Classica - Pubblicato da Decca Music Group Ltd. il 1 ago 1984
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Verdi: Un Giorno di Regno
Fiorenza Cossotto, Jessye Norman, José Carreras, Ambrosian Singers, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Lamberto Gardelli
Classica - Pubblicato da Decca Music Group Ltd. il 1 gen 1974
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Verdi: Stiffelio
Sylvia Sass, José Carreras, Matteo Manuguerra, ORF Symphony Chorus, ORF Symphony Orchestra, Lamberto Gardelli
Classica - Pubblicato da Decca Music Group Ltd. il 1 gen 1980
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Verdi: Il Corsaro
Montserrat Caballé, José Carreras, Jessye Norman, Ambrosian Singers, New Philharmonia Orchestra, Lamberto Gardelli
Classica - Pubblicato da Decca Music Group Ltd. il 1 gen 1975
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Italian Operas Composers' Songs
Classica - Pubblicato da Sony Classical il 13 giu 1990
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Jose Carreras Performs Pucinni
Opera - Pubblicato da Vanilla OMP il 21 set 2009
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
The Essential José Carreras
Classica - Pubblicato da Sony Classical il 4 gen 2008
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Jose Carreras, The Essential Collection
Jazz - Pubblicato da Black Sheep Music il 9 dic 2013
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Malinconia d'amore
Classica - Pubblicato da Koch International Classics il 1 gen 2002
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo