Era and Song of Love 2000 2003

Era of Love Release

Gazeta

Era of Love: Sinfonia Varsovia; Jose Cura; Ewa Małas-Godlewska Category: pop; classical, 2000 // Warner Music Poland

1. Song Of Love (K. Dębski, Z. Małas & Lonstar)

2. Workaliza (W. Kilar)

3. Fra Di Noi (J. Stokłosa, Lonstar)

4. Kolysanka (S. Krajewski)

5. Love's a Game (S. Krajewski, Lonstar)

One of the greatest tenors in the world, Argentinean José Cura, has recorded an album aimed especially at our country (Poland) with the well-known Polish singer Ewa Małas-Godlewska. Less than two months after his global success as the male protagonist in the famous La traviata broadcast live from Paris, he entered the studio to record to record the songs of Polish composers: Krzesimir Dębski, Janusz Stokłosa, and Seweryn Krajewski. The contents of the album can be summarized as beautiful love duets sung with extraordinary voices by two great artists.

Era Of Love

JOSE CURA & EWA MAŁAS-GODLEWSKA

MAG MUSIC PROD

Machina

Jacek Hawryluk

The stars of classical music sing pop. Ewa Małas-Godlewska is our excellent opera singer while Jose Cura is one of the few tenors who has a chance to outclass the calcifying “Big Three.”

The album is a typical example of crossover aesthetics, i.e., great voices singing the repertoire of a lighter caliber—songs by Krzesimir Dębski, Seweryn Krajewski, Janusz Stokłosa and Wojciech Kilar. The whole is well produced, with the charming strings of the Sinfonia Varsovia orchestra, and has every reason to become a hit, beating the concert duo Górniak / Carreras. But why were only five songs recorded?

Note: This is a machine-based translation. We offer it only a a general guide but it should not be considered definitive.

José Cura sings Polish songs: Era of love

Rzeczpospolita

29 September 2000

Jacek Marczyński

José Cura, the star of world opera stages, sang compositions by Krzesimir Dębski, Seweryn Krajewski and Janusz Stokłosa with Ewa Małas-Godlewska. The album Era of Love had its premiere yesterday. Another joint effort from both artists will be their concert at the Grand Theater in Warsaw, scheduled for November 15.

This is the first time that an artist of this caliber has been interest in Polish songs. The effort to acquire Cura lasted two years and it must be said that [the CD] comes at the right time. The Argentinean tenor has been climbing the career ladder since the early 1990s when he came to Europe from South America. Today he is a star of the first magnitude, his name familiar even to those who are not regular opera-goers. His starring role in the recent television production of La traviata was watched by viewers in dozens of countries around the world. It is widely believed that in the next decade he will take the place of one of the three of the most famous tenors who are slowly approaching artistic retirement. He is frequently compared to Placido Domingo, primarily because he is already taking over his most famous roles, such as Samson and Otello. Cura not only sings but he also conducts and composes.

[…]

The artists were accompanied by Sinfonia Varsovia, conducted by Krzesimir Dębski. The instrumental background was recorded at the Polish Radio studio in Warsaw while the soloists worked in Madrid.

In concert on November 15 at the Grand Theater, Małas-Godlewska and Cura will not only sing songs from Era of Love but also popular arias and duets from operas by Bellini, Verdi, and Puccini. Cura will also stand on the podium to conduct.

From the record company:

'This record, the crossroad of classical and pop music, was made as an incredible unison of two superb voices and musical personalities: Ewa Malas-Godlewska and José Cura. Their voices blends so magically, music is so touching, that listening to their performances is truly an emotional experience.'

José Cura, Warsaw, 2000, CD Era of Love.

Note: This is a machine-based translation. We offer it only a a general guide but it should not be considered definitive.

Just about love: Ewa Małas-Godlewska

TeleMagazyn

13 April 2002

[Excerpt]

Released in 2000, Era of Love was the start of your professional life working in cooperation with the tenor José Cura. In May, another joint album was released, Song of Love. How did this cooperation come about?

EMG: We recorded our first album out of curiosity—we wanted to know how it would sound, how our voices would resonate with each other. We recorded three duets, which were put on the album Era of Love.

You sing on the best opera stages in the world with the best known artists- Luciano Pavarotti just to name one. Why did the choice for this album fall on José Cura?

EMG: In my opinion, José Cura is one of the best tenors in the world. He is very talented, he is versatile, and he has a unique timbre.

Both albums have the word "love" in the title and all the songs deal with love. Why?

EMG: Love is an eternal topic. It’s part of everyone's life and even those who are reluctant to talk about it must admit it exists. Besides, what can the duo of two artists (male and female) sing about? We will not sing about hatred, business or war.

Your albums, the earlier one Fuego and those recorded in these duets with Jose Cura, were commercially successful. They are said to be a great example of combining classical and pop music (crossover). Is this really the source of their success?

EMG: Crossover music is a genre that has great potential. I'm not the first to reach for it, nor is José the first tenor to sing this kind of music. The voices of opera singers are still underused. It's a pity, because opera artists are generally well educated musically and have great technical capabilities. Of course, not every opera singer is interested in different music, but the artist cannot and should not become a slave to the same roles and repertoire. If the artist does not set himself new challenges, he confines himself to the same means of expression.

[…]

In Poland, the album will be promoted with a concert that we will be able to see on TVP.

We recorded this concert with José in Poland on May 14 at the Stanisławowski Theater. This is a beautiful place and it was with great pleasure that we recorded this concert for Polish Television.

Note: This is a machine-based translation. We offer it only a a general guide but it should not be considered definitive.

Gold Record Duets

Rzeczpospolita

14 November 2000

José Cura, the star of stages around the world, is already in Warsaw; today he starts rehearsing at the Grand Theater with his partner, Ewa Małas-Godlewska in advanced of their Wednesday concert. Those who have not purchased their tickets will be able to watch this event on two large screens set up in the Theater Square. The concert will be broadcast (delayed) on TV One.

Both singers met yesterday with journalist but of primary interest was José Cura—Ewa Małas-Godlewska has recently visited the country after the release two albums while the Argentine tenor is with us for the first time. Artists of his rank—he already has professional plans in his calendar through 2005—very rarely appear in Poland.

Cura reminded us at the press conference that he had already started conducting when he was fifteen but only started singing professionally much later, when he was 28. Perhaps that is what allows him to move forward so quickly in his profession. Today he sings what he likes but above all he considers himself to be a musician so he often conducts or composes. He regrets that the audience wants to see him only in operas and to listen to performance of popular arias when he would like to do more. But the tenor recognizes that today music is a business, a commodity for sale. And that is why he promises that during the Warsaw concert he is planning to sing the showpiece aria “Nessun dorma” as an encore.

The Wednesday evening concert at the Grand Theater promises to be an attractive one. Małas-Godlewska and Cura have choses twelve famous arias and opera duet to sing with the Sinfonia Varsovia. Cura will also stand on the podium to conduct, among other items, the introduction to Puccini’s La fanciulla del west. At the end of the evening, they will sing three songs from the joint album Era of Love, which has already won a Gold Record. The concert can also be views on large screens set up in the Square, where the organizers has announced that huge tents will provide cover in case of rain. The program will be shown on TV on Saturday.

Note: This is a machine-based translation. We offer it only a a general guide but it should not be considered definitive.

José Cura and Ewa Małas-Godlewska Signing

Meloman

11 November 2000

[Excerpt]

In the light of flashes and to the sound of songs performed by José Cura and Ewa Małas-Godlewska, the famous tenor and the outstanding soprano signed their album “Era of Love” today. The 38-year-old Cura aroused fans’ sympathy with his directness. In jeans and a sports shirt, he seemed more associated with pop music than classical.

“He’s more handsome than the poster,” commented the ladies who dominated the long line waiting for autographs.

Earlier, Cura had toured Warsaw and visited some stores prior to rehearsal with Małas-Godlewska in preparation for the upcoming concert.

Teatr Wielki (Grand Theater) will bring together the contemporary pieces from the border of pop and classical music that the singers had recorded earlier this year on the album Era of Love, as well as famous arias and duets from Puccini, Verdi and Bellini. The singers will be accompanied by the Sinfonia Varsovia.

The entire concert will be displayed on two big video walls set in front of the theater. At the end of the show, the singers will appear on the balcony on the theater to perform several songs. (PAP)

José Cura: I'm an ordinary man

Meloman

11 November 2000

[Excerpt]

José Cura, one of the most distinguished tenors of the younger generation, considers himself to be an ordinary man who does not take extravagant attention to his voice. On Wednesday, the artist will sing with Ewa Małas-Godlewska in Warsaw.

“I read after arriving in Poland that I reportedly sleep late and when I wake up in the morning I drink a special drink. I don’t. I sleep late only when I perform. I work from six in the afternoon until two in the morning,” said the tenor. He added that he “behaves like a normal person. I sleep when I’m tired, I eat when I’m hungry, I wash when I’m dirty and I make love to my wife.” He added that he considers marrying his wife to be the most important event in his life.

During Wednesday’s concert, the audience will hear famous arias from Puccini, Verdi, Bellini, Rossini and Gounod as well as three contemporary duets of Polish composers: "Song of Love" by Krzesimir Dębski, "Fra di noi" by Janusz Stokłosa and "Love's a Game" by Seweryn Krajewski.

[…]

Note: This is a machine-based translation. We offer it only a a general guide but it should not be considered definitive.

Mozart, Schubert and Schumann were pop artists of their eras

Cura appeals to audience's feelings

Wprost

Jolanta Fajkowska

13 November 2000.

Jolanta Fajkowska:-What music do you listen to when you return from a concert or show?

José Cura: Silence. It's the best music.

- Is that because you are already bored with opera?

JC: Not at all, but it’s my job. I treat it like any other occupation. I work fourteen, fifteen hours a day and so when I get home I need silence. As a boy, I loved Beatle songs, spirituals, jazz, but no arias.

-It’s reported that you dreamed of a career in rugby…

JC: In Argentina, where I come from, rugby is not a professional sport, so it would be difficult to make a living from it. I played rugby and if I had continued training, I would probably have made the national team. But the singing turned out to be more important. I was also a body builder—twenty kilos ago--and practiced yoga. But in the evenings, only theater mattered.

-Are sports experiences useful on stage?

JC: I know how to control my body. Sport teaches you to move in the right way. Thanks to that, I can sing in any position, for example lying, which is extremely difficult for an opera singer. Then too, sometime the costume can be heavy but thanks to muscle training, I don’t feel the weight.

- Even though you haven’t studied acting, you are considered one of the best actors in opera. You know how to appeal to an audience…

JC: In coming to the performance, the audience comes to be seduced. They need to know that the actor, the singer, the performer, is thinking about them. Some people reproach me for covering vocal weaknesses with charisma. That may be true, but if I can make contact with and move the audience I don’t have to be a perfect singer.

-So what does the audience admire in your interpretations?

JC: Perhaps they admire my ability to play a character in a realistic way. I know how to show joy, suffering, love. Singing is just one of the elements of being on stage.

-You are known for unconventional behaviors: You release paper planes during a performance, singing while lying down...

JC: Each of us makes jokes. I am also sometime their victim. In the last act of "Fedora" I read a letter from which I learn about the death of my mother. The messenger brings in the envelope, I open it ... inside is a picture of a naked woman. Imagine: two thousand people are listening and looking, my partner is sobbing in the corner of the stage, and I am supposed to read and sing with a photo of a beautiful naked woman in my hand. I folded the paper and sang the letter from memory, which was unbelievable, but how was I supposed to behave? I never found out who had played this trick on me.

- You’ve released a disc on which you sing under the baton of Placido Domingo, who has called you his successor.

JC: Placido is a brilliant singer, a great musician and a good conductor who understands how the soloist and orchestra work together like no one else. His movements are not as perfect as those of a professional conductor, but he knows what the singer is experiencing on stage. It is a pleasure working with him, and the fact that he recognized me as his successor is an honor.

-Recently, the whole world watched by Verdi's "La traviata ," broadcast by live TV to 125 countries. It must have been a great challenge.

JC: Playing Alfredo was very exciting for me. On stage, you see the faces of the audience. When you turn your back to the audience, they can’t hear what you sing. When you stand in front of a TV camera, you have to use your entire body. The cameras record everything. This was a real live broadcast. Billions of people watched the result of one and a half months of rehearsals, sometimes lasting fifteen hours a day. We were exhausted on the day of the broadcast. Thank God there is a make-up, because without it we looked terrible. The beginning of the fourth act was very dark. That was evidence that everything was live.

-I thought it was the intended effect of the great cinematographer Vittoria Storaro...

JC: One of the lamps illuminating the stage broke at the beginning of the act. We couldn't stop the show to fix it. We sang in darkness. Storaro waited until I started crying in a close-up, then he crawled like a soldier to the lamp, changed it and only from that point on was there proper lighting. Imagine: I’m crying and out of the corner of my eye I can see someone crawling past me to repair the light. When you are recording a program or a movie, you can take breaks. Everyone laughs, drinks coffee and then continues working. Here everything was live. We couldn’t do that.

-Why do you so often shock the audience with unconventional clothing?

JC: I hate dress-coats and bow tie. It seems to me that this sort of outfit discourages young people from coming to classical music and I want to prove that the classics can be captivating. So sometimes I start my recitals dressed in black time, then I finish in jeans and a shirt. The older folks are uncomfortable but younger audiences like it. Many of them tell me that they always wait for my concerts because they know that something will happen.

On the other hand, let’s not forget that such composers as Mozart, Schubert, Schumann were pop artists of their times. Mozart played in the king’s drawing rooms and dining rooms to earn his living. Schubert? His best songs were composed with a beer mug in his hand in some dirty tavern! In 50 years, the songs of Elton John, Lennon and McCartney will be considered classics.

Note: This is a machine-based translation. We offer it only a a general guide but it should not be considered definitive.

Warsaw concert of José Cura and Ewa Małas-Godlewska

PAP

Online Journal

16 November 2000

Invited guests and ticket holders, the most expensive of which cost PLN 700, filled the concert hall. Several times more that number of music lovers listened to the singers outside the theater and followed its course on two large screens.

Opposite the main entrance of the theater was a huge shelter protecting the outside listeners from the wind. A field buffet served hot tea free of charge. Top-rate sound equipment made music and singing resonate clearly and loudly outside. The exterior of the Grand Theater received impressive illumination, shimmering blue in the spotlight.

"José Cura challenges opera stereotypes. Just look how he dresses and how he moves on the stage," said Jolanta Fajkowska, who hosted the concert. A fiery Argentine with the beauty of a Latin model, he was indeed more casual than other opera stars but he sang just as well. His outfit - tight trousers and shirt - contrasted with the elegant dress of the partner and the tailcoats of the orchestra.

The first part of the concert featured arias and duets, including from the operas of Puccini, Verdi, Bellini, and Puccini, the artists sang solo and in duets. At one point, Cura took over the conductor's baton from Tadeusz Wojciechowski and conducted the Sinfonia Varsovia orchestra.

During the intermission, Cura and Godlewska went to the balcony of the Polish National Opera, from where they sang two songs from their joint album Era of Love for thousands of Warsaw residents. The crowd gave them a warm ovation.

In the second half of the show, an excellent duo performed, among others "Song of Love" by Krzesimir Dębski, "Fra Di Noi" (Between us) - a song based on the theme from "Metro" by Janusz Stokłosa - and "Love's a Game" by Seweryn Krajewski, captivating the audience. The singers had to encore several times.

During one of the breaks in the concert, the director of the Polish National Opera, Waldemar Dąbrowski, gave the artists and producers Gold Records, because Era of Love has already gained such a status.

Cura likes to experiment. His ideas include performing a certain opera part lying down, as well as singing and conducting simultaneously. He also works on composition. He recorded his first debut album of Puccini's arias under Placido Domingo. He became famous as the performer in the title role of Otello in Verdi's opera, and also as the performer of the main male role in the television super-production of La traviata.

José Cura, Warsaw, 2000, Concert.

Note: This is a machine-based translation. We offer it only a a general guide but it should not be considered definitive.

From Argentina, but without Tango

In my youth I wanted to be a singer, not an opera tenor

Rzeczpospolita

Jacek Marczyński

9 November 2000

[Excerpt]

Why did you have such interest in the works of Polish composers like Seweryn Krajewski, Krzesimir Dębski and Janusz Stokłosa that you decided to record their songs with Ewa Małas-Godlewska?

José Cura: It’s good music, well written, with touching emotions and inspiration for the performer. After I listened to these songs, I was happy to take part in the record of the album Era of Love and I remember with pleasure working on it.

Do you like popular music?

JC: Very much. In my youth, I wanted to be a singer, not an opera tenor. That’s why today I don’t like be uniquely classified. Sometimes I am Otello, sometimes I sing pop hits. I just try to make sure that everything is done at the right time and at the right level. Otherwise, there is no point in doing it.

Why don't you have a real Argentine tango in your repertoire?

JC: I know that for a lot of Europeans, a singer from Argentina must be associated with tango. But tango is the music of Buenos Aires, inextricably linked to it. Meanwhile, I come from Rosario, the third largest city in Argentina. But I try not to forget my roots. I have recorded a CD of Argentine music, It has some very melodious songs, the brilliant Albert Ginastera as well as Guastavino in my own arrangement. I really wanted to release this album to showcase my country’s composers, some of whom are still not quite famous in the world.

Let's stay in Argentina for a while. You and your compatriot Marcelo Alvarez quickly conquered Europe. Does this mean that you have such good vocal teachers in your country?

JC: When I arrived in Europe in 1991, I was almost thirty years old and since then my career has progressed quickly. But I was well-prepared for that in Argentina. Music education in my country is at a good level.

I think I have one of your first albums, a recording of the little-known Puccini's opera Le Villi.

JC: That’s my first album. I recorded it in 1994.

Puccini's music has played an important role in your career.

JC: Yes, absolutely. I sang a lot in it in the early years, more than Verdi. My solo album, recorded in 1997, includes only Puccini's arias. But in this regard, I have a dream role, and that is the role of des Grieux in Puccini's Manon Lescaut. It is a very difficult but also thrilling task, because the tenor should sing here with the lightness required in La Bohème while the orchestra resembles “Valkyrie,” because Puccini wrote this opera when he was under the influence of Wagner. I hope to record Manon Lescaut on CDs.

I suspect, however, that there will be Otello before that. This is your showpiece role. Any theater would be ready to stage this Verdi drama, as long as you play the title character.

JC: I made my debut in this role in 1997, and indeed from that moment I was constantly getting offers to sing Otello. At first, I rarely agreed but now I do more often because I think my voice is more mature and so I take less risk. Otello is a remarkable figure. Verdi knew how to create complex human characters even when he had poor quality librettos, and in Otello he had Shakespeare's text, so the effect is even more outstanding. In addition, with his mal-adjustment and otherness in an unfriendly world, Otello is a modern hero so it's no wonder that this opera enjoys such popularity.

Do you believe that the nineteenth-century opera can be attractive to modern viewers?

JC: Opera has a future, but it must adapt to the rhythm of our time. We are so overwhelmed today with images and sounds that we often need a shock to move our senses. So when we go to the theater and there is no energy flowing from the stage, the spectacle will leave the viewer indifferent. Of course, I do not mean any fireworks or special effects. Even if I am absolutely alone on stage, for example in the last act of Samson and Dalila, I have to give this huge portion of energy to my viewers in my interpretation. And in this respect, opera is changing. This is supposed to be a theater showing human life - suffering, struggle, laughter. Today it is not so important that every note is flawlessly sung, but that there are feelings in the singing. It is supposed to be theater showing human life—suffering, struggling, laughing. Today, it is not so important that every note is sung flawlessly but that there are feeling in the singing.

You also appear more and more as a conductor, as evidenced by a concert at the Grand Theater. Since you are trying different activities, are you sure that singing is the most important thing in your life?

JC: No, I'm not sure. As I said, I like to do different things, so I conduct, compose, work out arrangements. As a 15-year-old I ran a choir. What will happen in the future, we will see.

Note: This is a machine-based translation. We offer it only a a general guide but it should not be considered definitive.

José Cura - I don't believe in the existence of classical music

Machina

Jacek Hawryluk

November 2000

Machina: In the 90s, well-known singers began to perform classical music repertoire in large, open sports facilities. And yet Mozart, Verdi, Puccini wrote for specific interiors, for opera theaters. Is there a contradiction in this?

José Cura: It's true. We forget, however, that composers such as Mozart, Puccini, Beethoven and Schubert were pop artists in their time. Today they are considered untouchable, almost esoteric, members of an inaccessible caste. At that time they were entertainment musicians. They wrote for opera theaters because concerts outside in fields were not possible for acoustic reasons. For this you need microphones, screens and many other things. I think if these people were alive today, they would also write music suitable for performing in the open air.

Machina: And they would be pleased with these huge stadiums?

JC: It’s not a just a matter of satisfaction, but the right to art. Music belongs to everyone. It is not owned by the elite. When it is performed in an opera theater, many people will never hear it. A large space is only an alternative way of reaching people with music.

Machina: What is the difference between theater and stadium in creating music, in creating the atmosphere?

JC: The atmosphere may be different, but it does not have to be. We, the artist, create it. I have seen many artists who are unbearable in small theaters because they are boring, but they are excellent on a big stage. And vice versa. An artist with charisma can create the right mood regardless of where he performs.

Machina: In June you sang the part of Alfredo in La traviata, a mega-production broadcast live on television from Paris. This year we celebrate 400 years of opera. Is showing opera as a television spectacle a way to make it more attractive in the 21st century?

JC: It’s just an alternative. You can play music in your home toilet or in a huge opera theater. It can be done for ten people but also for one hundred thousand. You can do it on the square or broadcast it on television. We are celebrating 400 years of opera. That’s good. Over fifty thousand operas have been written in those years. And how many of them do we know? One hundred and fifty? Two hundred? Maybe two hundred and fifty.

Machina: Why is it the tenor voice that causes such strong emotions and emotions?

JC: Many factors contribute to this. In the opera, the tenor voice is almost always associated with romantic characters. Baritone is usually characterized as a negative type, while bass is identified with the roles of old people.

Machina: And with which female from the 20th century would you like to sing?

JC: You'll be surprised. I'd like to sing with Karen Carpenter ... I always liked her voice ... Do you know the group?

Machina: The Carpenters? Of course, a good old pop. Do you like her voice that much?

JC: What answer did you expect? Maria Callas or someone like that? I just like pop music probably even more than classical music.

Machina: What then is classical music for you?

JC: Well, unfortunately, people are constantly trying to separate it. I don't believe in the existence of classical and pop music. There is only good and bad music. After all, we have terrible classic and at the same time pop songs which are already classics today. The songs of John Lennon do need not to fear comparison with the songs of Franz Schubert. Both are very good music.

Machina: So when Pavarotti and Domingo sing with pop stars, these are completely normal situations for you.

JC: Everything is fine if we are good. I can't stand being pigeon-holed. Soon I will publish my first photo album. And you can ask me if it has something to do with music. And I will answer: of course it does. Because there is music in the pictures.

Machina: Do your culinary passions also have something to do with music?

JC: I cook, but I think almost all artists like to do it. I rarely meet an artist who can't cook. We are simply creative personalities. I like cooking, but I don't have any specific recipes. I am a great improviser.

Machina: Too bad. You can offer no advice then…

JC: A good cook is the one who opens the fridge, looks at what he has at his disposal, and creates something great from what he has at hand.

José Cura, Warsaw, 2000, Concert.

Note: This is a machine-based translation. We offer it only a a general guide but it should not be considered definitive.

Concert Bio

An extraordinary concert took place at the Grand Theater in Warsaw on November 15, 2000: the Argentine tenor José Cura and the Polish soprano Ewa Małas-Godlewska performed on stage. This concert is the culmination of their collaboration on the album "Era of Love." This album was released on the market in September this year. Instrumental parts were recorded by the Sinfonia Varsovia orchestra conducted by Krzesimir Dębski. The album has sold enough copies to be awarded a gold record.

[…]

The 38-year-old José Cura - singer, composer and conductor - may soon outshine the fame of the famous three tenors. He has one of the most delightful voices among artists of his generation. He permanently lives in Madrid. After a great success—the main male role in the television super-production La traviata by Giuseppe Verdi - he was flooded with offers for performances. Critics emphasize not only his singers' craftsmanship, but also his unusual male charm, something of the "Latin lover" type. Handsome, well-built (he has been training kung fu for years), seductive, and at the same time endowed with acting talent, he debuted in front of a large audience in 1991 at an outdoor concert in Genoa. His professional stage debut took place a year later in Verona. Cura began his conquest of America with the Metropolitan Opera, where he appeared in Mascagni's Cavalleria rusticana. Since 1994, televisions around the world have been recording his performances in leading opera theaters including the Metropolitan Opera, La Scala, Paris Opera and London’s Covent Garden.

José Cura, Warsaw, 2000, Concert.

Watch short videos from concert

Click on links below

La Bohème

Song of Love

José Cura, Warsaw, 2000, Concert.

José Cura, Warsaw, 2003, Song of Love Concert.

Note: This is a machine-based translation. We offer it only a a general guide but it should not be considered definitive.

Somewhere over the rainbow

Sukces

Daniel Wyszogrodzk

June 2003

[Excerpt]

She's a bit lazy, beautiful and almost coquette. He's a titan of work and macho. Her name is Ewa Malas Godlewska. His--José Cura. They sing together like a dream. It's a pity they see each other so rarely. Recently they met in Warsaw on the occasion of releasing their “Song of Love” CD

Daniel Wyszogrodzki: Why did such famous opera singers as you record a crossover CD?

Ewa Malas Godlewska: It's a pleasure for me. I like doing something new. My intuition tells me to do some things and to refrain from other. Looking back at my career I can say that my intuition has never misled me. It's an essence of art.

José Cura: People should understand that popular music doesn't have to be bad. The words “pop” and “bad” are not synonyms. This is a light music which could be played during a romantic dinner, for example. It doesn’t require total concentration. Nevertheless, it has to be high quality music with good orchestration.

D.W: What kind of songs did you record? Were they written only by Polish composers?

EM-G: Everyone can find something. The arrangements are fabulous and intimate. We covered Barbra Streisand's and Celine Dion’s hit “Tell Me.” Krzesimir Debski, Seweryn Krajewski, Adam Abramek and Wojciech Kilar wrote other songs. We also recorded “Fra di noi,” a song originally part of the Metro musical. Krajewski wrote beautiful tunes and I'm happy he allowed us to record them.

JC: There are many gifted people in this country. No wonder many romantic and early music masterpieces have been composed by Poles. The classical music tradition is old here and it has an influence on contemporary music. Wojciech Kilar is a wonderful film composer. Our version of his “Ou Est Le Temps” has a great arrangement.

DW: Mrs. Godlewska has been living in France near Swiss border. What about you, Mr. Cura?

JC: I live somewhere over the rainbow. I haven't been back to Argentina in years. There is no bond between that country and me at the moment. I live in Europe. There were some proposals for me to perform there, but they have always been cancelled for political reasons.

DW: How did you get to know each other?

EMG: The first time I saw José was on TV. He enchanted me... I loved his attitude to music. He's very elastic. He's a genius. That’s very rare in the world of music.

JC: There are some things that I didn't understand. However, she's a great story-teller.

DW: What is the real version?

JC: I came to Sopot in Poland for one concert. I didn't think it would end up like it has. I met Ewa thanks to our recording the Song of Love single and I also started collaborating with Sinfonia Varsovia. I became their Principal Guest Conductor some time later and we’ve already recorded a couple of CDs. My meeting Ewa might have been destiny.

DW: Do you believe in destiny?

JC: I believe in God. If that’s the same for you...

DW: You meet each other at work only. Where do you spend your spare time?

EMG: I like the sun and the sea. Canary Islands... I have to relax completely. I don't sightsee when I travel for work.

JC: I travel a lot, so I relax at home. I love sleeping in my bed and taking a shower in my bathroom. The worst thing is that now I'm like a guest in my own house because I spend so little time there. Other than that, I just don't have time to do much other than work. I do so many things for a living. When I don't sing, I conduct. Other times, I work for my company. I run my own record label. I'm starting a publishing house. I'd like to publish photographic albums. When I do have time, I love working in my garden. I know there are people, who don't like what they do for living. I'm happy not to be one of them.

EM-G: Although we have many invitations to perform, it's very difficult to organize our concert, because José is so busy. I'm a lazy singer. He is a titan of work.

JC: That is the truth. I'll be busy during a couple of years for sure. A week ago I arranged an orchestra rehearsal that will take place on 5 May 2010! Don't forget that classical and pop music markets have different marketing strategies. Now we recorded a CD full of popular music. When pop artists record new CDs, they usually arrange a yearlong promotional tour. They put nothing else on their calendars. I would love that. Someone who sells five million copies a year can organize free time during those twelve months. Meanwhile, a classical artist has to work every day. Speaking of pop music market again, record companies organize special promotional events for their artists to perform at. It's not like that in the field of classical market. Artists like me can promote their albums only during their scheduled performances.

DW: That means Poles are very lucky that you are here.

JC: I am lucky. Originally, I was going to spend Easter holidays with my family. I had to convince them it was very important to promote this CD. I cut my vacation. My wife and kids weren't happy. They had to reconcile themselves to it. It's a matter of compromise. I have to reconcile myself with getting up at 7 a.m. and working until late evening. I don't have enough time to go for a walk in Warsaw and to taste Polish cuisine.

D.W.: Do you like Polish cuisine or do you like eating at all?

EM-G: Some time ago José cooked a beetroot soup in Sheraton hotel in Warsaw. He tried to persuade everybody that it was an Argentine meal! José, you love cooking, don't you?

JC: I do, but it's always an improvisation. I don't use recipes. I usually open my refrigerator and check what's inside it. I cook at home quite often. There is a stove made of stone in our garden. It's something like a sort of grill! Our exemplary bill of fare consists of BBQ on Fridays, pizza on Saturdays, steak with cheese and baked potatoes on Sundays. One could drink wine also, but I don't. I've got to take care of my health. I work up to 15 hours a day. I neither drink nor smoke. I'm already forty years old. Men of my age should take care of their hearts

DW: Is there any sense in dividing music into popular and classical?

EM-G: Such divisions are becoming meaningless. In my mind there's good and bad music only. There are genius popular tunes that have a chance to make a history. On the contrary, some classical pieces are worthless and should be forgotten. One should enjoy what one does. One of them was an operatic diva Montserrat Caballé. She recorded a song with Freddie Mercury of Queen. It didn't impact her career.

DW: It doesn't happen in music only. People's customs change.

EM-G: That's right, but there is one condition: a classical artist can't pretend to be a pop singer. I think José and I forgot about the operatic manner. Everyone knows we are musically educated people but we didn't try to change color of our voices. This should be “easy listening”. Such productions must be of highest quality.

JC: We recorded a classical CD full of popular music.

José Cura, Warsaw, 2003, Song of Love Concert.

In Conversation with Ewa

Gazeta

Rozmawiał Piotr Iwicki

23 June 2003

What is José Cura really like?

Ewa Malas Godlewska: José is, first of all, a normal person (laughs). He is modest. His popularity has not gone to his head. He is always open to the suggestions of others, he can listen, and most importantly, he is very artistically flexible. He fits within the opera canon with the same ease as he does in pop music. He is charming and he appeals to women. He cares about his physical condition, he actively plays sports, he is a martial arts master. He is an exemplary head of the family. And musically? He loves everything from Verdi to the Beatles and plays the guitar very well.

Note: This is a machine-based translation. We offer it only a a general guide but it should not be considered definitive.