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José Cura: "Photography has been my passion since childhood"

Papageno

Novotny Anna

30 September 2019

The Art Market Budapest October 3-6.  For the ninth time, the Millenaris Exhibition Hall awaits visitors with a special selection of art.  As part of the event, legendary opera singer, celebrated tenor José Cura will present his photographic art for the first time in Budapest.  We interviewed the first permanent guest artist of the Hungarian Radio Art Groups in an exclusive interview.

- Singing, conducting, composing, directing, teaching—and taking pictures.  What kind of artist would you define yourself as?

José Cura:  A reputable magazine (Seen and Heard International - ed.) once wrote about me: a true polymath, a true Renaissance soul.  But if you ask me, I would say we are unnecessarily looking for definitions of a human activity such as art, because definition is the closest thing to oppression.  Through centuries of bitter experience, we have learned that forcing artists into boxes is not only useless but dangerous.

If you look at it, in history it has always been those who have dared that stand out from the crowd.

- Most of the readers are going to be most curious to find out about your photography, even though the [photo] book Espontáneas was released in 2008, more than ten years ago.  What drew you to photography?

JC:  I have to say I am not a professional photographer.  Or at least I haven’t been before.  Now, God knows what will happen after the Art Market Budapest. 

Photography has been a burning passion since childhood.  Later, when I began my career as a singer and actor, I realized that photography would allow me to expand my horizons by observing and embracing the world around me in a different way.  The volume of my photos appeared 11 years ago because a Swiss publisher was curious about my private collection and wanted to show my photos to the public.

- Which photos will you bring to the Art Market Budapest?  How did the meeting come about?

JC:  The fair organizers looked at my book and then asked if I wanted to put on an exhibition.  I agreed.  I have never planned to enter the world of professional photographers but these people honored me with their trust and I thought, “Why not try?”

- You have a particularly close relationship with Hungary and Budapest.

JC:  I have been working in Hungary since 2000 and have performed in many cities and theaters.  There are strong ties to Hungarian artists who trust and respect me not only as an artist, but also as a private person. I work closely with the Salva Vita Foundation, I am an honorary citizen of the city of Veszprém, and from this season on, I work as the first permanent guest artist of the Hungarian Radio Art Group.

- Leading to the world premiere of your new opera, Montezuma and the Ginger Priest in January 2020 in the Great Hall of the Music Academy.

JC:  One day in 1987, a friend of mine pushed a book into my hands and told me there was an opera hiding in it.  At that time, as a freshly-made composer, I tried to do it but I didn’t have the complete arsenal and experience to compose an opera. The book had been resting in my library for thirty years when I found it again while dusting my collection.  It was a moment’s work:  what I couldn’t do back then I could now accomplish in a short time as an experienced composer and performer.

A comedy opera was born, as the English call it, a “mad cap” (extravagant, unbridled creation).  I wrote the piece as a chamber opera, with a neo-Baroque “touch” and modern rhythms.  You can imagine how excited I am because after 35 years of composing this is my first opera—I can’t wait to start rehearsals. It is with great pride that I can do this with such an excellent team as the Hungarian Radio Art Group.

- Looking at this season, you sing, write, conduct.  What does the future hold for you?  Will you focus on one area or remain diverse?