INTERVIEW - Josep Carreras: "I still can't assimilate the death of Montserrat Caballé"
Spanish newspaper El Periódico published an interview to Josep Carreras, which has been released after a few important events: the death of her dear friend and colleague Montserrat Caballé, the official opening ceremony of the major headquarter of the Josep Carreras Leukaemia Research Institute (Institut de Recerca contra la Leucèmia Josep Carreras) in Badalona, and the Josep Carreras Clinical Research Area at the Hospital Clínic in Barcelona, a much bigger unit that will double the number of trials with new treatments in Hematology and Oncology.
The title makes reference to the fact that he still can't assimilate the death of Montserrat Caballé. He talks about his relationship with her and how he is handling the fact that she died, his new Research Institute and his upcoming concerts around the world.
The title makes reference to the fact that he still can't assimilate the death of Montserrat Caballé. He talks about his relationship with her and how he is handling the fact that she died, his new Research Institute and his upcoming concerts around the world.
READ THE FULL INTERVIEW (In Spanish, by Pablo Meléndez)
"Montserrat Caballé has given us so much. In my case, it's like when someone very close, a close friend or a relative, dies: I have to say, very sincerely, that I still cannot assimilate Montserrat is no longer with us. In addition to the deep grief her death has caused me as her friend and colleague, it is an irreparable loss for all what she has meant in my life and career. I have lost one of my benchmarks.
I have always said that she was like an older sister to me, and I will never forget all what she did for me at the beginning of my career. No one believed in me, in my possible talent, in my voice, like she did. She helped me by giving me a thousand technical tips, and I will always be in debt to her because of that". said the Catalan tenor, who added that just like he could ask her a technical advice each time he needed it, sometimes she asked him for his opinion as well, like on occasion of La Forza del Destino in Milan, 1978, and he was an immense honour for him. "It was as if Messi asked you how to shoot a free kick" he said.
"It has been a very hard blow for us, and I think that I just feel like many people who knew her; I still can't accept her death. It's also so recent. I listen to a recording of her and I feel like I want to call her to tell her how great she is. I have been so lucky to perform so much with her, including operas, concerts, recordings and recitals - I would say between 200 and 300 times - and I got to know her voice very well (...) and we have never argued, not a single time. We always understood each other, both as colleagues and friends.
On each occasion she knew how to portray her character "à la Caballé", always with the rightest accent and meaning. She was a woman who knew how to portray her characters and you could easily fall in love with. We were very close and we had great mutual respect and admiration. We loved to sing together and share the happy moments on stage, but also the most difficult ones. Actually we sang almost all the repertoire together: 'Adriana Lecouvreur', 'Tosca', 'Luisa Miller', 'La traviata', 'La forza del destino', 'Andrea Chénier'..."
In addition, he said that he learnt fro her that their profession requires both great vocational talent and a strong devotion, and that when each time you sang with her, you totally admired her pure, unique voice, her perfect technique and superbe control over the fiato. According to him, nobody else could do that, not like she could. She could effort the whole repertoire, from Gluck to Wagner, Strauss, Puccini, contemporary operas, not to mention her extraordinary contribution to belcanto, with such floated sound, which was typical of her voice.
"She was a very sensitive woman and an exceptional colleague, and I knew that she could do things that the rest of us just could not, like holding a note forever, and she always conformed to us. She was absolute perfection, and her voice and talent covered all aspects of singing. The quality of her voice is unrepeatable" he stated.
After that, Carreras said he would love to take part to the tribute that the Gran Teatre del Liceu is going to make her on November, if his commitments allows him to. Because of that, he is going to meet soon Christina Scheppelmann, Liceu's Artistic Director, to arrange it. In that case, he would love to homage her dear friend with a Catalan song, but it will depend on the concept that the Liceu team has in mind.
As pointed out in this interview, Carreras shared some of his plans and commitments for the next months. He will soon be off to China and Japan to perform until 10th November, then he will sing a concert in Mainz (12th November) and be in Munich to prepare the José Carreras Gala which is scheduled on 12th December. After that, he will sing Christmas concerts in Assisi (15th December, to be broadcast on Rai1 on Christmas Day), Budapest (19th December), and at the Santa Maria del Mar in Barcelona (22nd December).
Other commitments will be related to his Foundation. Recently, he formally opened the major headquarter of the Josep Carreras Leukaemia Research Institute in Badalona (Hospital Germans Trias i Pujol - Can Ruti, on 5 October 2018. Actually that was supposed to be last year, on 20 October, but it was not possible due to institutional issues, such as the temporary lack of a Government in Catalonia. However, this was just a formal ceremony, as the Institute has been working for already three years. This Campus in Badalona, 10.000 square meters, has been totally equipped by the Foundation. As Carreras reported, this project includes three more campuses: one in the Hospital Clínic (300 square meters) that is almost finished, one at the Hospital de Sant Pau and, in the near future, one more at the Hospital Josep Trueta.
By 2020, about 300 researchers will be working at the Institute. It is a unique project in Europe and one of the very few focused on leukemia in the world. With reference to this, he reported what Mr. Rajoy once said: "The Catalans do things".
I have always said that she was like an older sister to me, and I will never forget all what she did for me at the beginning of my career. No one believed in me, in my possible talent, in my voice, like she did. She helped me by giving me a thousand technical tips, and I will always be in debt to her because of that". said the Catalan tenor, who added that just like he could ask her a technical advice each time he needed it, sometimes she asked him for his opinion as well, like on occasion of La Forza del Destino in Milan, 1978, and he was an immense honour for him. "It was as if Messi asked you how to shoot a free kick" he said.
"It has been a very hard blow for us, and I think that I just feel like many people who knew her; I still can't accept her death. It's also so recent. I listen to a recording of her and I feel like I want to call her to tell her how great she is. I have been so lucky to perform so much with her, including operas, concerts, recordings and recitals - I would say between 200 and 300 times - and I got to know her voice very well (...) and we have never argued, not a single time. We always understood each other, both as colleagues and friends.
On each occasion she knew how to portray her character "à la Caballé", always with the rightest accent and meaning. She was a woman who knew how to portray her characters and you could easily fall in love with. We were very close and we had great mutual respect and admiration. We loved to sing together and share the happy moments on stage, but also the most difficult ones. Actually we sang almost all the repertoire together: 'Adriana Lecouvreur', 'Tosca', 'Luisa Miller', 'La traviata', 'La forza del destino', 'Andrea Chénier'..."
In addition, he said that he learnt fro her that their profession requires both great vocational talent and a strong devotion, and that when each time you sang with her, you totally admired her pure, unique voice, her perfect technique and superbe control over the fiato. According to him, nobody else could do that, not like she could. She could effort the whole repertoire, from Gluck to Wagner, Strauss, Puccini, contemporary operas, not to mention her extraordinary contribution to belcanto, with such floated sound, which was typical of her voice.
"She was a very sensitive woman and an exceptional colleague, and I knew that she could do things that the rest of us just could not, like holding a note forever, and she always conformed to us. She was absolute perfection, and her voice and talent covered all aspects of singing. The quality of her voice is unrepeatable" he stated.
After that, Carreras said he would love to take part to the tribute that the Gran Teatre del Liceu is going to make her on November, if his commitments allows him to. Because of that, he is going to meet soon Christina Scheppelmann, Liceu's Artistic Director, to arrange it. In that case, he would love to homage her dear friend with a Catalan song, but it will depend on the concept that the Liceu team has in mind.
As pointed out in this interview, Carreras shared some of his plans and commitments for the next months. He will soon be off to China and Japan to perform until 10th November, then he will sing a concert in Mainz (12th November) and be in Munich to prepare the José Carreras Gala which is scheduled on 12th December. After that, he will sing Christmas concerts in Assisi (15th December, to be broadcast on Rai1 on Christmas Day), Budapest (19th December), and at the Santa Maria del Mar in Barcelona (22nd December).
Other commitments will be related to his Foundation. Recently, he formally opened the major headquarter of the Josep Carreras Leukaemia Research Institute in Badalona (Hospital Germans Trias i Pujol - Can Ruti, on 5 October 2018. Actually that was supposed to be last year, on 20 October, but it was not possible due to institutional issues, such as the temporary lack of a Government in Catalonia. However, this was just a formal ceremony, as the Institute has been working for already three years. This Campus in Badalona, 10.000 square meters, has been totally equipped by the Foundation. As Carreras reported, this project includes three more campuses: one in the Hospital Clínic (300 square meters) that is almost finished, one at the Hospital de Sant Pau and, in the near future, one more at the Hospital Josep Trueta.
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| Photo: Fundació Josep Carreras |
By 2020, about 300 researchers will be working at the Institute. It is a unique project in Europe and one of the very few focused on leukemia in the world. With reference to this, he reported what Mr. Rajoy once said: "The Catalans do things".
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