A triumphant sun shines in Marseille: Juan Diego Florez!

My season at Marseille opera house is rather chaotic this year since I have had to miss two productions because I was not well enough to set off. Strangely, it takes me more effort to travel the 60kms to Marseille than to catch a train either to Paris, Lyon or Montpellier or anywhere else around my spot! Just because I have to hop on two buses and then rush back on Sunday evening! Depending on the weather, I don't feel like doing all that, especially when I am feeling a bit off, which has been the case lately.

Last Monday, I had to make a move. I had a medical appointement in Marseille as well, so it was a great opportunity to mix passion and obligation!

On Monday night (31st), the house was packed to welcome Juan Diego Florez. People even came from Bastia. A tenore di grazia like him has lots of fans in this opera house, because the tradition of la note is still very strong here and Juan Diego is well known for his pyrotechnics in Pour mon âme. Among all the arias, he is the champion singer of this well-known nine high Cs firework display!

I was not very proud of myself when I actually did not rejoice at his
Uberto last June at Garnier. Vocally it was unbelievable, above all after the first act, but dramatically I didn't feel emotion in this amazing vocal performance. The setting was atrocious and the costumes were dreadfully heavy with too many decorative ornaments. It was so far from the poetic Fingal's cave!

Both Joyce Di Donato and him seemed overwhelmed by the weight of the costumes and the setting. The poetry of this tale was completely lost.

That is why I finally discovered the personality of this tenor during this stunning recital last Monday night.

It started rather quietly with a warming up, where nothing striking happened through the rather difficult Clemenza de Titus aria, though it was beautifully sung. Then the Rossini melodies showed the young man's feelings a bit more and the clapping between arias (a Southern audience needs to show its affectionate presence!) became more intense.

After the interval, things started to change. The young singer in his very smart and traditional suit started to look less stuffy. He moved, smiled to the Gods and even made gestures. And then, after the curtain calls, he gave five encores, almost another recital!

The audience asked for Pour mon âme, which he sang and the cheering and clapping after those nine high Cs was delirious. I got caught up in the atmosphere and really appreciated his amazing voice. The piano accompaniment was perfect - in the Spanish melodies you could hardly believe that you were not hearing a guitar. And this certainly contributed to allowing the singer to give full expression to his talent!

When he sang Ah! lève toi soleil, I suddenly realised what a great potential he still had. He would be a very moving Romeo; his rendition was so good, so intense just like a true lyrical tenor, whereas I had stupidily thought after that infortunate Donna del lago that he was just a very accurate performer and only a tenor di graze. He seemed to free himself from the role of the star of fireworks and become a true lyric performer.

The audience gave several standing ovations during those five encores. He finished on a very poetical note: L'alba separa dalla luce l'ombra (Tosti). He really conquered my absolute admiration.

A huge crowd was waiting at the stage door, and in fact, for once, the artist welcomed us in the entrance hall! Juan Diego Florez was sitting at a little table, waiting for us to meet him. I had the pleasure of discovering a very generous young man, smiling and relaxed. A great tenor who will surprise and delight more and more opera lovers in the years to come!

Recital.

Juan Diego Florez, tenor
Vincenzo Scalera, piano

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Se all’impero » (La Clemenza di Tito)
Gioachino Rossini La gita in gondola
Gioachino Rossini La promessa
Gioachino Rossini Che ascolto (Otello)
Interludio pianistico
Gioachino Rossini Qui tollis peccata mundi (Messa di gloria)

José Serrano El mismo rey del moro (La Alegría del batallón)
Augustín Pérez Soriano Serenata (El Guitarrico)
Tomás Barrera Saavedra Adios Granada (Los Emigrantes)
Giuseppe Verdi Questa o quella per me pari sono (Rigoletto)
Giuseppe Verdi Parmi veder le lagrime (Rigoletto)
Giuseppe Verdi Pietoso al lungo pianto (Un giorno di regno)


Five Encores:

La donna e mobile (Rigoletto Verdi)
A mes amis quel jour de fête! (La fille du regiment - Donizetti)
Ah! Lève toi soleil! Fais pâlir les étoiles.. (Romeo et Juliette - Gounod)
Cessa di piu resistere (Almaviva - Rossini)
L'alba separa dalla luce l'ombra (Tosti)