On 15 and 18 January the Mariinsky-II will be hosting the Russian premiere of Christian Kolonovits’ opera El Juez with José Carreras in the lead role.
For a long time legendary tenor José Carreras – one of the three most famous tenors along with Luciano Pavarotti and Plácido Domingo – has been absent from the world stage. The opera El Juez, written in 2014 especially for the singer, marks his triumphant return. Carreras’ voice and personality have enchanted many musicians, conductors and classical music fans throughout the world. The great Herbert von Karajan, never very generous in his praise, stressed that “This is a unique voice. Perhaps the most beautiful and passionate tenor I have heard in my life. He is a true servant to the music.”
Carreras is a recipient of the title National Symbol of Spain (as is Plácido Domingo). It is not by chance that this opera, composed by Kolonovits, is dedicated to the history of the country, albeit one of its darker periods – the abduction of children during the Spanish Civil War. It is a story of missing children, repressions and dictatorship, the contradictory role of the Church and the idea of fraternal love, family tragedies, despair and hope. The rhythm, harmony and elements of jazz, rock and pop music bring the opera closer to the genre of the musical, while the musical language itself has a vividly expressed Spanish flavour.
Christian Kolonovits is known – first and foremost – as a composer and music producer thanks to his numerous arrangements for various internationally acclaimed ensembles, among them Scorpions, Boney M and Eruption.
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