A successful and busy summer came to an end. What’s next?
Piotr Beczała surely has a very busy summer behind him. What’s more, the new opera season promises to be no less busy and exciting.
For Piotr, Liceu’s production of „Luisa Miller” was a triumphant ending of the recent season. His role of Rodolfo won the recognition of critics and love of the Barcelona audience. Artist’s last performance on July 26 went down in history, as he became the first tenor who encored the aria “Quando le sere al Placido” at the Gran Teatre del Liceu.
August, in turn, was filled with festivals. First, Piotr took a part in the festival production of „Lohengrin” during the prestigious Bayreuth Festspiele (as Lohengrin), then he returned to the famous Salzburg Festival for concert performances of „Luisa Miller” (as Rodolfo).
Tenor’s fans have a lot to be happy about, since the upcoming season will also abound with music events that will certainly satisfy even the most sophisticated tastes. Piotr has a great number of concerts and recitals ahead of him, as well as long-awaited productions, such as Moniuszko’s „Halka”, which will have its premiere in December at the Theater an der Wien. The artist’s updated schedule is already available on the website. Click here to check what’s coming soon.
The plan for the new season also includes two new album releases – the verismo album, which is scheduled to be recorded in October in Valencia, and the long-awaited album with the Polish repertoire – songs by Karłowicz and Moniuszko. Both projects are underway, and the release dates are to be announced soon.
The summer press reviews:
“In the protagonist couple, we thankfully had two exceptional performers who are at the best point in their careers: North American soprano Sondra Radvanovsky and Polish tenor Piotr Beczala. It feels very difficult to say who of the two did better, as they were both at a very high level and it seems difficult to imagine better current singers for the roles. In both cases, a great control of the breathing, beauty in the timbre, clean and brave attacks in the upper register as well as delicate pianissimi in the higher notes and capacity to scenically embody the characters through gesture and singing were the main characteristics of the performers. He had an advantage point to triumph, as “Quando le sere al placido” is one of the most beautiful tenor arias Verdi ever produced, and Beczala took the opportunity.”
“If Bayreuth has heard a better ‘In fernem Land’ than Beczala’s I would have liked to have been present and certainly I haven’t in my 30 years there! Almost using half a voice and lying on the stage Lohengrin’s tale is told with increasing intensity and it allowed the audience to experience with him ‘eine Taube’ (a dove) descending from heaven. ‘Mein lieber Schwan’ – sung from the back of the stage – was equally gripping (…) Best of all was Piotr Beczala as Lohengrin who sang throughout with a winning blend of Italianate lyricism and robust power. There is a bit of heroic tenor bronze to his middle register and – as I wrote last year – he gave all the words he was singing the attention they deserved.”
“Sängerisch dominiert hat trotzdem mit Abstand der fulminante Piotr Beczała (…) der als Tenor längst dort angekommen ist, wo Domingo einmal war: in der höchsten Kategorie für italienische und französische Partien, Ausflüge ins Wagnerfach inbegriffen. Also erntet er Jubelstürme, wenn er etwa in „Quando le sere al placido“ exemplarisch differenziert schmachtet, um dann in der fulminanten B-Dur-Cabaletta, angestachelt vom Staatsopernchor, sogar ein hohes C vor dem Schlusston einzulegen: So definieren Melomanen Festspielwürde.“
“Zu allererst muss hier die phantastische Leistung des auf dem Zenit seiner Karriere stehenden und unvergleichlichen Tenors PIOTR BECZALA genannt werden. Was für eine kraftvolle und wunderbare Stimme. Die Partie des Rodolfo kann man nicht besser besetzen.”
“Ebenfalls treffend besetzt erwies sich Beczala, die derzeitige Universal-Bestlösung sämtlicher großer Tenorpartien zwischen Verdi und Wagner. Mit so viel konzentrierter Strahlkraft und Treffsicherheit in Interpretation und Stimmführung machte er das Publikum nahezu blind vor Entzücken, was sich in minutenlangem Szenenapplaus äußerte.”
“The cast for the concert performance was superb, Piotr Beczala as Rodolfo becomes better with each appearance in the role, last night it was more emotional than The Met performance in the previous season. Mellow tone, ringing and unrestricted top notes, natural stage chemistry with partners – all you can wish your preferred tenor to deliver.”
„Piotr Beczała okazał się w swej roli bezbłędny. Każdy wysoki dźwięk brzmiał swobodnie i pewnie, pięknie cieniował frazę, a przede wszystkim była to interpretacja jakże naturalna i swobodna. Po dramatycznej arii Rudolfa (miłość wieśniaczki i hrabiego w XIX-wiecznej operze nie może kończyć się szczęśliwie) sala wybuchła rzadko słyszanym entuzjazmem. A po finale to Polak dostał największe owacje…”
“The true star of the evening was unquestionably Piotr Beczala – as indeed the final reception in the house confirmed. This was one of those rare performances in which the ideal combination of assets catalyzed to steal the show in a passionate reading, technically immaculate, and at exactly the right point in vocal and artistic maturity to guarantee a triumph.”
Photo: © Salzburg Festival / Marco Borrelli
