Bravo Cura, Celebrating the Artistry of José Cura

Week 2 of our retrospective on José Cura's brilliant take on Samson. This time, we head to Italy where he headlined in a production of an opera never before performed in Turin.

His was a smash performance. Critics from around Europe came to the theater to experience this still-new tenor in an opera that is often difficult to cast.

Not only did Cura succeed on a personal level, but he made the possibility of mounting this opera in theaters across Europe a real possibility.

Of course, there aren't many tenors like José and without him, the opera just doesn't work as well as it could, and should.

New Performance Date!

February 2025 - Sicily

* We can't find a lot of information on this date yet except that it is in honor of Vittorio Terranova but we'll keep looking!

Teatro Pirandello, from Giovanni Allevi to tenor Josè Cura: the concerts for the Capital of Culture are in full swing

The Japanese soprano Eriko Sumiyoshi will also be there for two events that, after the homage to Morricone last Sunday, will bring the review called “Musica d'eccellenza” into full swing.

From left and Eriko Sumiyoshi, Giovanni Allevi and Jose Cura

After the inaugural ceremony with the President of the Republic Sergio Mattarella and after the first major concert of 2025 with the tribute to Ennio Morricone, the Pirandello theater is preparing to host two major events that will bring the “Musica d'eccellenza” review linked to the Italian Capital of Culture to life. Great anticipation for Giovanni Allevi on February 8, then it will be the turn of an exceptional couple composed of the Argentine tenor Josè Cura and the soprano Eriko Sumiyoshi who will perform on February 28.

[…]

Next up will be the duo Josè Cura-Eriko Sumiyoshi. He mainly plays tenor roles but occasionally plays baritone parts. He made his debut in Argentina at the age of 15 as a choir director and studied composition and piano. In 1991 he moved to Europe with his wife and two-year-old son to search for relatives in Santo Stefano Belbo, in the province of Cuneo, his maternal grandmother's hometown. He achieved international fame in 1995 by replacing José Carreras at the Royal Opera House. In January 2011 he returned to the stage of the Teatro alla Scala as Canio in Ruggero Leoncavallo's Pagliacci conducted by Daniel Harding, an opera broadcast live on Rai 5. In 2012 he performed Tosca at the Vienna State Opera and at the Opéra Royal de Walloni. Then Pagliacci and Cavalleria rusticana, which he also directed.

Jose Cura will be joined by the Japanese soprano Eriko Sumiyoshi who has carried out an intense artistic activity ranging from baroque to sacred music. The Sicilian public has had the opportunity to appreciate her at the Teatro Antico in Taormina where she performed on the occasion of the Gala Taormina opera stars. She was a guest of honor at the Giordano in Foggia and at the Teatro Garibaldi in Lucera. In Tokyo she was Mimi in La Boheme. On more than one occasion she has had the role of Violetta in prestigious international versions of La Traviata.

Turin - 1997

Reviews

The opening of the season at the Teatro Regio in Turin, with a Samson and Dalila will remain in the annals. From the moment the curtain rises, the shock is such that the audience applauds enthusiastically. José Cura gives Samson all the strength of his magnetic presence, all the energy of a program of an unprecedented arrogance. Playing with his physique - he hides no detail - and especially of a timbre which he projects with the insolence of a Del Monaco, the Argentinean tenor, roaring like the most beautiful lions, is confirmed as the only plausible interpreter of the role since the retirement of Jon Vickers. Give in to the pleasure of listening to a real and great voice, generous, vibrant and that one would think indestructible, as was that of some sacred monsters of the years 1950-1960. The singer, moreover, doubles as a modern actor, which no Samson had been before him. A Samson and Dalila to urgently invite to Paris. Opera, December 1997

The protagonists chosen in Turin have fully fulfilled their task as singers and actors, beginning with José Cura, a young Argentinean tenor who has become the most important voice in the lyric-driven and dramatic repertoire. Abandoning the approximations that sometimes distinguish his interpretations, Cura has prepared meticulously for his debut in Italy as Samson, understanding the many expressive facets of the role and producing a vocal line of undeniable excellence. Once the audience has indulged with admiration in the youthful boldness and the athletic display stemming from the good looks of the singer--all of which has great relevance in an opera such as Samson et Dalila--one cannot deny that the Argentinean tenor gives an equally handsome and impressive vocal delivery hallmarked by mature expressivity. The color of the voice is that already familiar to us, dark and burnished, but at the same time and when needed rounded and soft... His entry into the first act - where he emerges with the strength of a hero who rises to lead the Jewish people from the chains of slavery - has the muscularity required combined with enthusiasm and confidence. In the sensual tenderness of the duet with Dalila in the second act he enriches his phrasing with the right expressive accents. He is excellent in the third act, singing with great participation through very refined interpretation, all of which conveys the physical and spiritual suffering of Samson. All in all, a new test, not without some flaws, that confirms the qualities of a tenor who is one of the most interesting tenor voices in the international scene. L’Opera, August / September 1998

Samson et Dalila, Turin, November 1997: “José Cura establishes his character with restrained impetus, a giant attracted by the earth and tied to it, who finds the strength to break this bond only in the last scene, at the moment of the destruction of the temple. A great success for Cura….” Opera, 23 October 1997

Samson et Dalila, Turin, November 1997: “José Cura is fantastic. His voice, which is both powerful and heroic, is also able to create an atmosphere of introspective self-confession, while the timbre darkens to express the bitterness of a man who recognizes he has betrayed himself and been betrayed.” Avvenire, 1997

Samson et Dalila, Turin, November 1997: “Cura fascinated his audience with his brilliant voice, with its ample tone, perfect intonation and his powerful stage presence. As Samson, the singing actor Cura cannot be beaten.” Das Opernglas, 1997

Samson et Dalila, Turin, November 1997: “The Argentinian tenor gives to Samson all the strength of his magnetic presence, all the energy of a vocal emission of unseen arrogance. Cura confirms himself to be the only possibly imaginable performer for Samson since Jon Vickers’s retirement.” Opera International, 1997

Samson et Dalila, Turin, November 1997: “Bravo, José Cura! Cura’s Samson asserts his strength without undue athleticism, with particular attention to the nuances and the nobility of the score.” La Stampa, 22 October 1997

Samson et Dalila, Turin, November 1997: “José Cura was an excellent Samson, very accurate in the psychological definition of the character and credible in both voice and the appearance. “ Corriere della Sera, 23 October 1997

Samson et Dalila, Turin, November 1997: “The protagonist José Cura sang very well, making himself admired also as an actor. Ronconi dressed him as Tarzan, with an ironic touch, in tune with the music of Saint-Saëns: Cura played along, drawing a Samson who, within the limits of the character, was truly torn between duty and erotic attraction. When, blind and shorn, appearing destroyed, tied to the mill, his figure was that of a withered giant, very suggestive.” La Stampa, 23 October 1997

Samson et Dalila, Turin, November 1997: “How different the performance would have been without the contribution of a tenor suited to the part - in physique and voice - like José Cura, who, though endowed with a stentorian and nasal emission, also sang softly into the ears if his Dalila with a burnished and persuasive timbre.” Ritaglio Stampa, 31 January 1998

Samson et Dalila, Turin, November 1997: “José Cura was very good, a powerful protagonist always in possession of the role.” La Repubblica, 23 October 1997

Samson et Dalila, Turin, November 1997: “Even for professionals Samson et Dalila is a rarity: very few voices in the world have the characteristics necessary to impersonate the protagonists and among these few stands the Argentine tenor Josè Cura (already applauded as Samson at Covent Garden in London).” Il Tempo, 23 October 1997

Samson et Dalila, Turin, November 1997: “José Cura sets up his character with restrained impetus, a giant attracted to the earth and bound to her, who finds the strength to break this link only in the last scene, when the temple is destroyed. A great success for Cura …” Il Manifesto, 23 October 1997

Samson et Dalila, Turin, November 1997: “Samson—sumptuous, faithful, effective with a cast appropriate to the score [offering] great vocal richness. José Cura is a generous Samson, ardent, bold even in the high notes.” L’Unita, 23 October 1997

Samson et Dalila, Turin, November 1997: “A long final applause, which lasted for at least 5 minutes, marked the success of Samson et Dalila in Turin on Tuesday evening. The French opera had never been performed in Turin and the beautiful staging by Luca Ronconi was able to make a breakthrough with the usually not-very-warm audience. Critical reviews were also enthusiastic, some of whom spoke of this as an historical event. Very few voices in the world have the necessary characteristics to perform these two protagonists and among these, José Cura and Carolyn Sebron stand out ...” L’Eco di Bergamo, 23 October 1997

Samson et Dalila, Turin, November 1997: “…much has also been said about [the costume designer] being able to exploit the athletic musculature of interpreter José Cura, a well-tested tenor who here expressed to the fullest the vocal and dramatic possibilities of the role. His voice was clear and had a heroic ring, even in the most uncomfortable positions.“ Il Piccolo, 23 October 1997

Samson et Dalila, Turin, November 1997: “José Cura's voice had indubitable strong points [with] a beautiful low register and manly, well-positioned highs. The role of Samson is surely more appropriate than others to this voice, so the powerful highs in the heroic moments and the precious pianissimi in elegiac ones united with his athletic qualities and a Tarzan-like acting in making Mr. Cura a really believable Samson, perfect on stage.” OperaWeb, 30 October 1997

Samson et Dalila, Turin, November 1997: “The deeply felt aspect of the work was finally completed by the thunderous performance of José Cura in the role of Samson; the handsome Argentinian tenor concentrated on a roaring interpretation, painted in strong colors. ” Il sole 24 Ore, 26 October 1997

Samson et Dalila, Turin, November 1997: “José Cura is a fine Samson in both voice and physique and bare-chested roles are now his specialty.” Il Giornale, 23 October 1997

Note: These articles and reviews are based on a machine-based translation. We offer them only a a general guide but none should not be considered definitive.

Preparing to Meet Samson with José Cura

Corriere della Sera

21 October 1997

Guiseppina Manin

The 35-year-old Argentinian tenor with a beautiful presence and a wonderful voice, already appreciated in Abbado's Otello, has decided to intensify his visits to the gym. Every day, in addition to the usual vocalizations, he has added a good dose of weights, push-ups and extensions--exercises familiar to him, since before Cura began singing he was an athlete and a martial arts master of karate.

So tonight, at the "premiere" of Samson et Dalila by Camille Saint-Saëns at Teatro Regio, his muscles, tuned and oiled to the right point, promise to open the eyes of even the most sleepy of spectators. Especially since, at a certain point, he will appear on the stage wrapped only in chains. And nothing else. Do not miss the scene of the destruction of the Temple, with him shaking the columns to ruin in stones and dust. "And so be it," says Cura. In the meantime, there has been a lot of distance from that biblical-body culture that fueled a lot of imagination and many popular films of the 50s and 60s, from DeMille's blockbuster where Victor Mature displayed his huge chest to impress Dalila to the more traditional Samson of Cinecittà, where Alan Steel swelled his muscles against a series of improbable enemies, including the Black Corsair.

“A divine warrior, but also a sadistic revolutionary,” continues Cura. “One who took a jawbone of an ass to warm up his muscles and killed a thousand in one fell swoop. Who ripped apart a lion and attached torches to the tails of the foxes to burn the [Philistines’ crops]. One could call him the Che Guevara of the Old Testament, an agitator who fights for a cause regardless of the methods. Even today many politicians resemble him. And a Samson is hiding in each of us ...”

But Samson is not just that. A brute, yes, but one with a soul. When his biceps were put out of action by the cutting of his hair by the treacherous Dalila, the cruel giant discovered another self. "Deprived of everything, of the freedom of sight, perhaps even of manhood, he comes back to God in a different way: not with the arrogance of strength but with the strength of a pure soul, in which case we should sing with the soul because that's how Samson speaks with God."

In conclusion, a nice cocktail of body and spirit. "José can afford it. He has the "physique du ròle," laughs director Ronconi, who promises to wink at the old mythological films without forgetting the religious spirit that goes through history. "And without treading on the pedal of irony, in some cases it is more ironic to show things as they are." He also rejected the temptations of current affairs, bringing back to the day our conflict between Jews and Philistine that takes place, in this case, in Gaza.

"Today the causes are above all political and economic, then religious crises. While even now the Almighty, who at the time hurled thunderbolts if a Jew had sex with an Arab, it seems to me, no longer takes any notice of it."

Samson, God’s Warrior

La Stampa

Armando Caruso

20 October 1997

[Computer-assisted translation // Excerpts]

The protagonists of Samson et Dalila are the Argentine tenor Jose Cura and the African-American soprano Carolyn Sebron. The two mythical characters are brought to life on stage as symbols, the first one of ferocity and then of miraculous determination (Samson), and the second of wickedness as the priestess of terror (Dalila).

José Cura, consecrated as the Otello of the year in 2000 and recognized as the Samson of our days, is the right tenor in the right place: a sculptured physique, a voice of shining enamel. He plays Samson with great awareness, having studied all his psychological facets, his historical and legendary aspects. He claims: "You have to know how to read the Bible. Samson is, if you like, one of the most interesting characters in Biblical literature. A superficial man if you read him as a hero who believes only in his strength but one becomes fascinated if you consider him an envoy of the Lord, a holy man who finds, in divine blessing, the human dimension. The cutting of his hair is almost always a banality; in truth it is the symbol of a strength that lives by the will of God.”

You are the Samson of the future....

"I am a Samson aware that my strength does not depend on me. I was chosen to represent on stage the beauties of melodrama, of music. Alone, without the strength of my faith, I would be nothing. Before singing I always pray that God gives me the opportunity to express the wonder of his being.”

Are there differences between the Samson of the early act and the last act?

Certainly. Samson is a warrior ready to kill with a donkey's jaw. In the last act, he is a divine warrior. He feels the nakedness of his soul and prays to God to give him back the strength to save the Jewish people.

Samson in Turin

La Repubblica

Susanna Franchi

21 October 1997

[Computer-assisted translation // Excerpt]

Five months after his highly acclaimed debut in Otello, José Cura returns to Turin for another tenor hero role, that of Samson (which he has already sung in London).

"This is a role that fascinates me a lot, a role that is a real life lesson. First of all it makes us understand that all the strength in the world, if it is not united with divine strength, if it does not also have love, is useless. Here, the idea is that God gives you a gift, be it strength or something else, even singing, and you have to make the most of it in the best way. Each of us is a Samson because we have a gift, but we must not make the mistake of the biblical hero: believing that we are omnipotent, believing that we are the true owners of this strength. Only when he is defeated, stripped of everything superfluous, blind, weak and in my opinion even castrated, will Samson understand that it was the strength of God that manifested itself through him. And then he will ask the Lord not to abandon him but instead to help him, to inspire him to be able to defeat the Philistines. When I come on stage I think exactly the same thing: the voice is a divine gift, and it is God who gave it to me. If I am on a stage is not because I am more handsome or smarter than others, it is because I have had this wonderful gift."

Vocally what do you think of this character?

"The mistake is to confuse his voicing of the role with the strength of the character. Samson is a strong man but he sings French bel canto. The role should never be shouted or forced. It is a role that is rich in colors, nuances, with a lot of sensuality. The only exception is at the beginning of the opera, when Samson has to convince his people to rebel. Then he is a warrior, later comes the quiet voice, the half tones. It is a very beautiful role. Tenors who have sung Otello and also Wagner have also sung Samson, but it is a unique role, very different from Otello and Wagner.

Cura, the "Tenor of God"

La Stampa

Armando Caruso

23 October 1997

[Computer-assisted translation // Excerpt]

José Cura, the dramatic tenor of the 21st century, the Samson of the future who fascinated the ladies in the theater at the Regio with his sculpted physique and the brilliance of his voice, flew to Paris yesterday morning.

"It's my new homeland because Italy didn't want me. I would have liked to continue living in Verona, to take Italian citizenship, but it was inexplicably denied to me."

Complaints aside, the Argentine José Cura, who will soon sing Samson et Dalila for Erato, is happy about the inaugural success of the season at the Regio. He received compliments from the superintendent Giorgio Balmas, who told him: "I was worried about you when I saw you tumbling from one side of the stage to the other, writhing like a wounded beast. I feared you would hurt yourself." And Cura, joking: "Professor, you will soon realize it when you receive the letters from my lawyers asking for compensation: look at my legs, they are covered in bruises!"

José Cura, the "warrior of God," the tenor who always prays before going on stage for the strength to do well, seemed a little worried about his voice: "In the theater, didn’t you hear my cough? The dust filled my throat. I was afraid I wouldn't make it though." He was reassured: in the theater you could only hear powerful high notes, middle and baritone notes, pianissimo in the love scene of the 2nd act that only a sensitive and enamored Samson could express.

The thirty-five-year-old tenor is "a good soul,"

"I sing to express the wonder of God, his infinite goodness. I would be nothing without God, just a man with a powerful voice and nothing else." Cura made his debut in Samson et Dalila a year and a half ago at Covent Garden: "In London I had one of the greatest honor of my life. The head of the costume designers gave me the head band that once adorned the hair of the great tenor Jon Vickers."

Who is Samson for you? "In the first act of the opera he is a political agitator, a revolutionary. H becomes a man who transforms into a divine warrior after being deceived by the wicked Dalila."

Your next important engagement? "Aida, which in January will inaugurate the new Imperial Theatre in Tokyo in an entirely Japanese edition. The direction will be by Zeffirelli. I will also debut at La Scala in Puccini's Manon.

Luca Ronconi, already back in Rome, is calmly satisfied by the endeavor. "It's a show that works well both from a scenic and musical point of view. Opera always has surprises and traps in store, but I think that every uncertainty was brilliantly overcome. I must say that cast is superb. Both Cura and Carolyn Sebron are singers and actors of great artistic caliber.”

[...]

Legacy

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