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The most popular opera (21/2/12)

Antipiracy laws – protests spreading (26/01/12)

There is nothing new in art, everything is a copy!

In a time which the defense of the author intellectual right is pledged by Brazilian Ministry of Culture and antipiracy laws in the States are getting supporters all over the world the cyberspace has become centre of conflicts with sites invasions and protests against these policies. Artists are showing their opinions and big groups like Google and Wikipedia have opposed it defending their own interests. In the other hand big television, music recording and booking publishing companies are the ones having big looses. Therefore, lobbying quite a lot to get these new rules implemented.

Anyone outside these big groups could dream about getting some money or defend their author rights but what they really get is only "crumbs from the table of joy". In the other side small and unknown artists get more chances of success loosening their intellectual rights. A big example would be the Brazilian pop song “Ai, se eu te pego”; The only reason it became so famous is the huge success on youtube, now Michel Teló is everywhere doing shows and selling CDs. The free online access and distribution blustered him making his music an enormous success. Paulo Coelho, the famous Brazilian writer, is another example. He writes in his Blog “Pirates of the world, unite and pirate everything I’ve ever written! The good old days, when each idea had an owner, are gone forever.”

The benefits of free information and internet content is remarkable in a way that anyone; no matter race, citizenship or social class can access all web content for free or at a reasonable price: this should be the government goal instead of defending big companies trying to keep their big profits.

The idea of giving different copyrights status looks interesting as the author could make his work free to be used by anyone: in full, allow changes or keep all rights (in this case it could only be used with his permission leading to possible charges and fees). Unfortunately this is not enough as it keeps all restrictions for past works and maintains the same illegal status to all work produced by big firms and broadcasted online.

The free use of all online content should be encouraged instead of forbidden. It will definitely open much more gaps for independent labels much more interested on free and cheap exposition of their works forcing even big names to accept it.

Stuttgart Christmas Market (11/12/11)

Catching up II (12/11/11)

October was a busy month in Milan. I spent lots of time trying to figure out how to become a better performer learning how to win the audience admiration and control my own instrument. In a way, a singer couldn’t be in a better atmosphere to learn and think over all of these things than the one I had at La Scala.  This house is the one all of us dream to go! I didn’t get to perform in there this time but I hope the day to do it will come soon.  Nevertheless, it made me even more exited to start the Christof Loy’s revival production of the same opera in Theatre an der Wien at the end of this season.

After the lovely period in Milan it was time to move to Orphée et Euridice at Staatstheater Stuttgart and we just had the first night of this production revival from Christian Spuck conducted by Nicholas Kok in a couple of days ago. It was a fantastic evening! This is the kind of show everybody loves with touching music, beautiful dancing and expressive mise en scene.

There is a huge contrast between the cold weather and the warm smile stamped in the face of receptive people from Stuttgart and it will definitely help a lot during the long winter I’m about to face here rehearsing the new production of La Sonnambula directed by Jossi Wieler and Gabrielle Ferro.

Catching up... (29/08/11)

These were one of the most intense holidays I’ve ever had and it was basically staying at home and sorting things out. We've enjoyed my parents visiting us and travelled around many English sightseeing. It was completely different from when I visited British cities with English Touring Opera or Glyndebourne. Now it was really holidays with no singer’s normal care to avoid cold weather, cold water, cold alcohol, air draft, air conditioner, air polluted and all forbiden substances and situations.

All respect with all singers but we are really a bit mad. Though, I really understand more and more the reasons singers can be so paranoic with some of these cold and air words; they are evil! For all other paranoias I really recommend a psychologist!

In a way, either if we sing high notes with lots of coloraturas or have to bavely face a heavy and full orchestra underneath the vocal line, the condition of the body and mind are essentials to finish the job obtaining the high quality required from the audience and the critics; Oh my God, these last ones can be very difficult to please...

In fact, it makes me remember to come back to work, and indeed, I have 4 more weeks before the first official rehearsal but lots to study and learn during this period. So I’m writing and laughing in here while 3 opera scores are lying on the table beside my computer and underneath my laziness.

Time to go back.

Barcelona Rehearsal Period (27/06/11)

Everyday life can be very exciting when travelling to charming cities and knowing new people, add a little eccentricity and dispute and the receip is ready. 

Barcelona has been one of my most visited cities during the last 3 years. I really love it and come here whenever is possible. There are lots of fantastic places to visit and a rich cultural life including the inspiring buildings projected by Gaudi. La Pedrera, Sagrada Familía or Park Güell still get lot of my admiration every time I visit them. Besides it, there are very good museums where you can see lots of Miró, Picasso, Catalan History and many more works.

Though Flamenco dance comes from South of Spain it was here that I first saw a performance and it is something you can’t miss. There is a nice show of it at Los Tarantos. These people voice and dance come from the soul and they look as embodying other person or entity while performing. Impressive! The city musical tradition is enhanced with one of the most prestigious opera theatre in the world. The Liceu has been the house for the most prestigious singers in the world.   Keep such an impressive cultural industry isn’t easy during the actual economical and social crisis Spain is crossing. And they aren’t alone as we’ve been seeing cuts for culture everywhere in the world and in many place the struggle to handle it causes many radical decisions. Unfortunately, my visit this time was marked with a dispute between orchestra and producers that has come to an end today with the announcement; “The RCOC Direction and the Director of the 2011 International Music and Dance Festival of Granada have in the present day agreed both parts in the OFFICIAL CANCELLATION of the SOLIMANO production 2011, due to the illness of the RCOC director JUAN BAUTISTA OTERO”

My excitement about this project was clearly shared with you all in this space and this is the reason I feel the same freedom now to demonstrate how sorry I am with this cancelation. But there are much more to come and I am sure Granada Festival fans will have many other attractions to enjoy this year. So, have fun and see you next time!

Luciano

From Spain to Brazil (20/06/11)

It was great to have 3 weeks off in London recharging after singing Lucia. The period in Rio was fantastic and intense! The theatre looks good after the refurbishment and I had the chance to meet lots of old friends and visit my family besides discovering this new role that goes to the shelf now and may return after some years.

Now, time to tune up at Solimano. The composer, David Perez, was born in Napoli, the same city that created Alessandro Scarlatti (1660/1725) and Pergolessi Giambattista (1714-1774). Descendent of Spanish, he was born 300 years ago and died in Lisbon in 1778 where he worked as chapel master and wrote this opera. In the same time of the bell canto flourishes, he was a vocal coach and used the orchestra to support the singer with many different colours. His music influenced European composers of his time, specially his “recitativo acompagnato”.

Probably his influences are much wider crossing the Atlantic Ocean and arriving in Brazil. In fact, I’m really coming back to this music remembering quite a lot of my very beginning years as a professional singer doing Brazilian Baroque Music with friends from Caliope in Rio de Janeiro. We performed and recorded mostly sacred music from Jose Mauricio Nunes Garcia (1767-1830). Like Perez, Nunes Garcia’s music showed lots of classical elements with bits of Baroque Music.

In fact it is quite easy to spot similarities between these two composers. They were both chapel masters of the Portuguese kingdom during its most glorious time. Perez lived in a prosperous Portugal full of gold and goods from its colonies and Garcia Nunes’s period was highlighted by the Portuguese Royal family exile in Rio de Janeiro hiding from the Napoleonic Empire from 1808 to 1822.  There is an interesting book called “1808” from Laurentino Gomes that describes in details this important period in Brazil and Portugal.

We are recording this opera in Barcelona and had the first orchestral rehearsal yesterday.  It was a complete discovering moment for me but you might have your own impressions after coming to the performance or listening the CD album that will be distributed by Harmonia Mundi.

Rio de Janeiro (30/04/11)

Does anyone know the reason Cariocas feel so emotional hearing Jobims' Samba do Avião while landing in Rio? It definitely makes me remember the very best of the "Cidade maravilhosa". Besides it the music and lyrics shows perfectly the warm and open mood of the city.

It will be my first time singing in the Teatro Municipal do Rio de Janeiro after the long needed refurbishment that happened about 2 years ago. I watched a concert in the theatre last year and it looked superb. Worth every cent spent! Besides it, I feel like singing at home after being here so many times and having so many good friends and colleagues working in the theatre. I’m looking forward for hearing how the improvements on the acoustic will resound specially singing a role such as Edgardo in Lucia di Lammermoor.

Edgardo is in my list of desired roles for a while and I will finally have the chance and courage to do it. It’s amazing music and required quite a lot of work to understand how to sing it. I believe this is a bel canto role much more than a Verdi one. Several weeks ago I mentioned three inspiring Youtube recordings on my Facebook page. You can have a look on them or, even better, come to the Theatre to watch the performance!

La Bretagne 16/04/11

The free day this week was enjoyed at it most! Bringing a delightful impression from this part of the World here in the Northwest of France. With name and borders that bring a close relation with Great Brittan one could say that the main proximity between the two places is the wet and rainy weather. I couldn’t even say that as the day was sunny and warm! :-) The history of Bretagne is full of details and you can definitely feel it while visiting this region.

The sea really brings me very good memories of Brazil causing a therapeutic relaxation. Though, the seashore in here is quite different from the Mediterranean part of France. In the itinerary we started from Rennes going to Dinan, Dinard and St Malo.

L'Opéra de Rennes has a cosy size and interesting architecture; they are very busy doing lots of shows per year! The city is beautifull and offers many attractions, plenty of good restaurants and young people coming here to study. Dinan is not very far with its well preserved medieval centre and St Malo is the closest beach.

Novo Website (3/4/11)

Welcome to the new website lucianobotelho.com