Considered one of the best tenors in the world, Javier Camarena returns to the Liceu to offer a recital as part of the celebrations for the 175th anniversary of the Teatre’s founding.

Accompanied by his usual pianist, Ángel Rodríguez, the tenor will review some of the most representative songs and arias from his repertoire: from the look at the music of Mexico, his country of origin, to the best bel canto repertoire.

Crowned at the Liceu as one of the favorite tenors of his generation, Javier Camarena generates authentic euphoria due to the elegance of his singing, the beauty of his sunny timbre and natural virtuosity.

Javier Camarena solidifies his commitment to the Teatre’s artistic project and this season, the renowned tenor will return to the Liceu in June to make his debut in the role of Tamino in Mozart’s The Magic Flute.

The Mexican tenor Javier Camarena, one of the most beloved by the Barcelona public, returns to the Gran Teatre del Liceu to offer a new recital accompanied by the pianist Ángel Rodríguez next January 7 as part of the celebrations of the 175th anniversary of the foundation of the Theatre. The two performers propose a program with an exquisite repertoire that begins with two pieces from the French romantic repertoire: Prendre le dessin d’un bijou… Phantaisie aux divins mensonges by Léo Delibes and the delicate Instant charmant… En fermant les yeux by J. Massenet .

Lakmé by Léo Delibes, responds to the orientalist fashion that we also find in titles such as Les pêcheurs de perles by Bizet or Le roi de Lahore by Massenet. Known especially for fragments such as the flower duet or the bell aria, it also contains Gérald’s inspired aria in the first act, Fantaisie aux divins mensonges. Continuing with the French repertoire, Camarena will perform the famous Habanera de Carmen (Georges Bizet), a rebellious love song, an aria from the first act of the renowned opera.

The recital will continue towards Italian opera, with pieces by different authors, styles and periods. Spirto Gentil, aria from the fourth act of Donizetti’s La Favorite, represents the purest Belcantism of the first half of the 19th century. A style that will evolve in Verdi’s hands during his first creative stage, known as the “galley years”. Lombardi is part of that period and in La mia letizia infondere a more resounding vocal treatment can already be seen. An evolution that reaches its climax in verist operas, such as Francesco Cilea’s L’arlesiana. Il lamento di Federico, with its fanciful melodic line and exacerbated sentimentality, is a convincing example.

After a break, the repertoire will go through a compilation of popular Italian songs, which will open with Rodolfo Falvo’s Dicincello vuie. According to scholars such as Ettore de Mura, the Neapolitan folk song tradition dates back to the 13th century, but what is called the Neapolitan classical song emerged in the 19th century. Te voglio bene assaje, written in 1839 by Filippo Campanella, is considered the foundational piece of this style, despite the widespread legend of its authorship by Donizetti. From then on, and with the contributions of Francesco Paolo Tosti or Eduardo di Capua, the border between popular song and Neapolitan cultured song gradually blurred. A decisive moment in the evolution of the genre was the creation of the publishing house La Canzonetta in 1901, the first dedicated exclusively to the Neapolitan song. Precisely Rodolfo Falvo, known by the name of Mascagnino, due to his resemblance to the author of Cavalleria rusticana, published many of his pieces in said publishing house. Dicincello vuje, written in 1930 from a text by Enzo Fusco, became his most popular song. Ernesto de Curtis, author of the very famous Torna a Surriento, and Salvatore Cardillo also belong to such a glorious group of Neapolitan song creators.

The recital concludes with two pieces by Spanish composers of very different moods, periods and styles. The Navarrese Agustín Pérez Soriano was a prolific zarzuela composer in the second half of the 19th century, despite the fact that the only work for which he is currently remembered is El guitarrico, and more specifically for his Serenata or Jota de Perico . Precisely Antón García Abril, one of the most outstanding Spanish composers of the 20th century, was born in Teruel, but his production is characterized by variety and eclecticism. He composed works of all kinds, becoming a great creator of soundtracks. In the vocal section he wrote an opera, Divine words, and several cycles of songs, one of them entitled Homenaje a Gayarre, which Camarena and Rodríguez will perform, to close the recital, I sing because I am happy.