JOSÉ CURA, “ OTELLO “ - Salzburg Easter Festival, 2016

JOSÉ CURA, “OTELLO“ -- Salzburg Easter Festival in 2016 　 For the 400th anniversary year of Shakespeare’s death. In 2016, José Cura made his debut at the prestigious Salzburg Easter Festival as Otello. The abstract, allegorical nature of the staging with its dark, almost impenetrable lighting demanded the tenor bring even greater luminosity to a role that is already challenging in its need to portray power and fragility, fierceness and finesse. Complicating the portrayal was the disparate approach of the design team: in a presentation in which the director was more interested in images, emblems, and disturbing symbols than narrative or character development and the conductor was more interested in clinically dissecting the score than bringing it to life, José Cura somehow found moments in which to introduce warmth, tension, and honesty. Instead of giving in to a production which offered little momentum or understanding by either director or conductor and with no