The torrential voice of Freddie de Tommaso inaugurated the Catalan operatic summer, which, apparently, cannot begin until the Peralada Castle Festival kicks off. That seems to be an unwritten maxim that is repeated year after year and that, curiously –and with the permission of Ainhoa Arteta's recent performance in Les Nits de Barcelona– was demonstrated again yesterday. Despite even being a special edition of the Empordà event, because, due to the projection of the new auditorium, the summer has begun late and with a fragmented program in just ten days.
Even so, chance wanted the Peralada public to enjoy the timbre beauty of De Tommaso in arias and songs by Verdi a few hours before the announced Tosca in the Tarraco Arena began in Tarragona, which is mentioned on the page contiguous.
In the case of the Perelada Festival –be careful, because it appears written with e as the brand of the winery, but also with a when referring to the local festival–, the recital was held in the Gothic church of El Carme, surrounded by attendees some jewels from the Suqué-Mateu family art gallery, including three paintings from the 15th century, such as The Virgin of Granada, by Petrus Christus II; the Christ Tied to the Column, by Hans Memling, and the Burial of Christ, by the Master of Burgos, which hang from the thick walls of the nave. Not to mention that version of a composition designed by Rubens, La Virgen de la leche, which arrived in Spain in the 17th century.
Between such canvases and under the spectacular polychrome wooden coffered ceiling, the voice of this promising tenor sounded brave in a recital dedicated to Verdi. The Italian-British singer, who became known by winning the Tenor Plácido Domingo award and also the Verdi within the Viñas Contest, in 2018, visited Peralada for the second time after debuting in the first Easter edition.
At the age of 30, he has performed at the Royal Opera House in London, in Munich or in Vienna. And next season he will be three times at the Liceu, with a recital alongside soprano Lise Davidsen –another vocal thunder– and playing Riccardo in Un ballo in maschera and in the role of Maurizio in Adriana Lecouv reur.
It was precisely with Riccardo's famous aria "Ma se m'è forza perdenti..." that this recital ended, among bravos, with the audience imagining how much it would improve in the hands of a good musical direction and actors at the Liceu. Well, if De Tommaso is guilty of something, it is designing demanding programs from minute one, which also works with little modulation. He gives his all and pours out all his wealth... And unlike last Holy Week, yesterday he did not allow himself to be seduced by the religiosity of space. Aware that the sacred style does not allow him to display faculties like the operatic repertoire, he threw himself fully into Verdi.
On his previous visit, the critics agreed that the young artist has yet to mature and channel his voice stylistically. But whatever it was, yesterday Tomasso's hopeful debut drew attention to that Aix-en-Provence that the Catalan public has in Peralada. His generous emission and his well-projected highs were enough for the attendees to be ecstatic with his vocal brilliance, reminiscent of the solar voices of decades ago.
De Tomasso started with La mia letizia infondere, from I Lombar di, and Ah! Si, ben dite… , by Il Corsaro, to then move on to bigger words with Il trovatore with La seduzione or Ah! Yes, ben mio, where he achieved moments of lyricism. And he was excellent in the very famous Quando le sere al placido, by Luisa Miller, with which he closed the first part.
Already in the second, and always accompanied by Audrey Saint-Gil at the piano, he delighted the general public addressing La Traviata (De miei bollenti spiriti) and Aroldo, Sotto il sol di Siria ardente, plus three of the 6 romanze. In the encores he gave himself up to Tosca's E lucevan le stelle with a slight friction of the strings on the pianissimi... Well, it is clear that nowhere else does he feel more at home than in the big voice.
The mayor of Peralada, Miquel Brugat, the Director of Music of the ICEC, Xavier Cester, and the entire leadership of the Liceu were not missing from the meeting: the president Salvador Alemany, the general director, Valentí Oviedo, and the artistic director, Víctor García de Gomar The reason was not only the collaboration of the theater with Peralada in this particular recital by De Tommaso. No, the president of the festival, Isabel Suqué, presented him with the medal of honor at the Gran Teatre while the artistic director, Oriol Aguilà, evoked the entente they have maintained since decades ago Carmen Mateu started this date with the opera and performing arts "The Liceu believed in Peralada as the Royal Opera House believed in Glyndebourne or Paris believed in Aix-en-Provence", he said. And all square.
