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A close rapport, based primarily on admiration, frequently arises between a theatre, its audience and a particular artist. But such relationships can sometimes develop into veritable bonds of affection. The
Gran Teatre del Liceu is -and always has been- a splendid breeding ground for great singers, whom the opera house and its patrons have adopted as their own.
Jaume Aragall and
Joan Pons are two such singers. Both have close links to the history of the Liceu. Aragall made his Liceu debut nearly half a century ago, in the 1961-1962 season, playing minor roles in Pagliacci and Lucia di Lammermoor. His first appearance in a leading tenor role came soon after, in the series of memorable performances of La Bohème that marked the 1963-1964 season.
Joan Pons was first seen at the Liceu a decade later, in La Gioconda. For him, as for Aragall, this debut was the prelude to an emotional relationship with Barcelona opera goers. He ultimately became the theatre's star baritone, though the Liceu had to vie with the New York Metropolitan for his services.
This concert, in which Aragall and Pons appear with the Chinese soprano Hui He, is a retrospective of a few of the arias from opera and zarzuela that have marked their respective careers.
Olympics of Barcelona '92 - Opera Recital