The artistic quality of the soprano Montserrat Martí Caballé is beyond reproach. The singer impressed by showing all the details and flavors that should characterize a singer willing to interpret a repertoire as demanding as that of this concert. Endowed with a clear and brilliant voice, with perfect precision and cleanliness of intonation, she aroused honest admiration. His timbre of focus on the lyrical moments (“Vissi D’arte”, by Tosca, and “O mio babbino caro”, by Gianni Schicchi) provoked goosebumps. With a well cultivated and projected voice, M. Martí left the sensation of freshness and simplicity in the line of the singing of his extremely pleasant and clean soprano, also in the parts of zarzuelas ("La Tarántula" and "Canción del olvido").
No less attractive was the artistic contribution of baritone Luis Santana, who fully demonstrated his values ​​as a vocalist, with a very dynamic and colorful voice. In the high registers (“Di Provenza”, from La Traviata, and “Canción del Toreador”, from Carmen), the sound characteristic closest to the timbre quality of a tenor could be perceived. Santana's voice has a warm, full-bodied timbre, to which the singer adds a precise dose of pathos and emotion. In the duets with M. Marti (“La ci darem la mano”, by Don Giovanni, “Brindisi Libiamo”, from La Traviata, and “Habanera”, by Don Gil Alcalá), Santana showed impressive flexibility and adequate dynamism.
The JOST, under the baton of maestro Arronis, impressed with very good attention from the young musicians during the difficult art of accompanying the singers. The youngsters also excelled in orchestral performances, such as in the “Intermezzo” of Mascagni's Cavalleria Rusticana, where the strings of the orchestra maintained delicacy and subtlety, conveying a sense of longing without sentimentality. The fragments of the zarzuelas ”El Bateo” and “Los Leandras” were like peculiar interludes with a cheerful character and full of temperament, typical for zarzuela. Successful performances by the soloists and the orchestra provoked an unusually cordial reception from the audience, which forced the artists to offer two encores: a duet of the “Verbena de la Paloma” and “Brindis Libiamo”.

The cloistered patio of the San Atilano seminary hosted tonight the seventh edition of the Night of the Candles with a lyrical gala of opera and zarzuela wrapped in a magical and intimate atmosphere that once again dazzled the audience.

A very special gala with the soprano Monserrat Martí Caballé, daughter of Monserrat Caballé, together with the mezzo soprano Beatriz Gimeno, the incredible baritone Luis Santana and the no less spectacular Antonio López on piano, the latter two again present at this spectacular night.

After the uncertainty of the previous edition in which the rain almost clouded the night, this time everything has been very different. A warm night that has accompanied these unique voices that have been able to dazzle in all their splendor.

The spectators have been amazed by the staging and have broken into applause at the end of each piece to the delight and pride of the performers.

The cloister of the seminary has been packed, with the public on the balconies and there have even been long queues to enjoy the evening.

Magical evening of Montserrat Martí, Luis Santana and Antonio López at the Municipal Theater of Tomelloso.
The Tomelloso Municipal Theater lived last night, without a doubt, a magical evening. It was with the last concert of the year that the Guillermo González Promúsica Association celebrated its 20th Anniversary. Montserrat Martí, Luis Santana and Antonio López offered an opera and zarzuela recital (magnificent, brilliant, fun) that, despite the football, managed to fill the stalls of the Tomellos coliseum and make the audience enjoy a superb night of music.
Miguel Huertas, in the presentation anticipated a formidable recital (and he did not fall short at all) by a Catalan, a Castilian and an Andalusian in La Mancha. Music, it is already known, does not understand fanaticism. The interpreters were comfortable and that was noticeable and they were also able to transmit it to the public (Who said that Tomelloso's is cold?). With complicity and rapport they sang, laughed and even danced. Up to four encores, no less, they offered to a dedicated theater that applauded wildly.
The night started off well, with "L'amor mio", a song by Donizetti with the velvety voice of Montserrat Martí. The soprano continued with Rossini's “Bolero” to give way to the baritone. Santana sang two Rossini pieces, “Quia voce, quia note” and “Fioraia Fiorentina”. And the first duet of the night came, “La ci darem la mano”, from Mozart's “Don Giovanni”, and it was superb.
After the applause came the first program change. Martí Caballé sang the well-known aria “O mio babbino” from Puccini's “Gianni Schicchi”. The singer took us to places where only music can do it and, of course, she raised applause and bravos from the respectable. Luis Santana dedicated the next piece, “Di Provenza il mar, il suol” from “La Traviata” to the wife of his teacher, Pedro Lavirgen, “who is very ill”. The baritone left us speechless with his range. Another piece from “La Traviata”, the duo of Violeta and Germón brought the first part to an end to the applause of the audience.