The artistic quality of soprano Montserrat Martí Caballé is irreproachable. The singer impressed by displaying all the details and flavors that should characterize a singer willing to interpret a repertoire as demanding as that of this concert. Gifted with a clear and bright voice, with perfect precision and clean intonation, she aroused honest admiration. Her timbre focused on the lyrical moments (“Vissi D’arte”, from Tosca, and “O mio babbino caro”, from Gianni Schicchi) gave me goosebumps. With a well-cultivated and projected voice, M. Martí left the sensation of freshness and simplicity in the line of her soprano singing, extremely pleasant and clean, also in the zarzuela parts (“La Tarántula” and “Canción del olvido”).

No less attractive was the artistic contribution of baritone Luis Santana, who fully demonstrated his vocal values, with a voice of great dynamism and color. In the high registers (“Di Provenza”, from La Traviata, and “Canción del Toreador”, from Carmen), one could perceive the sound characteristic closest to the timbral quality of a tenor. Santana's voice has a warm timbre of great body, to which the singer adds a precise dose of pathos and emotion. In the duets with M. Martí (“La ci darem la mano”, from Don Giovanni, “Brindisi Libiamo”, from La Traviata, and “Habanera”, from 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 young musicians also shone in orchestral performances, such as in the “Intermezzo” from 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 of the zarzuela. The successful performances of the soloists and the orchestra provoked an unusually cordial reception from the audience, which forced the artists to give two encores: the duet from “Verbena de la Paloma” and “Brindis Libiamo”.

The cloister courtyard of the San Atilano seminary has hosted tonight the seventh edition of the Night of Candles with a lyrical gala of opera and zarzuela wrapped in a magical and intimate atmosphere that has once again dazzled the attending public.

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

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

The spectators were amazed by the staging and burst into applause at the end of each piece to the delight and pride of the performers.

The seminary cloister was packed, with audiences on balconies and even long queues forming to enjoy the evening.

Magic evening by Montserrat Martí, Luis Santana and Antonio López at the Tomelloso Municipal Theatre.

The Tomelloso Municipal Theatre undoubtedly experienced a magical evening last night. It was with the last concert of the year in which the Guillermo González Promúsica Association celebrated its 20th anniversary. Montserrat Martí, Luis Santana and Antonio López offered a recital of opera and zarzuela (magnificent, brilliant, fun) which, despite the football, managed to fill the stalls of the Tomelloso coliseum and make the audience enjoy a superb night of music.

Miguel Huertas, in the introduction, anticipated a formidable recital (and he was not wrong) by a Catalan, a Castilian and an Andalusian in La Mancha. Music, as we know, does not understand fanaticism. The performers were at ease and this was noticeable, and moreover they were able to convey it to the audience (Who said that the people of Tomelloso are cold?). With complicity and rapport they sang, laughed and even danced. Up to four encores, no less, they offered to a devoted theatre that applauded enthusiastically.

The night started 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 pieces by Rossini, "Quia voce, quia note" and "Fioraia Fiorentina". And the first duet of the night, "La ci darem la mano", from Mozart's "Don Giovanni", was superb.

After the applause came the first programme change. Montserrat Caballé sang the well-known aria "O mio babbino caro" from Puccini's "Gianni Schicchi". The singer took us to places where only music can go and, of course, raised applause and cheers from the audience. Luis Santana dedicated the next piece, "Di Provenza il mar, il suol" from "La Traviata", to his master Pedro Lavirgen's wife, "who is very ill". The baritone left us open-mouthed with his register. Another piece from "La Traviata", the duet of Violetta and Germont, put an end to the first part, to the applause of the audience.