Roberto Alagna

INTERVIEW in Monaco-Matin (14/12/2015) by Cédric Vérany | "Roberto Alagna sings Christmas at the Sporting Monte Carlo"

 

"The tenor is the star of a musical evening built around Christmas carols from around the world. Available, talkative, friendly ... Roberto Alagna may well be an opera star, he is the opposite of a diva. The tenor is in Monaco to record a Christmas TV show that will be aired on December 24 on France 3. A repertoire for which the singer admits to feel a special tenderness.

 

> MM - This show pays tribute to Christmas carols from around the world?

> RA - Yes indeed, because when we celebrate Christmas, it’s not only a national celebration. Christmas is a symbolic event worldwide, a magical festivity, which brings us back to childhood. We can celebrate Christmas without being Catholic. For me it is the celebration of family get-togethers. But curiously France is the country where Christmas carols work the least well, even if it's starting to come. For a long time there was only the “Petit Papa Noël” by Tino Rossi and not much else. While in England, the United States, in Eastern countries, these songs are numerous and very popular.

 

> MM - You are also releasing an album of Christmas songs (http://www.robertoalagna.net/). Is it a mandatory stage in the career of an artist?

> RA - I made several Christmas discs. This is not a mandatory step, but rather a desire to share. I wanted to champion this repertoire for my children. When I recorded my first Christmas album, Ornella my daughter was very young and I did this record for her. Today, I have a second daughter, Malèna, for whom I wanted to do this project.

 

> MM - How is it to organize such a Christmas show, with many many artists?

> RA - It's a big show, with twenty songs. I am performing in fifteen titles. Yvan Cassar made upstream an heavy work of musical adaptation. I just discovered these arrangements on Friday in Monaco, the day before the first rehearsal. And we have not stopped since then. We are also neighbors in our hotel rooms and Saturday morning at breakfast, we sang all the songs from one balcony to the other (laughs). That's what I like: improvising, sharing and creating. Although a large number of artists have already tackled these Christmas songs, each brings his own sensitivity and musicality.

 

> MM - Does it have a special flavor to record this show in Monaco, where you appeared so many times?

> RA - It is a place where I love to come. The Principality is like a wonderland that perfectly matches the magic of Christmas. Just see the beautiful outside lightings in the streets. One has the feeling that Christmas magic happens a little bit better here. And that makes us forget the difficulties of everyday life.

 

> MM - Where will you celebrate Christmas?

> RA - I will fly to Poland to find my wife and daughter. My oldest daughter and my parents will also join us this year to celebrate the holidays together.

 

// A remarkable set:

Behind the microphone will succeed a blend of both lyrical and pop voices, featuring Aleksandra Kurzak, Karine Deshayes, Nolwenn Leroy, Joyce Jonathan, Patrick Fiori, Salvatore Adamo, China Moses, Agnès Jaoui, Armando Noguera and Violette Polchi.