On December 22nd and 23rd, two concerts were held in Barcelona, where Andrew Lloyd Webber's masterpieces reached Spanish audiences. These melodies that have gained a place in the hearts of people around the world came from the Orquesta Sinfónica de Barcelona y Nacional de Cataluña (OBC), conducted by the director and musical supervisor Alfonso Casado, accompanied by the voices of John Owen-Jones, Geronimo Rauch, Joanna Ampil and Celinde Schoenmaker as soloists. A few days before the concert, we had the great pleasure of meeting in person and interviewing Alfonso Casado, a man of undeniable talent and cordially warm, who kindly answered our questions before one of the last rehearsals before the first concert. Read here the interview!
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LNDEs: When we found out that this Orchestra was coming to Barcelona with this amazing Conductor and soloists... we couldn't believe how lucky we were. A Spanish conductor and Music Supervisor who has been working in London, in large productions... tell us about it.
AC: Well, I moved to London five years ago invited by the producer Cameron Mackintosh and for him, I directed almost two years Les Misérables there and then I made Miss Saigon for a year and a half. And then they invited me to do The Phantom of the Opera in London, which is Andrew's composition but produced by Cameron. And since then, it's the only musical I've directed there, which I finished a year ago, and since then I've been supervising. What I do is set up Cameron's musicals around the world, where he takes them, or London or England, and I supervise them. "Supervising" meaning that everything respects the original version.
LNDEs: Is there a significant change to be in one country or another?
How do you live the same productions, but in different ways?
AC: It's very nice creatively because you first get in touch with new Directors, new orchestras, new cast and, on the other hand, you work the material in another language. Of course, the first one I supervised was the Spanish one. They sent me because I speak the language, and afterwards, I have made productions in Japan, in Dubai and in Brazil. In Dubai, we did it in English because we did it in the Opera House, where John [Owen-Jones] played Valjean, but of course, Japan and Brazil were in Japanese and Portuguese, respectively.
LNDEs: And speaking of "dream productions". Where would you like to be, in first person?
AC: The truth is that when you belong to these big teams of people and have the opportunity to work with directors and creators of scene and sound of that caliber, the truth is that it's a pleasure wherever you go, Cameron and Andrew's teams are great. So... well, I always have a little bit of the nails that I would love to do a production in America, because I've always heard very good things about how productions are set up there in New York, but the truth is that here in England and where we set the productions around the world, they also are of high level, very demanding but also very satisfying to do.
LNDEs: Tell us about the team, the integration and getting to work and meet with great personalities, such as Webber...
AC: I've seen him many times, but to meet him in person... I had the opportunity to chat with him, one time in particular when he came to see The Phantom of the Opera. With him I have less relationship than, for example, with Cameron because I work much more in his team, but when I was conducting Phantom of the Opera, he came several times to see the play and one of them we even talked about the play and his vision, and what did he like and what he did not and such, and it was nice to meet him. Obviously, he is a person who has a unique musical sensibility, and among the notes he gives you, the opinions are very correct.
LNDEs: You are in charge of supervising that everything is going as it should be. As for your personal touch, do you aim to contribute somehow?
AC: Yes, absolutely, when you are part of a team, let's say, you are part of that team because they invite you to contribute with your personality, your ways, right? So I do a little bit of that. And then, there is always criticism to consider. Anything that I've changed or moulded that is not of the composer's taste for example in the case of Les Misérables or Miss Saigon, they are very involved, they come and comment and I can mould what they approve, but my premise is always to respect the original vision of the composer and the story that he wants to tell with that musical.
LNDEs: Have you always had a taste for this kind of musical world?
AC: No, not at all. It emerged by chance fourteen years ago. And I did not think about it at all and in the end it was my profession and the truth is, my passion, because it's a field that I like a lot and it has opened many doors to me and has given me great opportunities to get to know this great orchestra and come for the second time, to play this material.
LNDEs: You have already started rehearsals, what can you tell us? What can we expect?
AC: Well, I think you're going to expect a splurge of music very well played. The truth is that listening to all those songs with this great orchestra and with the soloists that we have, I believe and I hope that they fulfil the expectations of the public and that they honour the vision of Andrew Lloyd Webber, of his songs. I think you are going to see something that is not very common to see, that these songs are played in this very symphonic and big format.
AC: Well, I moved to London five years ago invited by the producer Cameron Mackintosh and for him, I directed almost two years Les Misérables there and then I made Miss Saigon for a year and a half. And then they invited me to do The Phantom of the Opera in London, which is Andrew's composition but produced by Cameron. And since then, it's the only musical I've directed there, which I finished a year ago, and since then I've been supervising. What I do is set up Cameron's musicals around the world, where he takes them, or London or England, and I supervise them. "Supervising" meaning that everything respects the original version.
LNDEs: Is there a significant change to be in one country or another?
How do you live the same productions, but in different ways?
AC: It's very nice creatively because you first get in touch with new Directors, new orchestras, new cast and, on the other hand, you work the material in another language. Of course, the first one I supervised was the Spanish one. They sent me because I speak the language, and afterwards, I have made productions in Japan, in Dubai and in Brazil. In Dubai, we did it in English because we did it in the Opera House, where John [Owen-Jones] played Valjean, but of course, Japan and Brazil were in Japanese and Portuguese, respectively.
LNDEs: And speaking of "dream productions". Where would you like to be, in first person?
AC: The truth is that when you belong to these big teams of people and have the opportunity to work with directors and creators of scene and sound of that caliber, the truth is that it's a pleasure wherever you go, Cameron and Andrew's teams are great. So... well, I always have a little bit of the nails that I would love to do a production in America, because I've always heard very good things about how productions are set up there in New York, but the truth is that here in England and where we set the productions around the world, they also are of high level, very demanding but also very satisfying to do.
LNDEs: Tell us about the team, the integration and getting to work and meet with great personalities, such as Webber...
AC: I've seen him many times, but to meet him in person... I had the opportunity to chat with him, one time in particular when he came to see The Phantom of the Opera. With him I have less relationship than, for example, with Cameron because I work much more in his team, but when I was conducting Phantom of the Opera, he came several times to see the play and one of them we even talked about the play and his vision, and what did he like and what he did not and such, and it was nice to meet him. Obviously, he is a person who has a unique musical sensibility, and among the notes he gives you, the opinions are very correct.
LNDEs: You are in charge of supervising that everything is going as it should be. As for your personal touch, do you aim to contribute somehow?
AC: Yes, absolutely, when you are part of a team, let's say, you are part of that team because they invite you to contribute with your personality, your ways, right? So I do a little bit of that. And then, there is always criticism to consider. Anything that I've changed or moulded that is not of the composer's taste for example in the case of Les Misérables or Miss Saigon, they are very involved, they come and comment and I can mould what they approve, but my premise is always to respect the original vision of the composer and the story that he wants to tell with that musical.
AC: No, not at all. It emerged by chance fourteen years ago. And I did not think about it at all and in the end it was my profession and the truth is, my passion, because it's a field that I like a lot and it has opened many doors to me and has given me great opportunities to get to know this great orchestra and come for the second time, to play this material.
LNDEs: You have already started rehearsals, what can you tell us? What can we expect?
AC: Well, I think you're going to expect a splurge of music very well played. The truth is that listening to all those songs with this great orchestra and with the soloists that we have, I believe and I hope that they fulfil the expectations of the public and that they honour the vision of Andrew Lloyd Webber, of his songs. I think you are going to see something that is not very common to see, that these songs are played in this very symphonic and big format.
LNDEs: And now, after these concerts, where can we find you?
AC: London. I live in London, where I develop my career and I walk around. I do some trips, I have projects next year also abroad, some in Spain... but mostly in London, I will continue there.
Thank you so much for the opportunity to get to know this project firsthand, for sharing your passion and talent with all of us and for offering us an unforgettable evening accompanied by the best melodies of the musical world. Good luck with your new projects, keep growing and enjoying!
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AC: London. I live in London, where I develop my career and I walk around. I do some trips, I have projects next year also abroad, some in Spain... but mostly in London, I will continue there.
Thank you so much for the opportunity to get to know this project firsthand, for sharing your passion and talent with all of us and for offering us an unforgettable evening accompanied by the best melodies of the musical world. Good luck with your new projects, keep growing and enjoying!
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ESPAÑOL
El pasado 22 y 23 de Diciembre se realizaron dos conciertos en los que las obras maestras de Andrew Lloyd Webber llegaron a audiencias Barceloninas. Estas melodías que se han ganado un hueco en el corazón de gente alrededor del mundo llegaron de mano de la Orquesta Sinfónica de Barcelona y Nacional de Cataluña (OBC), dirigida por el director y supervisor musical Alfonso Casado, acompañado de las voces de John Owen-Jones, Geronimo Rauch, Joanna Ampil y Celinde Schoenmaker como solistas. Unos días antes del concierto tuvimos el gran placer de conocer en persona y entrevistar a Alfonso Casado, un hombre de talento innegable y cordialmente cálido, quién contestó amablemente a nuestras preguntas antes de uno de los últimos ensayos antes del primer concierto. ¡Os dejamos aquí la entrevista!
LNDEs: Cuando vimos que esta pedazo Orquesta iba a ofrecer este concierto con este pedazo Director y esos solistas... no podíamos creernos la suerte que teníamos. Un Director español que ha estado trabajando en Londres, en grandes producciones… explícanos un poco.
AC: Pues mira, yo me mudé a Londres hace cinco años invitado por el productor Cameron Mackintosh y para él dirigí casi dos años Los Miserables allí y luego hice Miss Saigon durante un año y pico. Y luego de ahí me invitaron a hacer El Fantasma de la Ópera en Londres, que es composición de Andrew, pero producida por Cameron. Y desde entonces, es el único musical que he dirigido allí, que acabé hace un año, y desde entonces me dedico a supervisar. Lo que hago es que voy montando los musicales de Cameron [Mackintosh] por el mundo, donde los lleva, o en Londres o en Inglaterra, y voy supervisando. Supervisando significa, pues eso, asegurándome que todo respeta la versión original.
LNDEs: ¿Supone un gran cambio el estar en un país o en otro?
¿Cómo vives las mismas producciones de formas distintas?
AC: Es muy bonito creativamente, porque entras en contacto primero con nuevos directores, nuevas orquestas, nuevos elencos y, por otro lado, trabajas el material en otro idioma. Por supuesto, la primera que supervisé fue la española. Me enviaron porque hablo el idioma, y después he hecho producciones en Japón, en Dubai y en Brasil. En Dubai la hicimos en inglés porque la hicimos en la Ópera House, que John [Owen-Jones] hacía de Valjean, pero claro, Japón y Brasil eran en japonés y portugués, respectivamente.
LNDEs: Y hablando de “producciones de ensueño”. ¿Dónde te gustaría estar, en primera persona?
AC: La verdad es que cuando perteneces a estos equipos tan grandes de gente y tienes la oportunidad de trabajar con directores y creativos de escena y de sonido de ese calibre, la verdad es que es un placer donde quiera que vayas, con los equipos de Cameron [Mackintosh] y los equipos de Andrew [Lloyd Webber], son geniales. Entonces… bueno, siempre me queda un poco la espinilla clavada de que me encantaría hacer una producción en América, porque siempre oigo cosas muy buenas de como se montan las producciones allí en Nueva York, pero la verdad es que al nivel en el que trabajamos en Inglaterra y en el que se trabaja en las producciones que hacemos por el mundo son de mucho nivel, muy demandantes pero también muy satisfactorias de hacer.
LNDEs: Y tema equipo, integración, conocer y trabajar con grandes personalidades, como Webber…
AC: A él lo he visto muchas veces, pero conocerle en persona… He tenido la oportunidad de charlar con él, una en concreto que vino a ver El Fantasma de la Ópera. Con él tengo menos relación que, por ejemplo, con Cameron [Mackintosh] porque trabajo mucho más en su equipo, pero cuando yo estaba como director en El Fantasma de la Ópera sí que vino varias veces a ver la obra y una de ellas incluso charlamos sobre la obra y charlamos sobre su visión y sobre cómo le gustaba y cómo no le gustaba y tal y fue bonito conocerlo. Obviamente es una persona que tiene una sensibilidad musical única, y entre las notas que te da, las apreciaciones son muy correctas.
LNDEs: Tu te encargas pues de la supervisión, de que todo esté como tiene que estar; en cuanto a personal, a poner tu granito de arena, ¿tienes algo que quieras dejar, tu marca?
AC: Sí, absolutamente, cuando formas parte de ese equipo, digamos, formas parte de ese equipo porque te invitan a que tú aportes también tu personalidad, tus maneras, ¿no? Entonces yo hago un poco eso. Y luego siempre hay en todo absolutamente la crítica. Todo lo que yo he cambiado o he moldeado no es del gusto del compositor, hay por ejemplo en el caso de Los Miserables o Miss Saigon están muy involucrados, viene y comenta y podemos moldear lo que de repente le gusta, pero siempre mi premisa es respetar la visión original del compositor y la historia que él quiere contar con ese musical.
LNDEs: ¿Has tenido siempre esta inquietud en el mundo musical?
AC: No, para nada. Surgió como de casualidad hace ya catorce años. Y no me lo planteaba para nada y al final ha sido mi profesión y la verdad es que, mi pasión, porque es un terreno que me gusta mucho y me ha abierto muchas puertas y me ha dado grandes oportunidades como conocer a esta gran orquesta y venir ya por segunda vez, a tocar este material.
LNDEs: Habéis empezado ya con los ensayos, ¿qué puedes decirnos? ¿Qué podemos esperar?
AC: Bueno, creo que vais a esperar un derroche de música muy bien tocada. La verdad es que escuchar todas esas canciones con esta gran orquesta y con los solistas que tenemos, creo y espero que cumplan las expectativas de todo el público y que hagan honor a la visión de Andrew Lloyd Webber, de su canciones. Creo que se va a ver una cosa que no es muy común ver, que son estas canciones tocadas en este formato tan sinfónico y tan grande.
LNDEs: Y ahora, después de este concierto, ¿dónde podemos encontrarte?
AC: Londres. Vivo en Londres, allí desarrollo mi carrera y por ahí ando. Hago algunos viajes, tengo proyectos el año que viene también en el extranjero, algunos en España… pero mayoritariamente Londres, por ahí seguiré.
Muchísimas gracias por la oportunidad de poder conocer de primera mano este proyecto, por compartir tu pasión y tu talento con todos nosotros y por ofrecernos una tarde inolvidable acompañados de las mejores melodías del mundo musical. Mucha suerte en tus nuevos proyectos, ¡a seguir creciendo y disfrutando!
Muchísimas gracias por la oportunidad de poder conocer de primera mano este proyecto, por compartir tu pasión y tu talento con todos nosotros y por ofrecernos una tarde inolvidable acompañados de las mejores melodías del mundo musical. Mucha suerte en tus nuevos proyectos, ¡a seguir creciendo y disfrutando!
