It was the existential turning point of a career that until then had known mainly triumphs: During a rehearsal, José Carreras learns that he has leukemia – an almost certain death sentence in 1987. He is transferred from Barcelona to a special clinic in Seattle. His only chance is a therapy that until then was considered impossible: stem cell transplantation. He survives the disease and feels a real commitment to others suffering from leukemia. Starting with the cancer and the subsequent healing as the frame story, the film tells the stages of a world career in an associative and emotional way, jumping back and forth. Tightly edited archive footage brings these chapters to life. Newly filmed material shows the most important scenes from Carreras’ life and career. In addition, interviews with prominent companions, contemporaries and experts as well as a central interview with the jubilarian himself reflect a dramatic biography without slipping into one-sided hero worship. Cross-genre greetings and birthday serenades from Pretty Yende to Diana Damrau and from Plácido Domingo to David Garrett demonstrate the high regard in which the artists’ colleagues hold his life’s musical achievements and document the enormous impact José Carreras continues to make.
Three Tenors – From Caracalla to the World
It was the most successful classical concert: 30 years ago, Luciano Pavarotti, Placido Domingo and José Carreras performed together with Zubin Mehta for the first time as „3 Tenors“ in the thermal baths of Caracalla on the occasion of the Football World Cup in Italy. 1.6 billion spectators watched the concert worldwide – and it catapulted classical music into a completely new dimension. Just in time for the 30th anniversary, the film „Three Tenors – From Caracalla to the World“ shows the emotional highlights of the first concert and the sequel in Los Angeles. Previously unpublished backstage material shows the tenors unadorned and offers a fascinating insight into what takes place beyond the spotlight. The film takes a completely new look at the concert legend. For the first time, Placido Domingo, José Carreras, conductor Zubin Mehta and Luciano Pavarotti‘s widow Nicoletta Mantovani talk about José Carreras‘ struggles with leukemia, their rivalries and friendships, their spectacular contract poker and life as an opera star.
The 3 Tenors in Concert 1994
The legendary tenors José Carreras, Plácido Domingo and Luciano Pavarotti, together with conductor Zubin Mehta, celebrated the finale to soccer’s 1994 World Cup with a live concert described as “probably the biggest single musical event in history”. Brought together for the 1990 World Cup in Italy, The 3 Tenors and Mehta joined forces again, this time in Los Angeles’ Dodger Stadium on July 16th 1994 with the Los Angeles Philharmonic and the Los Angeles Music Center Opera Chorus, to perform a selection of operatic arias and international favourites specially orchestrated by composer/arranger Lalo Schifrin. The result is an outstanding film, reflecting a unique event, featuring three legendary performers who share a united passion for opera and football.
The Vision: Making of The 3 Tenors in Concert 1994
The Vision gives you the chance to look behind the scenes and watch as the story of The Making of The 3 Tenors in Concert 1994 unfolds. With Budapest’s Heroes Square as the inspiration, a baseball stadium is transformed into the greatest amphitheatre ever built, combining classical architecture with the beauty of nature. A vast array of contracts are agreed, the repertoire is chosen (changed and chosen again!), including medleys specially arranged by renowned composer Lalo Schifrin, an orchestra and chorus are prepared, sound and live recording equipment is installed… and Los Angeles’ busy air traffic is persuaded to keep away from the stadium during the concert. From an intimate charity concert in Monte Carlo in June, there is exclusive film of The 3 Tenors relaxing, rehearsing and in concert performing Libiamo ne lieti calici and Granada. And six weeks later in Los Angeles, Carreras, Domingo, Pavarotti and Mehta are captured at their final dress rehearsal before the momentous 1994 concert. Finally, as World Cup fever and tenor-mania grip Los Angeles simultaneously, four of classical music’s premier and most popular talents combine to perform La donna é mobile from the concert that enthralled the world.