Compañía Carmen Cortés. “La Celestina” Villamarta Theater Jerez de la Frontera. Saturday, March 6th, 2004. 9:00pm

Baile: Carmen Cortés, Trinidad Artíguez, Mayte Bajo, Niño de los Reyes, Isaac de los Reyes, Álvaro Paños. Músic: Gerardo Núñez, Juan Manuel Alonso.

Singer José de la Tomasa with the splendid accompaniment of Manolo Franco got the ninth day of the Festival de Jerez underway at the Museo Taurino with good solid cante and the priceless backup of Nano de Jerez for the long bulerías that ended the recital.

We made our way to the Villamarta for the premiere of Carmen Cortés’ “La Celestina” based on the classic attributed to Fernando de Rojas, and they tell me there’s not going to be any cante, an intentional omission, but difficult to assimilate nevertheless. Still, the very high level of Carmen’s dancing, not to mention the music of her partner guitarist Gerardo Núñez seems to be an ironclad guarantee.

The show begins with a recorded voice that is difficult to understand due to certain deficiencies in the amplification. The dark story of love and manipulation is told by means of a fanciful combination of dream and flashback. The pre-recorded sound of Gerardo Núñez once again demonstrates his musical genius in some extraordinarily beautiful passages, as well as his desire to get away from openly flamenco references, although the classic “escalera” of farruca is repeated several times and becomes a motif.

The dark stage set adds a certain confusion, although some images are quite attractive, particularly the ingenious use of semitransparent flowing fabrics, not only in the wardrobe, but in the set as well. When there is a momentary flash of dance with recognizable compás, the audience is clearly relieved and the first applause erupts – if only Núñez and his collaborator Juan Manuel Alonso had had more faith in flamenco to structure the music which wanders aimlessly, as does the story.

A fanciful combination of dream and flashback

The quick compás fix is fleeting and for no apparent reason we are deprived of seeing this magnificent dancer, one of the best in flamenco today, do what she is capable of doing. The absence of singing, the repeated off-stage voice that cannot be understood, the rambling music, the confusing story line and the smoke machine which doesn’t quit make La Celestina a distant and difficult work to assimilate.

The work and sacrifice of two great artists such as Gerardo Núñez and Carmen Cortés must be respected, but when you take big risks, success or failure is correspondingly big, and this show promises more than it delivers.

The night was rounded out at the Sala de la Compañía with dancer Carmelilla Montoya who is remembered from the Familia Montoya that was so popular in the late nineteen-seventies, as well as cante recitals at La Estella and El Garbanzo peñas, and an improvised fiesta with singer Barullo and other members of the Moneo family at Los Cernícalos, blessed flamenco peñas of Jerez.

Text : Estela Zatania

Theater Villamarta Program
De Peña en Peña Program: Trasnoches, De Peñas, Peña de Guardia
Other shows(Gloria Pura, Bordón y cuenta nueva, De la Frontera, Café Cantante, Sólos en Compañía)
Courses and workshops

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