Tenor Joseph Calleja has wowed audiences and reviewers alike with a string of performances in Houston, while receiving the seal of approval from former US President George Bush senior and his wife Barbara.
Describing his encounter with Mr Bush and his “lovely” wife after one the performances, Mr Calleja wrote on his Facebook page: “It was an amazing moment and everyone felt very honoured.”
Mr Calleja said President Bush reminisced about the “seasickness summit” in Malta in 1989, when stormy weather threatened to derail his much-anticipated meeting with then Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev.
Mr Calleja played the role of American lieutenant Pinkerton – a seductive scoundrel – in Giacomo Puccini’s Madame Butterfly, to launch the 56th season of the Houston Grand Opera.
He sang beside Ana Maria Martinez, who played the title role of a Japanese child bride eventually abandoned by Mr Calleja’s character.
Although her performance was met with mixed reviews – some describing it as having “a trace of blandness”, Mr Calleja was showered with praise after he “brought all the ardour and beauty of tone one could wish for to the role of Pinkerton. In fact, so sweet and alluring is the sound of his vibrato-driven voice that he made the arrogant lieutenant less despicable than he often seems.
The Maltese-born Calleja, who will be singing three major roles this season at the Metropolitan Opera, has matured into one of the finest lyric tenors before the public today,” wrote Mike Silverman for The Associated Press.
Everett Evans of the Houston Chronicle described the opera as “breathtakingly beautiful” and said Mr Calleja had confirmed himself as “a major star”.
“Calleja sings with such range, such ease and such a rolling, robust sound that every phrase is pure pleasure to hear.
He projects extrovert exuberance and casual charm, as in his establishing aria about his life as an adventuring American vagabond, that somewhat excuses his later behaviour, or at least helps explain Butterfly’s devotion. With his ardour matching Martinez’s soulfulness, their love duet zooms to that Puccini stratosphere of nothing-else-matters romanticism.”
Culturemap.com titled its review of the opera with a special mention for Mr Calleja: “HGO’s Madame Butterfly flies with Maltese marvel, haunting lighting and a forgotten servant.”
Theodore Bale wrote: “Everyone I spoke with at opening night hopes that Maltese tenor Joseph Calleja, who made his HGO debut as Pinkerton, will return to Houston.
“An arrogant, self-absorbed character in the opera, Pinkerton should demonstrate overwhelmingly confidence in his singing, and Calleja is a wonder throughout. He is a dream tenor of the highest calibre.”
Mr Calleja makes a brief return to Europe next week before heading off to Canada for a recital and then to New York where he will play Rodolfo in Puccini’s La Bohème.
He will then be back in Malta for his first ever Christmas concert in aid of the Divine Mercy shrine in San Pawl Tat-Tarġa on December 17, which is being organised as a thank you for benefactors who contributed to the completion of the church.
The concert will be followed by a reception at Villa Arrigo. Proceeds from the reception will go towards financing the project.
For further information about the Christmas concert contact the shrine on 2158 1266 or e-mail dvnmercy1@gmail.com.