The Netherlands is buzzing. Because Opera singer Karin te Cate and rock singer Robin van Beek from the Netherlands are performing the entire "rock opera" Barcelona from Freddie Mercury live in the Netherlands and abroad this year.
The new 'Freddie-rocksinger' in Barcelona is Robin van Beek from Holland, who replaces the Italian singer Salvo Bruno who first performed Barcelona with Ten Cate. A cd with their performance was released early this year but now Robin van Beek is taking over from Salvo Bruno and as far as we know he peforms the songs even better than Salvo Bruno.
Robin van Beek is a great singer and a real 'stage-animal'. You can listen to their voices on the Barcelona-demo they recorded. It's just a demo of course! link
Like Karin ten Cate (Montserrat Caballé) he is a pupil of singing teacher Cathrine Sadolin from Copenhagen. Robin and Karin have their first night of Barcelona in...Kiev on September 22. They will be accompanied by the splendid 'Ukrainian State Symphony Orchestra'. The new arrangement is made by the composer Martin Panteleev. This great Queenfan and violinist is also the conductor. You can visit his site on link and the piano solo in Barcelona will be performed by Lida Kantcheva.
After Kiev the total crew travels to the Netherlands to give three concerts in Eindhoven to inaugurate the new theatre. There are a few tickets available for this concerts on September 29, 30 and October 1. Reservations: link or call 003140-2111122. October 2 they're in the big hall of The Amsterdam Concertgebouw, it has one of the best acoustics in the world.
We think it's the first time for a Freddie Mercury/Queen night but we have to ask Brian or the Queen Fanclub! You must of course be there if you are a real Queenfan! Tickets for this 'Happening' on link or tel. 003120-6718345.
The concertdates for this fall.
22 September 2006
'Barcelona', Kiev
With Robin van Beek and the Ukrainian State Symphony Orchestra directed by Martin Panteleev.
29, 30 September and 1 October 2006
'Barcelona', Stadsschouwburg Eindhoven, Holland
Tickets: link or tel. (0)40-2111122
2 October 2006
'Barcelona', Amsterdams Concertgebouw
Tickets (30 euro): link or tel. (0)20-6718345.
Yes, the Netherlands is positively buzzing! It's been all over the news all day, everybody's talking about it. Public transportation has ground to a halt, shops have closed and the riot police are out on the street. And all that because rock/opera god Robin van Beek will do us the honor of performing.
By the way, who's this Freddie they keep mentioning in the press bulletins? Must be some leech trying to feed off Robin's fame.....
Leeches?
Although there's probably no point of explaining anything of the project to you because you are judging everything about it without seeing or hearing it live before judging it, let me try to explain something to you.
Nobody who is involved in the project is earning any money from it yet. On the contrary. I happen to know that only big investments by the people involved have made it possible to perform these beautiful songs from Freddie and Montserrat live again as a tribute to the music and the man who wrote it all. The songs deserve to be performed live. The only people who earn any money might be the people in the orchestra who have to be paid ofcourse. They don't play for nothing. But the solo singers Robin and Karin or anybody else for that matter don't make any money from it. Do you have any idea how much a concert like that costs! Probably not. There are no leeches in the Netherlands!
I wished I could tell you more about some people who do like this project, but I am not allowed to say much about that kind of stuff. You will just have to wait for a couple of months, than you probably will find out.
I'm afraid you got me all wrong there. I was just reacting to your somewhat shameless plug of a singer I had never before heard of. You sounded a bit like his manager, no offense. I somehow missed the buzz.....
I actually agree with the rest of your second post, except for the part that there are no leeches in the Netherlands. You should check out a place called the "Binnenhof"........ :-)
deleted user 19.08.2006 19:53
I've seen two of their concerts, including their first one.
The first show was an incredible happening. Their voices where like gold, and although I detest cover or tribute bands, this was very special. I also think Salvo Bruno did a better job than that new lad, although he ain't bad.
Really a very good live act!
Thanks for posting this.
Fireplace wrote: I'm afraid you got me all wrong there. I was just reacting to your somewhat shameless plug of a singer I had never before heard of. You sounded a bit like his manager, no offense. I somehow missed the buzz.....
I actually agree with the rest of your second post, except for the part that there are no leeches in the Netherlands. You should check out a place called the "Binnenhof"........ :-)
Yup, leeches on the 'Binnenhof'do excist.
Well, it wasn't meant to be a shameless plug of a singer, just an explanation who he was nothing else. Never want to be a manager :O)
Fireplace wrote: I was just reacting to your somewhat shameless plug of a singer I had never before heard of.
Nobody had heard of Queen or Freddie back in 1970, but that didn't mean that they weren't talented or didn't have anything to offer... don't judge something until you know what you are talking about. If you see and hear the opera, and still think it is a shameless cash-in "leeching" off Freddie's name, then you're entitled to that opinion - but having seen and heard it myself, nothing could be further from the truth. As Mr Daja said - THIS is very special.
Fireplace wrote: I was just reacting to your somewhat shameless plug of a singer I had never before heard of.
Nobody had heard of Queen or Freddie back in 1970, but that didn't mean that they weren't talented or didn't have anything to offer... don't judge something until you know what you are talking about. If you see and hear the opera, and still think it is a shameless cash-in "leeching" off Freddie's name, then you're entitled to that opinion - but having seen and heard it myself, nothing could be further from the truth. As Mr Daja said - THIS is very special.
Learn to read. I was joking about Freddie leeching off this project, not the other way around. I'd expect someone from the UK to be proficient in English.
Fireplace wrote: By the way, who's this Freddie they keep mentioning in the press bulletins? Must be some leech trying to feed off Robin's fame.....
Strangely enough, I did realise you were joking about Freddie leeching from Robin's name, but you were obviously implying that Robin was leeching from Freddie's name.... until you've heard or seen the opera, that's not something you're accurately able to judge.
Fireplace wrote: I'd expect someone from the UK to be proficient in English.
Just because I live in the UK, doesn't mean that I am proficient in English, there are quite a few people in this country who don't speak English.... arabic, japanese, mandarin, welsh, celtic, etc. If you think everyone in the UK has a perfect grasp of the English language, you obviously can't read because virtually every national newspaper is constantly moaning about immigration issues.
I noticed the demo has been downloaded almost 150 times now, that's great, but it would be nice if some of you who listened to it would be willing to share their opinion about it. Like, how do you like the voices and if there is something that could be improved about the singing what would it be? Opinions are very welcome and are taken seriously.