It is a consolidated opera circuit km 0, the closest one. The tour arrives with all the vocal power, professionalism and artistic versatility to the theaters of Sabadell, Reus, Tarragona, Granollers, Manresa, Sant Cugat del Vallès, Figueres and Lleida. We are talking about the 36th season of the Fundació Òpera a Catalunya (FOC), which began this Wednesday at La Faràndula in Sabadell with the premiere of Romeo and Juliet by Charles Gounod – the third performance, today at 6 pm –, a play which will be performed from October 24 to November 10 throughout the territory.
Love is the common thread of the entire FOC season, with three more titles: the zarzuela Doña Francisquita, by Amadeu Vives, on the centenary of the work's premiere (November and December), and two operas by Giacomo Puccini, Manon Lescaut (February and March 2024) and Turandot (April and May), which next year will commemorate the 100th anniversary of the composer's death. The artistic director of the FOC and president of Amics de l’ Òpera de Sabadell, the soprano Mirna Lacambra – incombustible, at 90 years old – is clear about the force of love in all of her works. “It is the most exciting and wonderful experience that human beings can enjoy. Only love and music make life live with great joy,” she says.
The director of the FOC, Óscar Lanuza, highlights that the season is “stimulating, original, ambitious and with popular titles that fit well.” For example, zarzuela is “a fun work with a fresh vision and for all audiences. It has a plot of comedy and entanglements and, in addition, a characteristic part of dialogue that makes access to the opera even easier.”
The FOC is the sum of four leading institutions: the Associació d'Amics de l'Òpera de Sabadell, the Orquestra Simfònica del Vallès, the Banco Sabadell Foundation and the Fluidra Foundation. After years of intense work, Lanuza believes that “the opera circuit in Catalonia is a small miracle. We are peculiar and, surely, the only European opera theater that has a reason to be itinerant.” “We bet on our own productions – he continues – with artists from here, we do everything ourselves and then we adapt it. There is a clear objective of working for physical proximity, of reaching many cities and bringing the opera closer to the maximum population, with affordable prices.” For example, in Sabadell, the FOC makes available a subscription to see the four works for 54 euros. And those under 30 have tickets for 10 euros. Another distinctive feature is the Sabadell Opera School, since 1996 a pool of young singers who participate in different productions. The entity awards special prizes in the Tenor Viñas, Germans Pla, Camerata Sant Cugat and Josep Palet competitions.
The opera cycle arrives with the push of the good figures of the previous one: nearly 32,000 spectators, an increase of 10,000 annually. For example, Madama Butterfly, by Giacomo Puccini, reached 97% occupancy. In addition, more than 600 tickets were sold for young people and the forecast is that sales will increase in 2024. The circuit's figures since its inception 36 years ago have their weight. Until the 2022-2023 season, there have been 1,018 performances, it has reached 27 cities and has released 64 titles.
The FOC will leave Catalonia with two interesting proposals. In January, he will take Madama Butterfly to the Cantabria Festival Palace. “We are accompanying them in the consolidation of the Santander lyrical season, it is like our spin-off of what we do in Catalonia, we provide them with our capacity and flexibility and bring the opera closer to the maximum audience,” the director proudly emphasizes.
From July 23 to 27, it will travel to the Saaremaa Opera Festival, in Estonia. “It is an honor that they have invited us. We are going to offer something different to what you are used to, as we are able to set up and take down and create five different productions in five days. That versatility, with a lot of quality, is in our DNA,” he argues.
The premiere of Romeo and Juliet in Sabadell was experienced as a major festival, with an eclectic audience. From regular veteran Liceu fans to younger staff, like Laia, 21, who attended with her grandparents. “I love the theater and with only ten euros I can see an opera. It is a gift,” she said. Or Rafel Bagot, from Sant Cugat, who in the last four years has become fond of opera. “It is exciting to be interested in the author, the director, the artists, to delve into the liturgy of the opera. I really liked Marga Cloquell, like Julieta, there is a lot of talent,” he concludes.
