This season, Opera a Catalunya will include in its subscription the works Manon Lescaut and Turandot, two operas by Giacomo Puccini, in commemoration of the 100 years since the death of the Italian composer. Both pieces, which show two different musical facets of the author, share love as their main theme. Manon Lescaut portrays a passionate and tragic romance, while in Turandot she intertwines it with challenges and power games. Following this line, the 2023-2024 cycle will begin with the presentation of Romeo and Juliet, by Charles Gounod, on October 18 at the La Faràndula theater in Sabadell. There they will perform the first three performances (18, 20 and 22) and then the work will continue to tour seven more cities.
This year's programming, in addition to paying tribute to the death of Puccini, honors the hundredth anniversary of the premiere of Doña Francisquita, by the Catalan composer Amadeu Vives. The zarzuela will have performances during the month of November at the La Faràndula theater in Sabadell, the Fortuny theater in Reus and at the Palau de la Música in Barcelona. It will star the soprano Ruth Terán and will have the musical direction of Miquel Ortega.
The 36th Cycle of Opera in Catalonia will have a total of 47 performances of eight different works, which will travel to 15 Catalan cities. With the aim of promoting access to young people, there will be an exclusive promotion for those under 30 years of age, who will be able to purchase tickets to all performances at the La Farándula theater in Sabadell for only 10 euros. “It is a very stimulating season for both the public and the company,” said Oscar Lanuza, general director of the Fundació Òpera a Catalunya, during the official presentation of the cycle at the Museum of History of Catalonia. Josep Vives, General Director of Cultural Promotion and Libraries, was also present there, who highlighted the importance of decentralizing the culture of Barcelona and covering the entire Catalan territory with these productions.
The Opera circuit in Catalonia is made up of the cities of Sabadell, Sant Cugat del Vallès, Manresa, Granollers, Reus, Girona, Vic, Tarragona, Lérida, Viladecans, Figueres, Barcelona and Cornella de Llobregat. In addition, it bets on national talent and incorporates voices such as those of Carmen Solís, Ruth Terán, Enrique Ferrer, Maribel Ortega and Antoni Lliteres among others.
Outside the regular season, the opera series returns to the Cantabria Festival Palace in Santander. There, on January 11 and 12, 2024, he will perform two performances of Madame Butterfly, another Giacomo Puccini classic. The cast will be led by Carmen Solís, as Cio-Cio-San, and the musical direction, by Daniel Gil de Tejada.
