Cornelius Meister and Christof Loy make their Valencia debut with the premiere of ‘Rusalka’ at Les Arts

'Les Arts és Ópera

• Meister, musical director, and Loy, stage director, are considered two of the essential names in the European operatic scene
• The musical beauty of Dvořák's work and its fascinating story make 'Rusalka' one of the most beloved titles of the Romantic era.

Valencia (26.01.24). The Palau de les Arts Reina Sofía premieres this coming Tuesday, January 30, 'Rusalka', by Antonín Dvořák, with musical direction by Cornelius Meister and stage direction by Christof Loy.

Les Arts thus incorporates this masterpiece of Bohemian musical theatre into its operatic repertoire, which, due to the beauty of its music and its fascinating story, is considered one of the most appreciated works of Romanticism.

This is also the second co-production that the Valencian opera house is presenting in the 2023-24 Season. Produced with the Teatro Real in Madrid, the Dresden State Opera and the Gran Teatre del Liceu in Barcelona, its premiere in Madrid was one of the great operatic milestones of 2020.

Two important debuts converge in the first performance of 'Rusalka' at Les Arts: Cornelius Meister, one of the most outstanding German conductors and principal conductor of the Stuttgart State Opera and Orchestra, together with Christof Loy, an essential name in the European operatic scene, recognized and awarded in the main forums and competitions.

Both Cornelius Meister and Christof Loy joined Jesús Iglesias Noriega today at the press conference presenting this production. The artistic director of Les Arts noted that, with 'Rusalka', the arts center is advancing its project to reinstate the Central European repertoire in its programming, as well as to bring to Valencia the aesthetics that dominate and captivate audiences in major operatic capitals.

Iglesias Noriega also emphasized the splendid and moving music of Dvořák's work, which contains one of the iconic arias of the genre, 'Song to the Moon', "a magnificent introduction to a lyrical fantasy of great beauty and complex orchestration, which will allow us to once again enjoy the excellence of the Orquestra de la Comunitat Valenciana under the direction of one of the most promising conductors today."

Despite his youth, Cornelius Meister is one of the most established Wagnerian conductors in Germany and Austria. Having conducted the most recent Ring cycle at the Bayreuth Festival, he has received the highest accolades from European critics, including the prestigious Opus Klassik award for best conductor.

Christof Loy, for his part, boasts the highest accolades on the international operatic stage, from the International Opera Awards to the prestigious British Olivier Awards and the Austrian Musiktheaterpreis. The German director leads the creative team for this co-production of Rusalka, with set design by Johannes Leiacker, costumes by Ursula Renzenbrink, lighting by Bernd Purkrabek, and choreography by Klevis Elmazaj.

Loy's stage proposal transforms the aquatic kingdom of the nymphs from the libretto by poet and playwright Jaroslav Kvapil (based on the Central European legend that inspired the book 'Undine' (1811) by Friedrich de la Motte Fouqué and the story 'The Little Mermaid' (1837) by Hans Christian Andersen), into an old abandoned theater, in which Rusalka is a lame dancer, who sacrifices her voice and her family values to get to know the real world and find love.

Soprano Olesya Golovneva (Rusalka) leads the cast in a role that has become her signature, thanks to successful performances in Madrid, Dresden, Cologne, and Wiesbaden. She is joined by tenor Adam Smith (The Prince), one of the great revelations of the operatic world; the emerging dramatic soprano Sinéad Campbell-Wallace (The Foreign Princess), recently nominated for an Olivier Award; and contralto Enkelejda Shkoza (Ježibaba), a leading performer on the international circuit.

Joining them will be bass Maxim Kuzmin-Karavaev (Vodník), a regular in major European theaters; Catalan baritone Manel Esteve, a fixture on the national circuit; artists from the Centre de Perfeccionament Daniel Gallegos (The Hunter) and Laura Fleur (Second Nymph); former Centre student Laura Orueta (The Kitchen Helper); Madrid-born soprano Cristina Toledo (First Nymph); and Russian mezzo-soprano Alyona Abramova (Third Nymph).

'Rusalka' will be performed in the Main Hall of Les Arts from January 30 to February 11.