Les Arts closes its opera season with the premiere of ‘Wozzeck’ in the city of Valencia

'Les Arts és Òpera' 

• James Gaffigan makes his debut in this work, presented in a production by Andreas Kriegenburg, considered a benchmark production.
• Prestigious singers of the German repertoire make up the cast, with Peter Mattei in the lead role alongside Eva-Maria Westbroek and Christopher Ventris

Valencia (May 19, 2022). The Palau de les Arts closes its operatic program with the Valencia premiere of 'Wozzeck' by Alban Berg, next Thursday, May 26.

Jesús Iglesias Noriega, artistic director of Les Arts, presented this title to the media today with the presence of its musical director, James Gaffigan, and the stage director, Andreas Kriegenburg.

Iglesias Noriega has defended the first performance of 'Wozzeck' in Valencia as a true "cultural event" that puts this city on par with the great musical capitals of the world:

“'Wozzeck' is a masterpiece that is essential programming for an opera house with a dynamic vision and an international reach. It ranks among the 70 most performed operas of the 21st century, and its emergence in the history of opera has shaped and influenced the development of musical theater in the past and present centuries.”

Therefore, he continued, “a center like Les Arts, which aspires to diversify and broaden its audiences, as well as act as a cultural engine, requires a line of work to prepare both the resident companies and the technical team, as well as the audience itself, to receive and enjoy new proposals. That is why it is so important to restore and work on the unpublished repertoire.”

'Wozzeck', as Iglesias Noriega has pointed out, presents a musical and theatrical challenge. It demands an orchestra of over 90 musicians in the pit, musicians on stage, and a highly complex score for singers and instrumentalists. Theatrically, Les Arts presents the production that, since its premiere in Munich, has been considered the definitive staging of this opera, as well as a challenging exercise in stage engineering.

James Gaffigan makes his Valencia debut conducting Berg's score, which is also his first opera at Les Arts. A connoisseur of the Viennese composer's work, the New York-born conductor appeals to the profound human dimension of this opera to encourage audiences to discover Alban Berg and the perfect symbiosis between text and music, for a truly unique artistic experience.

Likewise, the musical director of Les Arts highlights the powerful performance of the Orquestra de la Comunitat Valenciana, which will captivate music lovers who wish to discover new forms of musical expression.

Andreas Kriegenburg directs 'Wozzeck', with set design by Harald B. Thor, costumes by Andrea Schraad, lighting by Stefan Bolliger, and choreography by Zenta Haerter. 'Wozzeck' is a co-production of the Bayerische Staatsoper and the New National Theatre Tokyo.

The prestigious German stage director chooses to delve into the psychology of Wozzeck's frightened and tormented soul, using it to describe the violence of poverty and to what extent poverty can paralyze a person's soul.

“We show the world as it is through Wozzeck’s eyes. A grotesque, violent, malevolent, monstrous, and distorted world, just as he perceives it in his fears. In his eyes, only Marie and his son are real people whom he loves and from whom he hopes to be loved in return. All the other characters he encounters in the opera seem to have emerged from a dark horror story,” explains Kriegenburg.

Les Arts brings together a cast of prestigious voices from the German repertoire and renowned Wozzeck performers, who together with the Cor de la Generalitat and the Escolania de la Mare de Déu dels Desemparats, tackle the premiere of the work in the capital of Turia.

Peter Mattei sings Wozzeck in his first appearance at Les Arts. Since his acclaimed debut in the role at the Metropolitan Opera in New York, the highly sought-after Swedish baritone has established himself as the definitive interpreter of the tormented soldier, both vocally and dramatically.

Following her recent success at the Paris Opera with this opera, Dutch soprano Eva-Maria Westbroek will sing the role of Marie. This performance also marks the return of Valencian audiences to see one of the great Wagnerian divas of our time, 13 years after her acclaimed performance as Sieglinde in 'Die Walküre'.

British tenor Christopher Ventris, a leading heroic tenor whom opera lovers in Valencia will remember for his Parsifal with Lorin Maazel, sings the role of Drum Major. German bass-baritone Franz Hawlata (Doctor) and German tenor Andreas Konrad (Captain) complete the principal cast.

Tansel Akzeybek (Andrés), Patrick Guetti (First Apprentice), Yuriy Hadzetskyy (Second Apprentice), Joel Williams (A Madman), Alexandra Ionis (Mararet) and Jorge Franco (A Soldier) complete the cast.

Les Arts has scheduled 'Wozzeck' on May 26, 29 and 31, and June 3 and 5.

Preview with DJ Jesús Iglesias Noriega also reminded everyone that, to mark the premiere of 'Wozzeck' in Valencia, Les Arts is offering a unique experience for the 'Preview until the 28th' on May 23rd, where the audience, in addition to the performance, can enjoy a full evening with a DJ and food service until 11:00 p.m.

After the performance of 'Wozzeck', Les Arts will transform the Pasarela into an authentic dance floor inspired by the aesthetics of the striking and avant-garde production of this opera, which has been one of the greatest technical and artistic challenges in the history of the theater.

Tickets for 'Preestrena fins a 28', reserved exclusively for those under 29 years of age, have a single price of 10 euros.