‘Wozzeck’, the biggest artistic challenge for the Orquestra de la Comunitat Valenciana

'Les Arts és Òpera' 

• James Gaffigan makes his debut with the score of 'Wozzeck', which, in addition to a large orchestra in the pit, requires an instrumental group on stage.
• Les Arts' resident orchestra, renowned for its forays into the German repertoire, faces its biggest challenge since Wagner's 'Ring Cycle'.

Valencia (May 17, 2022). The Orquestra de la Comunitat Valenciana faces its greatest artistic challenge since its inception with 'Wozzeck', a masterpiece in the history of opera, but still unpublished in the operatic repertoire of the city of Valencia.

Musical director James Gaffigan has completed an intense week of rehearsals with the resident ensemble of Les Arts, who will now join the rest of the artistic and technical team of the production in the Main Hall in the final stretch before its premiere on May 26.

For the New York-born director, 'Wozzeck' is also an artistic event, as it marks his debut with the work and is the first opera he will present at Les Arts with the Orquestra de la Comunitat Valenciana after his celebrated Mozart 'Requiem' with a stage direction by Romeo Castellucci.

Gaffigan, who has previously conducted other works by Alban Berg, highlights the importance of programming an opera like 'Wozzeck' in Valencia, essential in the repertoire of the musical capitals of the circuit and which, in fact, "is among the 70 most performed operas of the 21st century."

In this sense, the musical director appeals to the emotional force of the work and its human dimension as the main attractions for the public, which, together with the musical and technical display involved in its staging, promise a unique experience for its premiere in Valencia.

In addition to a large orchestra in the pit of more than 90 musicians, the demands of Alban Berg's score also include other requirements: several small drums, a military band, a chamber orchestra and an instrumental group on stage.

Musically, 'Wozzeck' is considered one of the most influential works in operatic literature. Berg presents a three-act structure, each act with five scenes, each scene conceived in a specific musical form. He also preserves Wagnerian elements such as the continuity of the drama and the use of leitmotifs.

The evocative and powerful orchestration is complemented by an innovative vocal treatment that includes speech, declamation, singing, and sung recitation. Despite being 100 years old, it still “sounds surprisingly modern.”

Besides being a true sonic revolution, its emergence also marked a turning point in the development of musical theatre due to its perfect symbiosis between text and score; every musical element is at the service of the drama and, therefore, it is one of the most complex exercises for a pit orchestra.

This is confirmed by Gjorgi Dimcevski, concertmaster of the Orquestra de la Comunitat Valenciana (OCV), who equates the artistic challenge with Wagner's historic 'The Ring of the Nibelung', which placed the Les Arts resident orchestra at the forefront of European orchestras.

The first atonal opera in the history of music requires, in addition to top-level and versatile stable ensembles, an extra workload for musicians and singers, as well as a high level of concentration in its performance, "with many hours of prior study," as Dimcevski recalls.

The Orquestra de la Comunitat Valenciana will be joined in its first foray into Berg's work by the Cor de la Generalitat, the Escolania de la Mare de Déu dels Desemparats, and a cast of prestigious voices from the German repertoire. On the stage of Les Arts, they will perform Andreas Kriegenburg's acclaimed production for the Bayerische Staatsoper, which, since its premiere in 2008, has become the definitive production of 'Wozzeck'.

Swedish baritone Peter Mattei, a leading artist in the lead role both vocally and scenically, along with Dutch soprano Eva-Maria Westbroek (Marie) and British tenor Christopher Ventris (Drum Major) will perform the five shows of 'Wozzeck' at Les Arts: May 26, 29 and 31, and June 3 and 5.