‘Lucrezia Borgia’, the first opera that Les Arts has streamed online

Gaetano Donizetti's 'Lucrezia Borgia' will become the first opera streamed by the Palau de les Arts Reina Sofía on April 1st. This has been made possible through a collaboration agreement with the Valencian Tourism Agency. In this regard, the Regional Secretary for Tourism, Francesc Colomer, emphasized that "the union of tourism and culture is fundamental to our strategy for promoting the Valencian Community, and without a doubt, the Palau de Les Arts is a major asset on all levels."

Through The Opera Platform and free of charge, a potential audience of two million viewers worldwide will be able to enjoy the first new production that Les Arts is premiering in the 2016-2017 Season.

The initiative also includes the broadcast during the intermission of interviews and audiovisual content about Les Arts, Donizetti's opera, and the legacy of the Borgia family in the Valencian Community.

The only requirement to enjoy the performance is a good internet connection. Once the broadcast has ended, 'Lucrezia Borgia' will remain available to watch on 'The Opera Platform' website for six months.

Fabio Biondi, in musical direction, and Emilio Sagi, as the creator of the staging, are immersed in the final rehearsals of this musical melodrama, based on Victor Hugo's portrait of the enigmatic daughter of Pope Alexander VI.

Musically, 'Lucrezia Borgia' is one of Gaetano Donizetti's most devilish scores, especially for its protagonist, a role that in the history of opera has been reserved for legendary voices, among which Montserrat Caballé or Joan Sutherland stand out.

Italian soprano Mariella Devia, considered the last great lady of bel canto, embodies the controversial protagonist at Les Arts. She is joined in the cast by renowned performers of the genre: American tenor William Davenport (Gennaro), Croatian bass-baritone Marko Mimica (Alfonso d'Este), and Valencian mezzo-soprano Silvia Tro Santafé (Maffio Orsini).

This is the fifth production – the third of his own production – that Emilio Sagi presents in the Valencian cultural enclave after his celebrated forays into Spanish opera and zarzuela: 'La Bruja' and 'El rey que rabió', both by Ruperto Chapí; 'Luisa Fernanda', by Moreno Torroba; and 'El dúo de 'La Africana', by Fernández Caballero.

The staging, with set design by Llorenç Corbella, costumes by Pepa Ojanguren and lighting by Eduardo Bravo, marks the first visit of the director from Oviedo during this season, which will also close with one of his productions: 'Tancredi', by Rossini.

The Opera Platform

Since 2014, 'The Opera Platform' (TOP) has offered a European season of live opera through free access via its portal ( https://www.theoperaplatform.eu/en ), with the aim of attracting and cultivating new audiences.

The project is co-financed by the European Commission's Creative Europe programme, in partnership with 15 theatres from 12 European countries.

Les Arts has been invited to participate in this season with the broadcast of Donizetti's 'Lucrezia Borgia', for which it has the collaboration of the Valencian Tourism Agency in an initiative that combines the dissemination of opera to the whole of society with the promotion of the Valencian Community as a cultural destination.

Les Arts is opera with Ramon Gener

On March 22nd, at 7:30 pm at the Teatre Martín i Soler, Ramon Gener will offer a new installment within the 'Les Arts és òpera' lecture program, in which he will analyze and explain the intricacies of 'Lucrezia Borgia'.

Invitations to this free lecture can only be requested through www.lesarts.com , in the 'Ticket Sales' section. On Monday, March 20, the allocation of seats for Les Arts subscribers will be activated on the website, while the following day, Tuesday, March 21, seats will be allocated to the general public. Les Arts reminds attendees that the application period begins at 10:00 a.m. and ends at 11:59 p.m., or until all available seats are sold.