Les Arts closes its symphonic program with Mendelssohn-Bartholdy's "A Midsummer Night's Dream".

The Palau de les Arts Reina Sofía closes its symphonic program with the concert-show “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” by Mendelssohn-Bartholdy, in the Auditori tomorrow Thursday, at 8:00 p.m.

“A proposal,” Davide Livermore pointed out, “that, in addition to welcoming the summer solstice, closes the activities with which Les Arts commemorates the 400th anniversary of the death of William Shakespeare.”

The final concert of the 2016-2017 Season, which also includes the German composer's own "Scottish Symphony" in the program, also marks the beginning of the last "but intense" days of activity open to the public at the cultural venue, according to Livermore.

“On Friday, Plácido Domingo will preside over the final auditions for the eighth class of his Centre de Perfeccionament, for which we will also have the presence of the directors of the Teatro Real in Madrid and the Muscat Opera House in Oman. This Saturday, we also have a double bill with the second day of Bandes a Les Arts and a recital by Roger Vignoles and the artists of the Centre. And of course, we mustn't forget the preparations for 'Nit a Les Arts,' which will close the doors of our theater on Friday, July 1st, and Saturday, July 2nd,” he added.

José Miguel Pérez Sierra takes over the musical direction of the concert-show, replacing Ramón Tebar, the main guest conductor of the arts center, who has had to cancel his participation for health reasons.

Pérez Sierra is one of the conductors whose work has become part of the history of Les Arts. Assistant to the artistic director of the Centre Plácido Domingo under Alberto Zedda, he has also worked very closely with another of the great names in theater: Lorin Maazel. Considered one of the most promising conductors of his generation, Valencian audiences will remember his work on productions such as “La scala di seta,” “The Duet from 'L'Africaine,'” “The King Who Ran Furious,” and a zarzuela concert.

The conductor, who had words of support for Ramón Tebar, highlighted that “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” by Mendelssohn-Bartholdy “is like a breath of fresh air on the forehead, a gust of summer breeze, which is the essence that Mendelssohn wanted to portray, in addition to being an excellent work for music lovers and non-music lovers to be able to approach Les Arts.”

“Mendelssohn’s music is beauty in itself,” he emphasized. “Mendelssohn,” the maestro added, “is one of the few composers who, thanks to his status, was able to compose his music exactly as he wanted to write it. He had a childhood like that of a child prodigy, but without the pressures of other talents of the time.”

Regarding the “Scottish Symphony”, the director has highlighted its particularities at the sonic level, which anticipate composers Brahms or Bruckner: “It is, curiously, a work devoid of explicit allusions to Scotland, without a burden of metaphysical pretension; a natural music that nevertheless captures the impressions of the composer on his visits to the Scottish landscapes.

“A Midsummer Night’s Dream” is a new production by the professionals of Les Arts, with audiovisuals by Miguel Bosch, lighting by Antonio Castro, translation by Anselmo Alonso and staging by Allex Aguilera.

Aguilera, assistant and later director of revivals of successful Les Arts productions such as The Ring of the Nibelung , Turandot , Tosca or La vida breve , has also premiered his own productions at the arts center, such as Tristan und Isolde or Opérame, ¿qué diablos es la ópera?.

As the director explained, the production aims to convey a concept of beauty and a message of peace, love, and humanity also present in the German composer's score. The performance includes projections to illustrate the sensory beauty that inspires Mendelssohn's music.

The vocal cast consists of singers from the Centre Plácido Domingo: soprano Federica Di Trapani and mezzo-soprano Elisa Barbero, along with the Cor de la Generalitat. Rossy de Palma is the voice that narrates Shakespeare's comedy.

With this show, the renowned actress makes her third appearance at Les Arts, where she has previously sung the role of Sul in Lleó Balbastre's "La corte de Faraón" and recited Lorca's texts in his "Romancero gitano" in Mario's transcription for narrator, vocal quartet, and guitar.