Davide Livermore: “La Bohème is the perfect title to approach opera for the first time”

The Palau de les Arts Reina Sofía presented today at a press conference La Bohème , by Puccini, the first of the five shows with which the theater celebrates its ten years of history and which it produces in collaboration with the Philadelphia Opera.

Davide Livermore, Artistic Director of Les Arts, and the mastermind behind the staging of La Bohème , has highlighted that this work by Puccini “is the perfect title to approach opera for the first time.”

Les Arts is reviving the production that Livermore premiered in Valencia in December 2012, with Riccardo Chailly conducting, which was later released on DVD. The production has subsequently been requested by El Escorial, San Sebastián, and Rome (twice) for their summer festivals.

This Impressionist-inspired Bohème was also the first work of the Intendant of Les Arts in Valencia and his first experience with the Centre Plácido Domingo.

“…it is a masterpiece, a journey through emotions and a celebration of life and death. Puccini, a master of contemporary music, speaks to our lives and our personal dramas. From a theatrical point of view, we are faced with a proto-film inseparable from its era and its score. The projections of the paintings in this production work in harmony with the opera's dramaturgy and the Parisian fin-de-siècle aesthetic.”

Manuel Coves, a conductor from Jaén, makes his debut at Les Arts with this score. Artistic and Musical Director of the UC3M Orchestra in Madrid, Coves has worked in Spain's leading concert halls and festivals. Last year he conducted this same production at the San Lorenzo de El Escorial Festival.

Manuel Coves emphasized that every day of working on La Bohème brings something new to discover. Coves also highlighted the strength of the cast, "who are eager to give their all," and the excellence of the Cor de la Generalitat and the Orquestra de la Comunitat Valenciana, a "Ferrari" in the current music scene.

Ticket sales success

The Artistic Director, for his part, commented on the excellent public response to this opera with affordable prices between 7 and 50 euros.

“The tickets are practically sold out. This sends a message to those who think opera isn't popular. And I want to thank our audience for their warm reception. As I've said many times, it's my commitment to bring Les Arts closer to all citizens, and that's why we'll continue with initiatives like this in the future.”

And for those who still want to come, I remind you that there is still 5% of the theater's capacity available at the box office, which is reserved for sale on the day of the performance.”

Livermore also pointed out that an opera at affordable prices does not necessarily mean lower quality. Les Arts has assembled a young and promising artistic team, with American soprano Angel Blue as Mimì.

Trained at the Centre Plácido Domingo in Valencia, she sang the role of Micaela in Carmen at Les Arts under the direction of Zubin Mehta and alongside Elına Garanıay and Marcelo Álvarez in 2010. A finalist in Operalia, Angel Blue has worked with conductors such as Gustavo Dudamel and Simon Rattle, and in theaters such as La Scala in Milan, the English National Opera and the Theater an der Wien.

Irina Levián, one of the new talents trained in Valencia, will sing the role of Mimì in the last performance of La Bohème , on the 12th.

The young Italian tenor Giordano Lucà sings the role of Rodolfo. A prizewinner at competitions such as Operalia and the BBC Cardiff Singer of the World, he has developed a significant operatic career in Italy, with performances also in Spain, Denmark, Russia, and China.

Lina Mendes plays Musetta. An artist from the latest graduating class of the Centre Plácido Domingo, she has developed her career in her native Brazil, with work in Italy, Germany and also at the Palau de les Arts.

Davide Livermore has reminded everyone that on the 12th, soprano Federica di Trapani will sing this role.

Germán Olvera, for his part, embodies Marcello. During his residency at Les Arts, he has worked with Zubin Mehta on Turandot and La Traviata , and with Plácido Domingo on Manon Lescaut , where he sang one of the leading roles. In his native Mexico, he has worked on operas such as Carmen, La Bohème , Le nozze di Figaro , and L'elisir d'amore .

Aldo Heo will sing the role of Schaunard. He was one of the first artists at the Centre Plácido Domingo under the direction of Alberto Zedda and has performed concerts and recitals in South Korea, Japan, China, Italy, Belgium and Spain, in addition to winning prizes in numerous opera competitions such as the Montserrat Caballé and the Operalia festival held in Beijing.

For the role of Colline, the renowned Spanish bass Felipe Bou returns to Valencia, whom Les Arts audiences will remember for titles such as L'isola del piacere by Martín i Soler, Le Cid by Massenet and Lorin Maazel's debut with La vida breve by Manuel de Falla.

Michael Borth, Pablo Aranday, Emmanuel Faraldo, Bonifaci Carrillo, Boro Giner and Ignacio Giner complete the cast, which features the voices of Escola Coral Veus Juntes de Quart de Poblet, Escolania de la Mare de Déu dels Desemparats and the Cor de la Generalitat.

Puccini's La Bohème premieres tomorrow, Friday, October 2nd, with additional performances on the 4th, 7th, 10th, and 12th of that month. The cultural center reminds patrons of the new showtimes: 8:00 p.m. Monday through Friday, 7:00 p.m. on Saturdays, and 6:00 p.m. on Sundays and holidays.