The Palau de les Arts is co-producing the opera Norma with the Teatro Real in Madrid and ABAO
25.02.2015
< The Valencian maestro Gustavo Gimeno makes his debut in the Main Hall with this title starring the great lady of 'bel canto' Mariella Devia
The box office hosts a 'Les Arts per a tots' sale day on March 5th with 50% discounts on tickets for Norma and upcoming concerts at the Auditori
Valencia. The Palau de les Arts Reina Sofía is co-producing Bellini's opera Norma with the Teatro Real in Madrid and the Bilbao Association of Friends of the Opera (ABAO). The production, which premieres on March 8, is directed by Davide Livermore.
The Turin-born director is the author of the most recent successes of the Valencia opera house: Puccini's La Bohème , and Verdi's operas Otello and La forza del destino , the latter deserving of the Campoamor Lyric Theatre Award.
Livermore is currently immersed in rehearsals for this new production with set design by Giò Forma, costumes by Mariana Fracasso, lighting by Antonio Castro and video creation by D-WOK.
Norma is the second opera produced by the Palau de les Arts in collaboration with the Madrid Opera, following the success of Donizetti's L'elisir d'amore , which has also been performed in Palermo (Italy) and Graz (Austria). This production also marks the first collaboration with the Basque opera company.
The rising maestro Gustavo Gimeno (Valencia, 1976) takes over the musical direction of Norma , his first opera at the Palau de les Arts. Following his recent concerts with the Orquestra de la Comunitat Valenciana, the future principal conductor of the Luxembourg Philharmonic makes his debut in the Main Hall.
The grande dame of bel canto, Mariella Devia, performs the role of the Celtic high priestess. Norma is one of the most demanding soprano roles, reserved for true prima donnas such as Maria Callas, Joan Sutherland, or Montserrat Caballé.
Acclaimed in leading theaters and concert halls worldwide, Mariella Devia debuted this role in Bologna in 2013, where she received the critical and public acclaim that has accompanied her in each of her bel canto performances. This is the second time the Italian diva has visited the Palau de les Arts, where she previously sang in 2007 at the 'Puccini Gala' under the baton of Plácido Domingo.
Alongside her, the promising mezzo-soprano Varduhi Abrahamyan is performing at the arts center, playing Adalgisa, the priestess who rivals Norma for the love of the Roman proconsul Pollione.
The Armenian singer has enjoyed a remarkable career in France, performing in the country's leading theaters and festivals, as well as in other prestigious opera houses such as Glyndebourne, Vienna, and Zurich. Her upcoming engagements in Valencia include Nabucco and Rossini's Stabat Mater .
Russell Thomas, winner of the prestigious Viñas Competition in Barcelona, sings the role of Pollione for the first time. The young American tenor continues his promising career, which already includes performances at the Metropolitan Opera in New York, Covent Garden in London, and the Deutsche Oper Berlin. A frequent guest of the New York Philharmonic and Alan Gilbert, he has worked with conductors such as Gustavo Dudamel, Mark Elder, James Levine, Andris Nelsons, and Antonio Pappano.
Sergei Artamonov sings the role of Oroveso, Norma's father and chief of the Druids, a part he sang alongside Mariella Devia in his Bologna debut. The Russian bass, who has already performed at the Palau de les Arts in Simon Boccanegra, is also part of the cast of Nabucco , the final opera of the 2014-2015 season in the Main Hall.
The artists from the Centre de Perfeccionament Plácido Domingo, Cristina Alunno (Clotilde) and David Fruci (Flavio), complete the cast of this work, which is performed throughout the month of March at the Palau de les Arts with performances on March 8, 11, 14, 21, 24, 27 and 31.
'Les Arts per a tots' on March 5
On March 5th, the Palau de les Arts Reina Sofía ticket offices will host a special 'Les Arts per a tots' sale day with 50% discounts for tickets to Norma , the Carlos Álvarez concert on March 26th, as well as Rossini's Stabat Mater , which closes the symphonic offering on April 10th.
The 'Les Arts per a tots' sales days are an initiative of the 'Palau de les Arts: A space for all audiences' program aimed at holders of the Carnet Jove, the International Student Card (ISIC), the Large Family title, retirees over 65 years of age and pensioners holding the Cultural Card of the Generalitat Valenciana, people in a situation of unemployment or those who have an accredited degree of disability equal to or greater than 33%.
