The Palau de les Arts is committed to a ‘fresh and artistically excellent’ program for the Centre Plácido Domingo

The Centre de Perfeccionament premieres Vivaldi's oratorio Juditha Triumphans , which will be performed on November 21, 22 and 23.

The Palau offers a season ticket for 37.50 euros for the three shows presented by the Centre de Perfeccionament Plácido Domingo this season

Juan Luis Martínez from Valencia takes over the musical direction of What Are Clouds and Scarlatti's opera Narcissus , which complete the operatic offering.

Valencia. The Palau de les Arts Reina Sofía is committed to a 'fresh and artistically excellent' program for the Centre de Perfeccionament Plácido Domingo, as stated today by its artistic director, Davide Livermore from Turin, in a meeting with journalists.

Livermore, who combines his teaching duties in Valencia with his work leading the stage in the new productions of the Palau de les Arts, is also the stage director of the three productions presented by the Centre de Perfeccionament throughout the 2014-2015 Season.

This Friday, November 21, the artists of the Centre Plácido Domingo will make their official debut with Antonio Vivaldi's Juditha Triumphans . This new production marks the return of the Turin-born director to the stage, with Federico Maria Sardelli conducting, following the success of L'incoronazione di Dario in 2013.

Maestro Sardelli is one of the leading figures in the rediscovery of Antonio Vivaldi's work. A composer, musicologist, and flautist, his repertoire includes recordings of Vivaldi's works such as Arsilda, regina di Ponto , Orlando Furioso , Tito Manlio , Motezuma , and L'Atenaide . As a researcher, Sardelli has published numerous essays on the composer's work, as well as critical editions.

As the director and musicologist explained, Juditha Triumphans is the only complete oratorio that has survived of the six that Vivaldi wrote. “It is, if possible, the most beautiful, the pinnacle of his output, a kaleidoscopic spectacle of instrumentation and voice,” he emphasized.

In this regard, Federico Maria Sardelli pointed out that, as a key characteristic, all the roles in this work are for women. This is because Vivaldi premiered it at the Ospedale della Pietà, the orphanage where he worked for years as a music instructor for young girls and as a composer of the repertoire for its regular concerts.

“We have sought out these voices among the artists of the Centre de Perfeccionament and have adapted the oratorio to them so that the public can hear the diversity of colors of the era,” the musicologist pointed out.

Juditha Triumphans ' production also continues the line of work that Davide Livermore advanced in L'incoronazione di Dario in which the body was a part of the totality of the narrative, with duplications in the characters to enhance the discourse and facilitate its understanding.

“For me, it is a pleasure to stage Juditha Triumphans , because it is a work that is rarely performed, even though it has a fascinating dramatic approach. Vivaldi composed this oratorio as a tribute to Venice's victory over the Turks of the Ottoman Empire in 1716, hence its 'sacred-military' designation. He based it on the Book of Judith from the Old Testament as a metaphor to portray how a small state can triumph over a great empire,” Livermore explains.

The cast of Juditha Triumphans is made up of the Center de Perfection singers Federica Alfano, Cristina Alunno, Elisa Barbero, Mariam Battistelli, Hyekyung Choi, Lina Mendes, Rebecca Nathanson, Chiara Osella, Francesca Tassinari, Federica di Trapani, María Zapata and Míriam Zubieta.

The Teatre Martín i Soler will host three performances of this oratorio on November 21, 22 and 23.

Supplementary repertoire

The work of Antonio Vivaldi and by extension the music of the early 18th century is ideal for the pedagogical work that Davide Livermore carries out at the Centre de Perfeccionament.

As the artistic director of this project explains: “The music of this era allows us to teach artists to act and sing without the psychological pressure they would experience with an opera featuring major roles. Furthermore, the high notes are integrated into the musical discourse, making it easier to learn to tell stories with the voice.”

This is a repertoire that also complements the offerings of the Main Hall, he emphasized.

What Are Clouds? is the second show that Livermore presents this season with the Centre Plácido Domingo. Valencian conductor Juan Luis Martínez leads the Orquestra de la Comunitat Valenciana for the second time in a Centre production, following the success of Purcell's Dido and Aeneas in 2012.

On January 27, 2015, to commemorate Mozart's birthday, the artists presented a concert-performance featuring excerpts, arias, and ensemble pieces from the operas Bastien und Bastienne, Così fan tutte, Don Giovanni, Le nozze di Figaro , and Die Zauberflöte by the Salzburg genius. The production was inspired by Pier Paolo Pasolini's short film What Are Clouds? (1967), set in the Age of Enlightenment.

Closing the program is Narcissus , by Domenico Scarlatti, the first international co-production of the Centre de Perfeccionament, which will be performed on May 22, 28, 31, 2015, with an educational performance on the 25th of that same month.

The production premiered last August at the Innsbruck Early Music Festival (Austria) with four singers from the Centre in the cast and the prestigious Fabio Biondi and the Europa Galante ensemble in the pit. Narcissus marks the Palau de les Arts' first collaboration with the prestigious Austrian festival, and features stage direction and set design by Davide Livermore, costumes by Mariana Fracasso, video design by D-WOK, and lighting by Antonio Castro.

Juan Luis Martínez marks his second collaboration with the Centre de Perfeccionament and the Orquestra de la Comunitat Valenciana this season with this opera that won the favor of the demanding Austrian public this summer.

Centre season ticket 

Finally, Davide Livermore noted that this year the Palau de les Arts has launched a subscription service for productions and performances at the Centre de Perfeccionament Plácido Domingo. For just €37.50, those interested can attend one of the three performances of Vivaldi's Juditha Triumphans , the concert What Are Clouds in January, and Domenico Scarlatti's opera Narcissus .

As Livermore concluded: “This is an excellent way to approach the world of opera with fresh, top-level artistic performances, featuring great voices and the Orquestra de la Comunitat Valenciana in the pit.”