The Palau de les Arts includes Cherubini's Medea, the National Ballet of Spain, and a concert with Georges Prêtre in the V Festival del Mediterrani
17.10.2011
Valencia (17-10-11).- The Palau de les Arts Reina Sofía will include in the program of the V Festival del Mediterrani a new operatic production of Medea by Luigi Cherubini, a dance performance by the National Ballet of Spain and a concert with maestro Georges Prêtre.
The festival, chaired by Zubin Mehta, will open on May 26 with Giuseppe Verdi's Il trovatore . The Bombay-born maestro will conduct this classic of the Verdi repertoire with a new staging. In addition to the premiere, the arts center will offer five more performances of this work on June 4, 10, 16, 19, and 22.
The second opera to be performed during this summer season is Medea . Luigi Cherubini's work, which Maria Callas brought back to the forefront of contemporary opera, will be conducted by Ottavio Dantone. The Italian maestro, who has previously conducted works by Vicente Martín i Soler in Valencia, will be in the pit of the Main Hall on June 12, 17, 21, and 24. Lithuanian soprano Violeta Urmana makes her debut as Medea at the Palau de les Arts. The singer, known to Valencian audiences for her acclaimed performances in Parsifal , under the direction of Lorin Maazel, and in Iphigénie en Tauride , with Plácido Domingo as Orestes, takes on one of the most challenging scores of her career.
Following the worldwide acclaim for their performance of Der Ring des Nibelungen, the Orquestra de la Comunitat Valenciana, conducted by Zubin Mehta, will perform another of Wagner's great works, Tristan und Isolde , during the 5th Festival del Mediterrani. The Auditori del Palau de les Arts will host the concert version of the German composer's monumental score on June 23 and 28. Maestro Mehta will also conduct a concert of Brahms' works in the same hall on June 26.
On July 1st, one of the most veteran conductors on the musical scene, Georges Prêtre, returns to the cultural center. Maria Callas's favorite conductor, following his success with Respighi's 'Trilogia Romana' at the last edition of the Festival del Mediterrani, will once again lead the OCV in a concert that includes Mahler's Titan Symphony and Schubert's Unfinished Symphony .
National Ballet of Spain
Dance completes the program for this summer event with the participation of the National Ballet of Spain in a double bill: Fallen Angels and Suite Sevilla. Fallen Angels, with an original concept and stage direction by Hansel Cereza, features the participation of choreographers Javier Latorre, Rubén Olmos, Olga Pericet, Rocío Molina, Rafaela Carrasco, and Manuel Liñán; and music by Salvador Niebla.
The second part of this program will be a summary of Suite Sevilla, the show that Antonio Najarro premiered with his company shortly before being chosen as director of the National Ballet. Directed, choreographed, and designed by Antonio Najarro himself, Suite Sevilla features music by Rafael Riqueni.
Tickets for the performances included in this program are now available for purchase as a Season Pass, starting last Thursday, January 6th, when the General Advance Sale of Tickets for the 2011-2012 Season also began. The Season Pass includes one ticket for any performance day of each of the operas Il trovatore and Tristan und Isolde, and optionally one ticket for the other performances included in the Festival. Season Pass holders benefit from a significant discount, ranging from 25% for the general public to 40% for season ticket holders. The Season Pass offer is valid until January 8th. Season Passes can be purchased via the online form at www.lesarts.com, by calling 961 975 900, or at the Palau de les Arts Box Office.
