The wit and humor of Bedřich Smetana's The Bartered Bride captivate audiences at the Palau de les Arts

The staging of this essential work of the comic repertoire is by Daniel Slater, who sets the action in the Czech Republic in 1972.
• Tomáš Netopil, a connoisseur of the Orquestra de la Comunitat Valenciana and an expert in the Czech repertoire, takes over as musical director.

Valencia (26-02-10).- The Palau de les Arts Reina Sofía premieres today its first work by Bedřich Smetana, Prodaná nevřsta (The Bartered Bride), one of the classics of the Czech repertoire and one of the best examples of comic opera.

“A production that will delight everyone with its vibrant colors, the profound and unpretentious nature of its dramatic approach, and its superb stage movement, which highlights the most playful and popular aspects of this opera, truly suitable for all audiences,” as Mayor Helga Schmidt stated today at a press conference. Leading the Orquestra de la Comunitat Valenciana is Tomáš Netopil, music director of the National Theatre in Prague and a familiar figure with the resident orchestra of the Palau de les Arts. Netopil has conducted Mozart's operas *Le nozze di Figaro* and *Così fan tutte*, as well as Leoš Janáček's *Glagolitic Mass*, at the Valencian cultural venue.

This is the first time that Maestro Netopil has conducted a Czech opera with an international cast and orchestra, as he himself has emphasized.

Daniel Slater, director of other successful productions at the Valencian arts center, such as Prokofiev's *Esponsales en el monasterio* and Martín i Soler's *L'arbore di Diana*, is directing this classic of the operatic repertoire. It is also the first major production in the extensive career of the English director. Robert Innes Hopkins is responsible for the set and costume design, Simon Mills for the lighting, and Tim Claydon for the choreography in this production rented from Opera North Leeds (UK).

The Bartered Bride is considered the quintessential Czech opera, as well as one of the finest examples of the country's national folklore. Set in Bohemia in the mid-19th century, the opera, with a libretto by Karel Sabina, recounts the trials and tribulations faced by the young and naive peasant girl Małenka in her quest to marry her beloved, the villager Jeník. Featuring elements of comedy, such as entanglements, deceptions, arranged marriages, and the indispensable figure of the matchmaker, Smetana's most celebrated work is an essential piece of comic opera.

Slater, as he explained during his press conference, sets the action in the Czech Republic of the 1970s. The director praised the charming, spontaneous, and joyful music of this "sophisticated Smetana comedy," as he himself described it.

According to Mayor Helga Schmidt, the select cast of this production is headed by Slovenian soprano Sabina Cvilak, who sings the role of Małenka. The singer has been personally invited by Plácido Domingo to perform the roles of Mimì, Liù, and Micaela at the Washington Opera and is a regular performer with the Vienna State Opera, one of the world's most respected opera houses. Aleš Briscein sings the role of Jeník, Małenka's beloved. The Czech tenor, a frequent guest of the Czech National and Prague State Operas, counts among his artistic achievements his participation in the BBC film The Witty Little Vixen, directed by Kent Nagano.

The Catalan tenor Vicenç Esteve, known to the Palau de les Arts audience for his performances in La Bruja, Carmen, Le nozze di Figaro, El rey que rabió, Turandot, and Parsifal, and who has shared the stage with Josep Carreras, Jaume Aragall, and Plácido Domingo, plays Vašek. Vladimir Matorin, one of the most sought-after basses for the Russian and Italian repertoire, who has already sung Esponsales en el monasterio at the Valencian arts center, is the matchmaker Kecal.

Pilar Vázquez (Ludmila), Miguel Ángel Zapater (Krušina), Hannah Ester Minutillo (Háta), Ventseslav Anastasov (Mícha), Robert Burt (Comedian) and the singers from the Center de Perfection Plácido Domingo Luca Espinosa (Esmeralda) and Lluís Martínez-Agudo (Indio) complete the cast of this production.

More than 1,000 students enjoyed and applauded the dress rehearsal of this entertaining production last Wednesday. As part of its commitment to bringing opera to future audiences, and thanks to the Valencian Ministry of Education, the Palau de les Arts offers dress rehearsals of its opera productions to students. This initiative is part of the Valencian arts center's broader Educational Project.

The Sold Bride will also be performed on February 28 and March 3, 5, 7, and 9. Tickets can be purchased online at www.lesarts.com; by phone at 961 975 900, Monday to Friday, from 12:30 to 6:00 p.m.; at the Palau de les Arts box office, Monday to Friday, from 12:00 to 8:00 p.m.; or through Servientrada and Servicam.