Mozart's universe invades the Palau de les Arts with the opera Le nozze di Figaro

28.02.2008

The world of Mozart is currently taking over the Palau de les Arts Reina Sofía with rehearsals for Le nozze di Figaro (The Marriage of Figaro), Mozart's masterpiece, which arrives at the Palau de les Arts in an acclaimed production from London's Royal Opera House Covent Garden. The premiere will be on March 6th.
Le nozze di Figaro is one of the three great operas by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart with a libretto by the celebrated writer Lorenzo da Ponte, who based it on the theatrical comedy Le mariage de Figaro, by Beaumarchais.

The production features musical direction by Tomáš Netopil, while the renowned David McVicar is responsible for stage direction. The cast is headed by Erwin Schrott, who sings the role of Figaro. Schrott already triumphed last year at the Palau de les Arts, where he performed the title role in another title of the Da Ponte-Mozart trilogy: Don Giovanni.

Soprano Virginia Tola, who recently sang in the Extraordinary Concert in Homage to Puccini, is the Countess Almaviva, while the rest of the roles are performed by Aleš Jenis (Count Almaviva), Tatiana Lisnic (Susanna), Rinat Shaham (Cherubino), Eugenia Bethencourt (Marcellina), Vincenç Esteve (Basilio), Manuel Beltrán Gil (Don Curzio), Miguel Sola (Antonio) and Rocío Martínez Serrano (Barbarina)

Le nozze di Figaro, one of the undisputed pinnacles of opera, premiered in Vienna on May 1, 1786. The fruitful collaboration between Mozart and Da Ponte resulted in three masterpieces in the history of opera: Le nozze di Figaro, Don Giovanni, and Così fan tutte. The opera will be performed at the Palau de les Arts on March 6, 9, 12, 15, and 17.

Parallel activities

To coincide with these performances of Mozart's Le nozze di Figaro, the Palau de les Arts has programmed a full series of activities in the Aula Magistral of the coliseum.

On March 4th and 6th, at 12:00 pm, the Valencia Coliseum is organizing an educational reading of Beaumarchais's *Le mariage de Figaro*, aimed at schoolchildren. The public can also attend a staged reading of this play on March 7th and 11th at 8:30 pm.

These activities are complemented by the lecture "Let's Talk About Opera: Le nozze di Figaro," which musicologist Javier Casal will give on March 6 at 6:30 p.m., and which will decipher some of the dramatic and musical keys to this masterpiece by Mozart.