Plácido Domingo will conduct the Puccini Tribute Concert on February 20th at the Palau de les Arts alongside other opera stars.

02.02.2008

The Palau de les Arts Reina Sofía will celebrate on February 20th the Extraordinary Concert in Tribute to Puccini in which Plácido Domingo will conduct, at the head of the Orquestra de la Comunitat Valenciana, some of the most acclaimed international opera stars for their interpretations of the puccinian repertoire.
The Valencian coliseum thus commemorates the 150th anniversary of the birth of the universal Italian composer in what has been designated as the Puccini Year.

Plácido Domingo, who is already rehearsing at the coliseum with the orchestra and the singers in the Superior Auditorium, has highlighted his satisfaction at being able to conduct works by Puccini, since after Verdi he is the composer whose work he has performed the most times.

“Throughout my career, I will have sung almost a thousand Puccini performances and conducted his music around 150 times; I find complete satisfaction in both singing and conducting him. I carry him deep within me because Puccini inspires and motivates you greatly. This year is also a special one because it's not every day that we celebrate the 150th anniversary of the birth of a composer like Puccini, and this year I have worked extensively with his music, especially conducting Tosca and Madama Butterfly,” Domingo explained.

Likewise, the tenor and conductor pointed out that by working deeply on the score of the Italian composer, "you realize that he was a colossus of orchestration, with the colors he found, with all the motifs... in his music everything has a reason for being, nothing is left out."

Domingo also stated that he hopes the Valencian audience “has as much fun as we did,” because they are “an audience that deeply loves music, especially Puccini’s.” Plácido Domingo also emphasized the luxury of the Palau de les Arts, with its opera house and concert hall like the auditorium.

As Domingo explained, he is very pleased with the first rehearsals, as his first contact with the Orquestra de la Comunitat Valenciana “couldn’t have been better.” “It’s an extraordinary orchestra, young and eager to play and make good music.” The tenor and conductor also mentioned the high quality of the singers who will participate in this concert.

For his part, tenor Roberto Alagna has already expressed his excitement to join the tribute that the coliseum will pay to the brilliant Italian composer because "although for me the Puccini year is every year because he is never missing from my repertoire, it is a great opportunity to sing in this concert because I adore his music."

Leading figures of lyric poetry

The concert, held in the opera house's Upper Auditorium, will feature some of the most sought-after opera singers in the world, including Roberto Alagna, Mariella Devia, Violeta Urmana, and Daniela Barcellona. The stellar cast will be rounded out by Silvia Vázquez from Valencia, Svetla Vassileva, Vincente Esteve, Juan Pons, Pietro Spagnoli, Rafael Bosca, and Nahuel di Pierro.

The program for the Puccini Tribute Concert includes arias, duets, and excerpts from the Italian composer's most famous works, such as Manon Lescaut, La Bohème, Suor Angelica, Turandot, and Tosca, among others.

Domingo has dedicated a large part of his successful career, as a singer and conductor, to Puccini. This is the second time the Spanish tenor and conductor will lead the Orquestra de la Comunitat Valenciana, following his performance at Operalia 2006, where he conducted the Palau de les Arts' resident orchestra in the grand final of this prestigious singing competition.

Among the singers in this event are tenor Roberto Alagna, a leading figure in the Puccini repertoire; soprano Mariella Devia, recently acclaimed at La Scala in Milan for her performance in Maria Stuarda; mezzo-soprano Violeta Urmana, who gained international recognition for her roles as Kundry in Parsifal, the Princess of Éboli, and in Don Carlo, and who is currently performing in La Giocconda at the Teatro Real; and Daniela Barcellona, one of today's most outstanding mezzo-sopranos.

In addition to the Extraordinary Concert, the Palau de les Arts has programmed two operas this season, Madama Butterfly and Turandot, within the First Festival del Mediterrani, as a commemoration of the Puccini Year.

The Extraordinary Tribute Concert to Puccini is outside the regular subscription program and tickets for it can be purchased at the coliseum box office, by phone at 961 975 900 or online at www.lesarts.com.