Font de Mora: “The Palau de les Arts is once again in the international spotlight of culture and opera”

09.02.2007

The Minister of Culture, Education and Sport, Alejandro Font de Mora, stated that “the Palau de les Arts is once again in the international spotlight of culture and opera with this production, thanks to Plácido Domingo, musical director Patrick Fournillier, one of the most important French conductors of the moment, stage director Michal Znaniecki, author of more than 100 theatrical and operatic productions, and a cast of top-level singers, and of course, the Cor and Orquestra de la Comunitat Valenciana.”
Font de Mora made these statements this morning during the presentation of the opera Cyrano de Bergerac, the next production at the Palau de les Arts Reina Sofía, which will premiere next Sunday, February 11, with the attendance of the President of the Generalitat, Francisco Camps. Additional performances are scheduled for February 15, 18, and 22.

Also present at the press conference were the lead actor Plácido Domingo, the musical director Patrick Fournillier, the stage director Michal Znaniecki, the stage manager Helga Schmidt, and the soprano Sondra Radvanovsky.

The work features six Valencian singers: German Villar, Silvia Vázquez, Rubén Belmonte, Antonio Gómez, Juan Felipe Dura and Juan Navarro, a fact that demonstrates the high level of Valencian opera singers present in the vast majority of productions at the Palau de les Arts.

“The Palau de les Arts’ Cyrano de Bergerac is presented with a spectacular, modern set design, scrupulously respecting the essence of Franco Alfano’s music and Henri Cain’s original libretto. This 21st-century Cyrano de Bergerac breaks with all previous Cyrano productions and brings a new theatrical dimension to this opera,” stated Alejandro Font de Mora.

Tickets are sold out, although tickets can still be purchased on the day of the performances at the box office, for which 5% of the capacity has been reserved for sale.

Tenor Plácido Domingo has emphasized that Franco Alfano's Cyrano de Bergerac is the most contemporary of Italian operas and marks the end of the golden age of Italian composers. Domingo explained that Alfano is a magical melodist who makes it so that "you can't leave the theater without crying."

The Spanish tenor also highlighted the work of his co-star Sondra Radvanovsky, who is accompanying Domingo for the third time in this opera. Domingo emphasized Radvanovsky's interpretation, noting that she "sings a truly difficult tessitura with both power and tenderness." Both Plácido Domingo and Sondra Radvanovsky also praised the acoustics of the Main Hall at the Palau de les Arts. "The acoustics of the Main Hall thrill me; there's a brilliance. I can assure you that I'm captivated," stated Plácido Domingo.

For her part, the Director of the Palau de les Arts Reina Sofía, Helga Schmidt, explained that the Palau de les Arts has begun recording this production in High Definition for its subsequent distribution at the end of the season.

Schmidt also announced that Plácido Domingo will return to the Palau de les Arts Reina Sofía in the future. The opera house is considering having the tenor participate in a Puccini gala next season to commemorate the Italian composer's year.

Parallel activities

As part of the activities surrounding Cyrano de Bergerac, the exhibition Plácido Domingo: The Tenor in Valencia offers a photographic journey through the tenor's time in the city for this opera. The exhibition comprises eighty images taken by photographer Eva Ripoll, documenting the journey of the leading man in Cyrano de Bergerac. Plácido Domingo: The Tenor in Valencia can be viewed in the main foyer of the opera house by audience members attending performances of Cyrano de Bergerac.

Francisco Bueno will also give a lecture on the opera Cyrano de Bergerac this Friday at 7:00 p.m. in the theater's main auditorium. Bueno is a critic for the newspaper El Mundo and a professor of Opera History at the University of Valencia. This expert in opera will analyze the work and its historical and cultural context.

To close the series of activities, the coliseum has organized a public discussion with Plácido Domingo on February 20th at 8:00 PM, moderated by music critic and expert Gonzalo Alonso.