Plácido Domingo in Barcelona

Placido Domingo returns to the Liceu of Barcelona with ‘Thaïs’ de Massenet

Plácido Domingo in Barcelona

The tenor Plácido Domingo will return next Wednesday and Saturday to the Gran Teatre del Liceu  de Barcelona to star in the opera version of ‘Thaïs‘ by Jules Massenet, the “eternal duet” between a monk and a courtesan to whom he tries to save and from which pure love arises, the singer said friday at a press conference.

As he did in Los Angeles in 2012, the conductor will share the stage with the soprano Nino Machaidze in the role of Thaïs, who tries to seduce the monk Athanaël (Plácido Domingo) who wants to convert him to Christianity, and he stands firm until it achieves its purpose.

The concert of the opera ‘Thaïs’, played 34 times in the Liceu, will run under the baton of Patrick Fournilier, and will also have the tenor Celso Albelo in the role of Nicias and the baritone Damian del Castillo as Palemon, among others.

“As always, returning here gives me so much joy,” said the singer at the beginning of his speech, in which he recalled the success of the ‘Simon Boccanegra’ function last year to celebrate 50 years of his debut in the Lyceum.

The soprano has also celebrated returning to the Liceu three years later, and Domingo has emphasized his “extraordinary versatile capacity”, which can not be seen in the operatic stage version, but in concert, providing greater intimacy.

Domingo has stressed that ‘Thaïs’ is one of the most singular works of Massenet, who has recalled that he was criticized in his time, despite being a great composer, who has been referred to as a “painter with music”, has saying.

The story, set in Egypt, tells the story of an “eternal duo that unfolds in an extraordinary way until the final moment”, which fascinates Domingo so much, who premiered this montage in 2012 at the Palace of Arts in Valencia to celebrate the Centenary of the death of Massenet (1842-1912).

Passionate about football, basketball, tennis and car racing, Domingo has admitted that he would like to have a little more free time to enjoy sporting tournaments and have a quieter family life, and has joked that he dreams of a final Of the Champions League between Real Madrid – of which he is faithful follower – and Barcelona.

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The Liceu welcomes the debut of Juan Diego Florez in ‘Lucia di Lammermoor

Juan Diego Flórez at the Liceu in BCN

The Peruvian tenor Juan Diego Florez debut on December 4 in the role of Edgardo in Lucia di Lammermoor, reaching the Liceu with a staging of Damiano Michieletto dominated by a leaning tower of nine meters high, which go up interpreters repeatedly.

Florez shown today very proud to debut in a role that “have interpreted all the great” and recalled that the first thing he saw was the Edgardo Alfredo Kraus in New York, and was “very impressed”.

“I was very young he remember- -HA. Just leave my country and had no money for the cheapest ticket. I was lucky that the security worker was waiting at the door gave me an entry that was left over. I will never forget.”

It has been many years since that time and Flórez has not decided to tackle this role up to now: “It is true that throughout my career I have played harder than this role, but Edgardo requires a specific vocalism for which I now feel prepared, “he said.

The singers represent their roles in a market dominated by a leaning tower suggesting “the distortion of a world that is falling” scenario, he has clarified the artistic director of the Gran Teatre del Liceu, Christina Scheppelmann.

The soprano Elena Moşuc added that this tower of glass cutting and cold also represents distortion Lucia character she plays a woman who goes mad after facing a hostile environment, which forces her to marry to preserve the power of his family.

The tower is where Lucia shows the situation of women will be isolated and the prison will only death.

During the mad scene, certainly one of the most famous operatic repertoire, soprano is forced to run and climb stairs by a crooked tower, which is especially difficult in the bel canto, a vocal style that needs “of a perfect vocal and breathing techniques, “as pointed Mosuc.

Fortunately for the interpreter, as she has explained, the director has given freedom to move at their own pace in this scene because otherwise reach the end “without breath.”

The soprano who will alternate in the role with Elena , Maria Jose Moreno, ratified the difficulty of the mad scene, but said that “worth” because it “quite shocking”.

The two tenors who play Edgardo Juan Diego Florez and Ismael Jordi, clarified climbing the tower less than her co-stars, which allows them to be “comfortable” and “favoring the bel canto” said Florez.

The work is “a lot of frills and phrases with very colorful requiring filigree work,” stressed Mosuc, and the musical director, Marco Armiliato, is clear that “we must show the singers” and “the orchestra has to support without cover”.

Juan Diego Florez has acknowledged he has had little time to prepare the role and the tests “still had things” we did not know, but trust your “good memory” because, until now, never failed.

Lucia di Lammermoor by Donizetti, is one of the most popular works of bel canto and the debut of Juan Diego Florez “is very attractive to the public,” said Christina Scheppelmann, who has been very satisfied with the pace of ticket sales .

“We already have 75% of capacity sold on average and in some functions arrived at 90%,” he pointed Scheppelman.

The overall figures are also “very good” and that since the start of the season the occupancy rate was 98% on average, depending on the direction of Barcelona opera arena.

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