Seven works comprise this cycle of chamber opera in several formats with performances in La Laguna and Santa Cruz
Ópera en minúscula strengthens its presence in the lyrical season by presenting seven chamber operas as part of its second edition. Two operas will be staged at the Auditorio de Tenerife, two more at the Teatro Leal in La Laguna, and the final three at Espacio La Granja, including one in its outdoor space. Tickets are available for 10 euros at all three venues via their usual sales channels.
The Ópera de Tenerife is an initiative organised by the Island Council through the Auditorio de Tenerife with the collaboration of the ICDC (Regional Institute of Cultural Development) and the INAEM (National Institute of Performing Arts and Music). In addition, the second edition of Ópera en minúscula benefits from the partnership of the City Council of La Laguna.
Details were provided earlier today (September 2) at Leal Theatre by Councillor for Cultural Affairs of Tenerife Island Council José Carlos Acha, General Director of Cultural Innovation and Creative Industries Cristóbal de la Rosa, Councillor for Cultural Affairs of La Laguna Adrián del Castillo, Art Director of Auditorio de Tenerife José Luis Rivero and the directors of Teatro Xtremo Ricardo Campelo and Ruth González.
José Carlos Acha said, ‘Auditorio de Tenerife programmes operas for large-scale formats and very large venues, but this focus leaves out certain kinds of spectators, which is why Ópera en minúscula (Small-format Opera) was created. This initiative is now a key component of Tenerife Opera’s annual programming.’ He concluded his comments with words of praise for ‘the hard work and dedication of all our theatres’ technical crews.’
Cristóbal de la Rosa acknowledged that ‘our role is to support the outstanding work of Auditorio de Tenerife’, adding that ‘this project deals with some specific issues, such as the idea that opera should not address certain matters of current relevance or be contemporary’. He went on to say that ‘The way ideas are expressed, the subject matter, the libretto and the accompanying music are what make works contemporary.’ He summed up his comments by stating, ‘through culture, we can make the world a better place, putting an end to the tragedies of the past and the present’.
Adrián del Castillo said, ‘These kinds of projects make culture much more accessible. All the staff of the Cultural Affairs Department of the Town Council of La Laguna are grateful for the privilege of using our theatre. Concluding his comments, he said, ‘Ópera en minúscula offers diverse forms of culture in conveniently located venues that provide high-quality productions for spectators of all ages’.
José Luis Rivero stated that ‘A democratic approach to culture has to do with bringing about change. Ópera de Tenerife is a large-scale project featuring 15 selected works, offering the public opera every month. He also said, ‘We intend to use Ópera en minúscula to stage productions from a different and more open-minded perspective, using other forms of experimentation, other durations and alternative subject matters, and we have even taken into account the proximity of theatres in relation to spectators. Opera is very much alive and well, and it combines many artistic experiences.’
Rivero went on to say that ‘Teatro Xtremo’s approach was very similar to our own and, in our collaboration, it has turned out to be a perfect match.’ He concluded by indicating that ‘the works comprising this second season cover a wide range, from the use of AI in music to historic subjects that are considered indispensable so that they may never happen again’.
Ricardo Campelo stated, ‘Insofar as curatorship, we knew our audiences would be modern, educated and diverse, with different forms of expression and different languages. This is why we offer operas in different languages, with distinct aural experiences and set in various periods. We believe that there is an ideal kind of contemporary opera for every spectator and that art can truly change the world. The only problem is that firearms are moving at a faster pace than art.’
Ruth González explained that ‘It’s especially exciting for me to be taking part in this adventure here in this theatre, which is the perfect venue for chamber opera. This project could not have begun in better hands. Auditorio de Tenerife makes it all so easy.’
The opening presentation will be this Sunday (September 7th) at 7.30 p.m. in the Chamber Hall of the Auditorio de Tenerife, showcasing Klara, an opera structured in four haikus. The musical direction and composition are by Pedro Halffter, with Antón Armendariz directing the stage. The soprano Vanessa Goikoetxea performs, accompanied on piano by Eduardo Frías and Pedro Halffter.
A related event will take place on Saturday (September 6) at 7.30 p.m. in the Chamber Hall, entitled Los límites de la conciencia (The Limits of Consciousness). Participants include Halffter, María Inmaculada Perdomo, PhD in philosophy, and Carina Soledad González, PhD in computer science, as well as Ricardo Campelo of Teatro Xtremo, who serves as the moderator.
The chamber opera Domitila by João Guilherme Ripper will mark the return of opera to La Laguna on September 13, with performances starting at 7.30 p.m. at Teatro Leal. It is a production by the Juan March Foundation, the Teatro de la Zarzuela, and Bogotá’s Teatro Mayor Julio Mario Santo Domingo. Teatro Leal will host a composer meet-and-greet on September 11, starting at 7.00 p.m.
Premiering in Río de Janeiro in 2000, the libretto is based on a true story that took place in the 1820s: the doomed relationship between King Pedro I of Brazil and Marchioness Domitila de Castro. Under the guise of a monologue, Domitila recounts her frustrated romance as she reads their correspondence.
Soprano Ana Quintans stars as Domitila, accompanied by clarinettist Irene Martínez and cellist Esteban Jiménez. Borja Mariño is responsible for musical direction and piano, while Nicola Beller Carbone directs the stage. The set design is by Carmen Castañón, costumes by Pier Paolo Álvaro and Roger Portal, and lighting by Pedro Chamizo.
The outside area of Espacio La Granja will welcome La Plaza on September 17, presenting the second edition of the open-air chamber opera Juicio a una señora en llamas (Trial of a Lady in Flames). This process of operatic creation has been constructed from the ground up through an artist residency. The event serves as a platform to promote contemporary chamber opera in Spanish, breaking down the barriers imposed by traditional concepts of performative areas and providing the public with a close-up, raw, and exciting experience.
Dani Barcala, Ricardo Barrul, Anna Coll, Begoña Gómez, Ksenia Guinea and Miller Blanca Budiño are the stars of this show. Through the disciplines of singing, performance, instrumental interpretation, and composition, they will take a horizontal and collaborative approach to produce a single, site-specific piece designed for a non-conventional space. Ksenia Guinea takes charge of the direction, with dramaturgy led by Anna Coll Miller and musical direction by Dani Barca, who co-composed the work with Blanca Budiño, Begoña Gómez, and Ricardo Barrul Martín.
This hybrid and visceral opera, Juicio a una señora en llamas, re-examines two real-life cases: Isabel, a Valencian woman who became a laughingstock after reporting her neighbour, and Manuela Trasobares, a transgender mezzo-soprano and trailblazer in Spanish queer art. Through electronic music, torn arias, and satirical TV, the collective work uncovers the disgrace experienced by women who neither conform nor fit. It uses sharp humour, lyricism, and anger to turn shame to flame, and flame to song.
El diario de Ana Frank (The Diary of Anne Frank), an opera by Grigori Frid, will be performed twice on September 19 at the Auditorio’s La Salita hall, at 7.30 p.m. and 10.00 p.m. Bruno Berger-Gorski directs the stage, Christine Böhm-Mayerhofer oversees costumes, with Miriam Halejijeva starring as Anne Frank and Almog Ahroni on piano.
In 21 brief images, the mono-opera describes the fate of the 13-year-old Anne Frank, who, along with her family, hid in a sealed-off annexe from July 6, 1942, until their arrest by the Gestapo on August 4, 1944, during the fascist occupation of the Netherlands. The psychological pressure that weighed on the child’s mind but failed to break her will is a constant throughout the book, whose actual title is ‘The Diary of a Young Girl’. Her observations convey to readers her tenacious will to live.
The libretto, taken almost verbatim from the original text, is part of a musical-lyrical narration that does justice to both the tragedy of the events and Anne Frank’s poetic expressivity. The music darkly evokes her profound thoughts, the ingenious joy she expressed over a gift or a patch of blue sky, her unconcealed fear and determination to remain brave, her blossoming love for Peter, her sense of situational comedy, and her hopes for freedom and a more humane world.
Espacio La Granja will present María de Buenos Aires, a tango opera by Astor Piazzolla, on September 21. This production by Galemúsica includes participation from the Centro Dramático Galego. The work represents the initial collaboration between two essential creators: Horacio Ferrer, a Uruguayan poet and tango historian naturalised in Argentina, and Astor Piazzolla, acclaimed as a leading 20th-century musician.
The work is a retrospective expression of the musical and literary culture of Argentina’s capital. It tells the story of a woman who is a central figure in the city’s post-war nightlife, tracing her life and death. Her existence revolves around the tango canyengue (a classic style of tango), the city’s ghettos and her libertine lifestyle, the narration of which will immerse spectators in a moving story.
Producer and performer Borja Quiza, along with Teresa Garzón as artistic director and principal performer, lead this project, combining their passion and knowledge across the many disciplines of María de Buenos Aires: theatre, dance, and music. Dancers Marcos Marticano and Álex Dios also participate.
Il giocatore will be performed on September 26 at Espacio La Granja, produced by Universo Zapico with contributions from Forma Antiqva and the research centre Instituto Complutense de Ciencias Musicales ICCMU. Physician, court poet, and playwright Antonio Salvi wrote the libretto. The opera premiered in Venice in 1719 and became one of the most performed works of the 18th century, often presented in various adaptations, including this one by Niccoló Jommelli for the Spanish court, commissioned by Farinelli.
The production features stage director and playwright Ana Contreras, musical director Aarón Zapico at the helm of Forma Antiqva, soprano Pilar Alva and baritone Javier Povedano. The characters and wardrobe have been developed along modern lines to establish a reference to modern times and the increased popularity of gambling establishments. One of the goals of this production is to connect with the issues affecting today’s youth. To this end, the singers are young, and the wardrobe of the main characters, Serpilla and Bacocco, has been designed to resemble the clothing worn by Rosalía and Bad Bunny. The orchestra will take the stage and interact with the singers.
Videos are used to create settings and to show events that take place offstage. For example, during the introduction of the intermezzo, a video shows a scene in which Bacocco is gambling in a casino, loses everything, leaves shirtless and wanders through the streets of Madrid until he comes onstage for his song.
The second edition of Ópera en minúscula concludes on September 27 at Teatro Leal, where Tristana by Miguel Huertas-Camacho will be performed at 7.30 p.m. This co-production between the Auditorio de Tenerife and Comunidad de Madrid explores themes of freedom, desire, and the body as a battlefield. Bauti Carmen is the musical director, Ricardo Campelo is the stage director, Rhina is responsible for costumes, and Luiggi Falcone handles lighting.
This version of Tristana offers a radically updated interpretation of Benito Pérez Galdós’ novel, exploring the symbolic power of the female body and the right to emancipation. Based on the screenplay of Luis Buñuel and Julio Alejandro and with a libretto written by Jorge Volpi, this adaptation is set in the Chamberí neighbourhood of 21st-century Madrid, where the echoes of a patriarchal and bourgeois Spain are still heard in modern corridors, cell phones and moments of silence in which violence hangs in the air.
The original score, composed by Miguel Huertas, is interpreted on piano, cello and percussion, with vocals provided by a soprano (Ruth González), a tenor (César Arrieta), a baritone (Enrique Sánchez-Ramos) and an actress (Luisa Torregrosa). Onstage, the characters— Juan López Garrido, Tristana, Horacio, and Saturna —make their way through an intimate, political, and emotional landscape that brings together love, power, dependence, and the need to break away from everything.