The work by the Brazilian composer Villa-Lobos, featuring Lorca’s complete libretto, debuts on the island with a stage designed as a swimming pool
Tenerife will see the European premiere of Yerma, an opera by the composer Heitor Villa-Lobos, based on the eponymous work by Federico García Lorca. The performances will take place on October 14, 16, 17, and 18 in the Symphony Hall. This collaborative production between the Auditorio de Tenerife, the Teatro de la Zarzuela, the Festival Amazonas de Ópera (Manaus, Brazil) and the Festival de Ópera do Theatro da Paz (Belem, Brazil) launches the subscription season of Ópera de Tenerife.
With a committed ecological tone, the proposal bears the stamp of the Murcia-born Paco Azorín, in charge of the stage direction, playwriting and set design. The artistic team includes Carlos Martos de la Vega, responsible for playwriting and stage movement; Pedro Chamizo, video designer; Ana Garay, wardrobe designer; and Pedro Yagüe, lighting designer. The production also benefits from Blanca Torres’s historical-psychological guidance.
Leading the cast is soprano Berna Perles, starring as Yerma for three performances, with María Miró taking the leading role on the Friday performance. Tenor Alejandro Roy is Yerma’s husband, Juan; baritone Javier Castañeda is Yerma’s childhood friend, Víctor; mezzo-soprano Anna Gomà is Yerma’s friend, María, who is a mother; and mezzo-soprano María José Montiel is Dolores, a woman who is said to have powers that may help Yerma.
An assortment of roles, including those of older women and girls, sisters-in-law, and washerwomen, will be played by the mezzo-sopranos Belén Elvira, Guadalupe Barrientos, and Alexandra Urquiola, as well as the sopranos Zayra Ruiz, Marga Cloquell, and Carmen Mateo. Tenor Alberto Ballesta will interpret the Male.
In addition to the cast, the main choir Ópera de Tenerife-Intermezzo will sing onstage with comprimarios under the direction of conductor Miguel Ángel Arqued. The production also includes supernumerary actors, some of whom will portray the children that Yerma is unable to bear.
The Orquesta Sinfónica de Tenerife will perform under the baton of conductor Luiz Fernando Malheiro, who has overseen the critical revision of the score to be premiered at these performances. Conductor Pablo Urbina is to lead the orchestra on October 17.
This opera has rarely been staged. Although it was composed in 1956, it did not premiere until 1971 at the Santa Fe Opera in New Mexico (USA), 12 years after Villa-Lobos’s death. On that occasion, Yerma was performed by Catalonian soprano Mirna Lacambra, an eminent figure in the world of opera who is 92 years old and is expected to attend the premiere next Tuesday.
This production of Yerma will see the auditorium’s Symphony Hall transformed into a swimming pool for all four scheduled performances, after undergoing special treatment to ensure the safety and comfort of the artists. The water is intended to contrast with the arid setting in the second part of the opera, which reflects Yerma’s feelings. In line with the work’s eco-conscious theme, this use of water is intended to raise awareness and draw a parallel between the lead’s circumstances and those of our planet. If she gives in to Juan’s wishes, who represents capitalism in Azorín’s adaptation, her future can only be barren.
Subscriptions may be purchased up until the date of the first performance, and single tickets are now on sale for the majority of the titles in the 2025-2026 opera season. The six subscription titles can be purchased starting at €125, or €30 for audience members under 30. The tickets are available on the website www.auditoriodetenerife.com, at the auditorium’s box office or by dialling the phone number 902 317 327 from Monday to Friday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Ópera de Tenerife is an initiative organised by the Island Council through the Auditorio de Tenerife with the sponsorship of the ICDC (Regional Institute of Cultural Development) and the INAEM (National Institute of Performing Arts and Music).