New production of the classic in four performances with magnificent cast, orchestra, choir and dancers
The Auditorio de Tenerife announces the premiere of a new in-house production of Charles Gounod’s opera Roméo et Juliette. Its four performances are scheduled for this Sunday (15 March), Tuesday (17 March), Thursday (19 March) and Saturday (21 March) at 7.30 p.m. in the Symphony Hall.
Tenerife Island Councillor for Cultural Affairs José Carlos Acha attended rehearsals to observe the production’s preparations and spoke to its stage and music directors André Heller-Lopes and José Luis Gómez, respectively, along with cast members, including Tenerife-born tenor Airam Hernández and soprano and Navarre native Sofía Esparza, who perform the leading roles. Joining in this production are the Sinfónica de Tenerife, the Main Choir Ópera de Tenerife-Intermezzo and dancers of Centro Internacional de Danza Tenerife.
Brazilian stage director André Heller-Lopes explained some of the production’s details to the councillor, saying that the intention is to take the public to a 19th-century Parisian theatre with gilded balconies and the indispensable character of Juliette. However, this setting and its representation of an opulent past will appear at the back of the stage in a state of restoration as a metaphor for the younger generation who must inhabit and redefine it, just as the principals do before the long-standing feud maintained by their families. This vision of the work is set between the 1970s and the 1980s.
In order to bring this to fruition, Heller-Lopes sought the collaboration of set designer Renato Theobaldo and lighting designer Gonzalo Córdova. Rounding out the crew is costume designer Sofia di Nunzio and assistant to stage direction and choreography Franklin Dávalos. In addition, the Auditorio de Tenerife has lent a hand so that the students of three Canarian educational centres could part in the construction of the props and stage scenery: the IES La Orotava-Manuel González Pérez, the IES Mencey Acaymo of Güímar and the CIFP Tony Gallardo (Las Palmas de Gran Canaria).
In addition to Airam Hernández as Roméo Montague and Sofía Esparza as Juliette Capulet, the solo voices of bass-baritone Simón Orfila will perform as Frère Laurent and baritone Fernando Campero as Mercutio, along with the mezzo-sopranos Christina Campsall as Stéphano and Belén Elvira as Gertrude, respectively. The cast also includes baritone Anton Keremidtchiev as Count Capulet, Compte Capulet tenor Mario Bahg as Tybalt, tenor Manuel Gómez Ruiz as Benvolio, bass Guillermo Montecino as Grégorio, baritone Romanas Kudriašovas as Pâris and bass-baritone Mikhail Biryukov as the Duke of Verona. In charge of the production’s music is director José Luis Gómez, who will conduct the Sinfónica de Tenerife, with Miguel Ángel Arqued at the helm of the choir.
Although Shakespeare’s The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet evokes musical romanticism, intergenerational conflict is the underlying theme that defines this production. The set design allows another interpretation of the libretto and highlights the friction between generations: adults committed to their own acts of violence, portrayed in a patriarchal and misogynistic environment, and youth who directly challenge this legacy of hatred through the love shared by Romeo and Juliet. This is an opera of contrasts interpreted through music, stage, light and darkness.
The musical style of Gounod is a blend of the lyricism of Italian opera and the refined elegance of French tradition and serves as a common thread in a production that is much more than a love story. The orchestra’s bold phrasing and dynamics underscore the singing and the drama, and the choir goes beyond merely providing plot support by taking an active role in the story.
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. Check the special discounts for the audience under 30 years of age, students, unemployed people, and large families.
The Island Council has launched the shuttle service ‘Lanzadera Ópera’ for the second consecutive season, with two of TITSA’s public buses to provide spectators with free transport from Adeje and Buenavista to the Auditorio de Tenerife for every performance in the Ópera de Tenerife subscription series. The free tickets are available at www.operadetenerife.com.
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).