Ópera de Tenerife

The symphonic poem Tannhäuser inspired by the opera created by Richard Wagner is being performed this weekend

Tannhäuser, a symphonic poem in three movements for choir and orchestra, based on the opera of the same name by Richard Wagner, is the closing show of the Opera of Tenerife this weekend with the participation on stage of over 9 people [Friday 9 and Saturday 10]. It will take place at 7:30 p.m. in the auditorium's Symphony Hall with the participation on the stage of over 130 people: 78 musicians from the Tenerife Symphony Orchestra and 60 voices from the Resident Choir of the Intermezzo-Tenerife Opera, conducted by Pedro Halffter, author of the proposal that maintains the solemnity and legendary spirit of Wagner.

This version by the Madrid conductor and composer, who is coming to Tenerife after conducting Madame Butterfly at the Canadian Opera of Montreal, adapts the original production which lasts for over three hours to make it a great 90-minute concert. For Halffter, who conducted Florencia in the Amazon last season, Tannhäuser is “one of the most wonderful works” that he has had the opportunity to conduct many times.

It took him two years of work to create this symphonic poem with which he wanted to bring people closer to the work of the German maestro in a versatile way and it premièred in February 2020 at the symphony hall of the Miguel Delibes Cultural Centre in Valladolid. The concert is divided into three movements:  Der Venusberg, Auf der Wartburg (The Wartburg), and Tannhäusers Pilgerfahrt (Tannhäuser's pilgrimage). “The music of Wagner is extraordinarily thrilling and I hope that this version will make people experience the grandeur of the opera Tannhäuser,” hopes Halffter.

The opera libretto brings together several medieval legends, all based on historical figures. The plot focuses on Tannhäuser, a knight and troubadour who enjoys carnal pleasures on Venusberg, or the Mountain of Venus, where he has lived for some time, seduced by the goddess of love. At one point, he decides to return to the world because he misses the love that is felt by other mortals.

He returns to the castle where his beloved Elisabeth lives and takes part in a singing competition in which the prize is the hand of his sweetheart. When Tannhäuser sings his song and extols the carnal love he experienced on Venusberg, everyone present, overwhelmed, accuses him of blasphemy and of being an abominable sinner. The knights prepare to strike him down with their swords, but Elizabeth intervenes and pleads for mercy, as she trusts that Tannhäuser will return to God. Suddenly, a choir of young pilgrims passing close to the castle is heard. Tannhäuser runs to join them and shouts “To Rome!” the only place where he can find forgiveness.

However, Tannhäuser returns from the Italian capital desolate because the pope has refused him absolution saying that, just as his old staff will never bloom, nor will he obtain forgiveness for his terrible sin. Tannhäuser declares that he only wishes to return to the arms of Venus. The goddess appears, and he goes towards her until a friend reminds him of Elisabeth. Venus vanishes and a procession approaches with the coffin of his sweetheart. He pleads for the lifeless body of Elisabeth to be prayed for, and he dies instantly. At that point, the chorus of pilgrims approaches again, bearing the staff of the pope which has completely bloomed: God had forgiven Tannhäuser.

Pedro Halffter has conducted on renowned stages like the Musikverein in Vienna, the Konzerthaus in Berlin, London's Queen Elizabeth Hall, the Théâtre du Chatelet of Paris, the Teatro Real in Madrid, the NCPA of Beijing, The Tchaikovsky Hall of Moscow, and the Verdi Theatre of Trieste. He has also conducted notable orchestras like the London Philharmonia Orchestra, Symphonieorchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks, Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin, Staatskapelle Berlin, Dresdner Philharmonie, Sinfonica Nazionale della RAI, Maggio Musicale Fiorentino and the most important symphony orchestras of Spain.

He worked as artistic director for the Maestranza Theatre of Seville, for the Real Orquesta Sinfónica of Seville, and the Orquesta Filarmónica of Gran Canaria. He was the main guest conductor of the Nürnberger Symphoniker and the main conductor of the Young Orchestra during the Bayreuth Festival. He has recorded for leading labels such as Deutsche Grammophon, Warner Music, and Warner Classics.

The Opera 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).

The tickets are available on the website www.auditoriodetenerife.com, at the auditorium's box office or by dialling the number 902 317 327 from Monday to Friday from 10:00 a.m. to 05:00 p.m., Saturdays from 10:00 a.m. to 02:00 p.m. There are discounts for the audience under 30 years of age, students, unemployed, large families and groups of more than five people.

El también escritor, que estuvo en febrero en el Auditorio de Tenerife con ˋLove, love, loveˊ, vuelve el miércoles acompañado de su piano

El Auditorio de Tenerife ha programado para el próximo miércoles [día 7] a las 19:30 horas en la Sala de Cámara una conferencia del músico y divulgador Ramón Gener para desgranar los detalles de la nueva temporada de Ópera de Tenerife. Las entradas para este espectáculo en el que Gener tendrá acompañamiento visual y musical, ya que él mismo tocará el piano, tienen un precio de ocho euros.

Este divulgador de la música y el arte expondrá los diferentes ángulos desde donde poder descubrir los entresijos de cada título de la temporada 2023-2024 de Ópera de Tenerife: los sentimientos, música, temáticas, personajes... Se trata de una oportunidad para todos los que desean conocer más y para los que nunca se han atrevido a acudir a una ópera.

Antes y después de la conferencia, la librería Agapea de Tenerife instalará un stand en el hall del Auditorio, por fuera de la sala, donde se podrán adquirir los libros de Ramón Gener, quien, al finalizar el acto, estará firmando ejemplares. Ha publicado tres libros: Si Beethoven pudiera escucharme (2013), El amor te hará inmortal (2016) y Beethoven, un músico sobre un mar de nubes (2020).

Los títulos programados son: la ópera de nueva creación María Moliner, de Antoni Parera Fons (octubre); la coproducción de Tenerife, Chile y Oviedo Manon, de Jules Massenet (noviembre); Samson et Dalila, de Camille Saint-Saëns, en versión concierto (diciembre); la ópera de cámara de Leonard Bernstein Trouble in Tahiti (enero); la producción propia de Rusalka, de Antonín Dvořák (marzo); la ópera en familia L’enfant et les sortilèges, de Maurice Ravel (abril) y la gala lírica Verdi singular (junio).

Las conferencias de Ramón Gener en Tenerife, siempre en la Sala de Cámara a las 19:30 horas, se prolongarán a lo largo de la temporada siendo la protagonista en cada caso la ópera más cercana. La siguiente cita con el popular comunicador será el 4 de octubre para hablar de María Moliner, el 7 de noviembre con Manon, el 28 del mismo mes para Samson et Dalila, el 17 de enero con Trouble in Tahiti y el 21 de febrero con Rusalka.

Ramón Gener, nacido en Barcelona, es licenciado en Humanidades y en Ciencias Empresariales. Comenzó sus estudios como músico a los 6 años en el Conservatorio Superior de Música del Liceu, formación que completó más tarde con la pianista Anna Maria Albors.

Por recomendación de la soprano Victoria de los Ángeles comenzó a estudiar canto bajo su supervisión. Completó sus estudios vocales en Varsovia con el barítono Jerzy Artysz y en Barcelona con el tenor Eduard Giménez. Después de una carrera de varios años como barítono dejó de cantar y comenzó una nueva etapa como divulgador musical ofreciendo conferencias sobre ópera, música clásica y arte.

El eco de estas conferencias lo llevaron hasta el mundo de la televisión. Primero a nivel autonómico en TV3 con el programa Òpera en texans, y luego a nivel nacional e internacional con programas como, This is Opera, This is Art y 200, una noche en el Prado. Programas grabados en español e inglés y que se han emitido y se siguen emitiendo en muchos países del mundo. En la radio colabora en el programa No es un día cualquiera de Radio Nacional de España (RNE).

Actualmente sigue con sus conferencias, clases e intervenciones en RNE. Así mismo, está sumergido en la preparación de su nuevo programa de televisión y su nuevo libro. Ramón Gener estuvo por última vez en el Auditorio de Tenerife el pasado mes de febrero con el espectáculo Love, love, love, que presentaba junto a José Corbacho.

Las entradas para esta primera conferencia de Gener con Ópera de Tenerife se pueden adquirir en la página web www.auditoriodetenerife.com, en la taquilla de lunes a viernes de 10:00 a 17:00 horas y sábados de 10:00 a 14:00 horas y de forma telefónica llamando al 902 317 327 en el mismo horario. Hay disponibles descuentos para menores de 30 años, estudiantes, desempleados y familias numerosas.

The opera proposal combines traditional repertoire titles with contemporary, chamber and Spanish language titles

The subscriptions are available from 88 euros and there is a special offer for the audience under 30 years of age for 20 euros.

The Island Council of Tenerife has presented its 2023-2024 Opera season The opera programme of the Auditorio de Tenerife is formed by seven titles, which mix the traditional repertoire and renew the commitment to contemporary, chamber and Spanish language titles. The Tenerife Symphony Orchestra will continue as the travelling companion of all the titles that require an orchestra.

The offer is made up of the newly created opera María Moliner by Antoni Parera Fons (October), Manon by Jules Massenet (November), the concert version of Samson et Dalila by Camille Saint-Saëns (December), the Chamber Opera Trouble in Tahiti by Leonard Bernstein (January), Rusalka by Antonín Dvořák (March), the family opera L’enfant et les sortilèges (The Child and the Spells) by Maurice Ravel (April) and the opera gala Verdi singular (Unique Verdi) by Giuseppe Verdi (June). Also, it will be mediation activities with shows by Ramón Gener throughout the season and opera performances by the tenor José Bros (September) and with the tenor Airam Hernández (April), with one show at the Auditorio de Tenerife and another two in venues in the north and south of the island.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HnfvDP0az2g

The season will get underway on 17, 19 and 21 October with María Moliner, a Madrid production of the Teatro de la Zarzuela which premiered in 2016, by Antoni Parera Fons, winner of the National Music Award. This documentary opera in two acts and ten scenes with a libretto by Lucía Vilanova recounts the life of María Moliner, a lexicographer who performed the feat of singlehandedly producing a dictionary in her home whose strength showed up the academy members (Dictionary of the use of Spanish, 1966), a publication that this show pays tribute to. The musical direction will be by Víctor Pablo Pérez, honorary conductor of the Tenerife Symphony Orchestra. On the other hand, Paco Azorín is responsible for the stage direction and stage design of this work starring the mezzo-soprano María José Montiel.

On 21, 23 and 25 November, Manon by Jules Massenet will take place, it is a co-production between the Municipal Theatre of Santiago-National Opera of Chile, the Opera of Oviedo, and the Opera of Tenerife. With musical direction by Christopher Franklin, and stage direction by Emilio Sagi, the soprano Sabina Puértolas will be transformed into Manon, as she did in November 2022, at the première of this proposal at the Municipal Theatre of Santiago. She is a very young character who swings between love at first sight and sexual compulsion with her desire for wealth: she regrets her infidelities; she punishes herself in the last act and does not even realise that she is a victim of the system.

The concert version of Samson et Dalila, by Camille Saint-Saëns, will be performed in the Symphony Hall on 9 December. José Miguel Pérez-Sierra will conduct the Symphony Orchestra and the choir which will participate in this title. The Tenerife tenor Jorge de León, recently awarded the Talía Award, will play Samson and the mezzo-soprano Yulia Matochkina will play Delilah. This opera, premièred in Germany in 1877, is based on a Bible story from the Old Testament, in which Samson is a judge endowed with superhuman spiritual and human strength, and the key to his strength lies in his hair. His enemies instruct Delilah to discover his secret in order to defeat him.

The chamber proposal for this season is Trouble in Tahiti, by the composer Leonard Bernstein (West Side Story), who also wrote the libretto. The musical direction will be provided by Francis Hernández of Tenerife and, the stage direction is by Siscu Ruiz, an artist from Sabadell based in Lanzarote. This opera in one act and seven scenes, premièred in 1952 in Massachusetts, is set in a rich American suburb and tells the story of the disillusionment of Dinah with her husband Sam, who is more interested in his career and distractions than in his family. It can be enjoyed at the Chamber Hall on 20, 21, 27 and 28 January.

Rusalka, by Antonín Dvořák, premièred in 1901, is coming to the Auditorium of Tenerife on 5, 7 and 9 March with an in-house production. Paul Daniel will conduct the Symphony Orchestra and André Heller-Lopes will provide the stage direction. It involves a libretto by Jaroslav Kvapil, loosely based on the fairy tale Undine (1811) by Friedrich de la Motte Fouqué and inspired by The Little Mermaid (1837) by Hans Christian Andersen and other European tales. The soprano Ángeles Blancas will play Rusalka, a water nymph who asks a witch to be turned into a human in order to be with the prince who she has fallen in love with, despite the fact that this means losing her voice. The tragic ending to the opera differs from other versions of the same story, which have been sugar-coated for children.

The Family Opera proposal for this season is L’enfant et les sortilèges (The Child and the Spells) by Maurice Ravel. It will be a production by the Opera of Lyon, in collaboration with the L'Auditori of Barcelona and in co-production with the Théâtre de la Croix-Rousse, which can be enjoyed on 20 and 21 April, with a session held beforehand for school pupils from the island. Jordi Francés will take charge of stage direction and James Bonas will provide stage direction. The story is based in a country house in Normandy, home to a rebellious child who is scolded by his mother for not doing his homework. Then, the child destroys his room and mistreats the animals in it, causing them all to come to life.

The season concludes with a very special opera gala: Verdi singular (Unique Verdi). It will be a single show on 22 June in the Symphony Hall with the Tenerife tenor Celso Albelo as the star of the evening. The programme includes arias from different operas by Giuseppe Verdi, a composer who is beloved by the public and the most represented at the Opera of Tenerife, which will listen to less well-known creations by the Italian genius. The orchestra conductor Óliver Díaz will lead the Tenerife Symphony Orchestra, accompanied by a choir group.

Members of the Opera Club for the 2022-2023 season can now renew their subscription up until the 25^th, although if they wish to change their current conditions, they must do so between 27 April and 4 May. The period for new subscription holders begins on 9 May. Subscripion holders for the Opera of Tenerife not only have a guaranteed seat during the season with a 20% discount, but they also enjoy benefits such as discounts on the Auditorio’s own programming, in the shop and guided visits, as well as personalised treatment and the chance to attend exclusive events. All the information about the season and passes can be found on www.operadetenerife.com.

The Opera 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).

ˋInspiraciones trascendentales (momentous inspirations)ˊ is the title of the concert, which takes place next Tuesday in the Chamber Hall at 7:30 p.m.

The Auditorio de Tenerife offers next Tuesday (14 March), at 7.30 p.m., at the Chamber Hall the concert Inspiraciones trascendentales (momentous inspirations). The pianist Sergei Yerokhin will give a recital with works by the composers Claude Debussy, Robert Schumann and Sergei Rachmaninoff. The tickets have a single price of 15 Euros. There are also discounts for the audience under 30 years of age, students, unemployed and large families.

This programme claims that the great masters do not copy each other, but they inspire each other. Debussy was inspired by Chopin while remaining Debussy. Robert Schumann was inspired by Beethoven while remaining Schumann. And Rachmaninoff was inspired by Chopin and Beethoven while remaining Rachmaninoff. ˋInspiraciones trascendentales (momentous inspirations)ˊ are like climbing a mysterious stairway to the heavens of humanity.

Thus, the recital will open with three iconic preludes by Debussy from the early 20^th century, with which Debussy surprises the world by introducing new scales into music that had never been heard before in classical music and gives rise to a new reality. Pictorial impressionism turns into acoustic impressionism.

We will listen to Brouillards (Mists), Feuilles Mortes (Dead leaves) and the third of the preludes La porte du vin (The wine gate), famous for Debussy being inspired by the postcard that master Falla sent him from Granada with the famous Moorish gate to the city. A whole world of sensations, of impressionist colours, of flights, of revolutionary reality. Debussy was undoubtedly the genuine revolutionary of 20th-century music, with consequences that are still enduring in all our sonorous places.

Robert Schumann's Fantasy is one of the cornerstones of the piano of all time. Written by the king of poetry as a tribute to Beethoven, dedicated in turn to his friend Franz Liszt without forgetting for a single bar his beloved Clara, this incredible architecture compels the performer and the audience to face something solemn and transcendent. It was written in three movements that cover Beethoven's life, including fragments from his lieder, symphonies and piano concertos. The sonata is, in a way, a musical biography of the genius of Bonn. The letter of profound gratitude that Liszt sent to Schumann after receiving the score has been preserved.

The second part of the concert is entirely devoted to Rachmaninoff, the last of the great pianists-composers. Yerokhin will tackle some reference preludes to finish with the Sonata No 2. This piece is said to be reserved for pianists with a colossal technique, as the composer himself was. It premiered in 1913, and although Strawinsky, Busoni or Schöenberg had already broken some ground, Rachmaninov wrote an overwhelmingly post-romantic sonata, evidencing that the Beethovenian impulse was not yet over.

The socialist revolution had not yet taken place, and personal, individual writing was still frowned upon; so, Rachmaninov wrote music without slogans or strings attached. If he was tied to anything, it was to the Beethovenian legacy of self-referential music, where from an initial cell an entire sonata can be unravelled.

Born in Moscow into a family of musicians, Sergei Yerokhin began studying with his father and at the Moscow Central Music School with Vadim Sukhanov.  He made his debut at the age of 16 as a soloist with the Minsk Philharmonic Orchestra, performing the Tchaikovsky's Concerto No. 1 and Rachmaninoff's Concerto No. 2, and continued his training at the Moscow Tchaikovsky Conservatory under the direction of Dimitri Bashkirov.

His career was launched with the impulse of his awards in important international competitions, acting in prestigious concert halls: Wigmore Hall in London, Herkulessal in Munich, Teatro Colón in Buenos Aires, Gran Sala Verdi in Milan (Societá dei Concerti Milano), Great Hall of the Moscow Conservatory, Moscow International Perfomance Arts Center, St. Petersburg Philharmonic, among others.

He has also performed on the best stages in Spain: Teatro Real and Auditorio Nacional in Madrid, Palau de Música in Barcelona, Palau de Música in Valencia, Palacio de Festivales in Santander and Palacio Euskalduna in Bilbao. He also participated in the event for great solists Ciclo de grandes Solistas at the Auditorio in Zaragoza in 2013 alongside artists such as Volodos, Lang Lang and Pogorelich.

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 10:00 a.m. to 05:00 p.m., Saturdays from 10:00 a.m. to 02:00 p.m.

This story can be enjoyed tomorrow, next Thursday and Saturday, featuring nine solo singers, a women's choir and the Symphony Orchestra.

Tomorrow [Tuesday 7] the Auditorio de Tenerife premieres Der Zwerg (The Dwarf), by the Austrian composer Alexander von Zemlinsky, in a French co-production that comes to Spain for the first time. This story full of love and beauty can be enjoyed in the Symphony Hall today, at 7:30 p.m., on Thursday (9 March) and on Saturday (11 March). There are discounts for the audience under 30 years of age, students, unemployed, large families and groups of more than five people.

The proposal is being staged in Tenerife and produced among Opéra de Lille, Opéra de Rennes, Fondation Royaumont and Théâtre de Caen. It has Jeanneteau as a stage designer and a stage director. His team is completed by Marie-Christine Soma for lighting and Olga Karpinsky for costumes. For the Tenerife shows, the number of choir singers has increased, and their costumes have been made by the tailors of the Opera de Tenerife with the collaboration of the costume designer of the production.

The cast includes German soprano Mojca Erdmann as the Infanta Donna Clara, Bilbao tenor Mikeldi Atxalandabaso as the dwarf, Asturian soprano Beatriz Díaz as the princess's maid Ghita and German bass-baritone Philipp Jekal as the chamberlain Don Estoban. In addition, Russian soprano Nina Solodovnikova and Carmen Mateo from Alicante, and Russian mezzo-soprano Maria Ostroukhova will sing the roles of the maids. The Infanta's friends will be played by the Turkish-born soprano Ezgi Alhuda and the Australian mezzo-soprano Sophie Burns.

They are joined by some thirty female voices of the choir Coro Titular Ópera de Tenerife-Intermezzo. The Tenerife Symphony Orchestra will set this score from the last century to music with more than 60 musicians under the direction of the musical director of this season's title, Alessandro Palumbo.

Premièred in 1922, this opera is considered the most emblematic by the Austrian composer. The librettist, George Klaren, was a scriptwriter for Alfred Hitchcock. The show takes place in one act and narrates the celebration of the eighteenth birthday of the Infanta of Spain, Donna Clara. The gifts she receives notably include one from the Turkish Sultan: a deformed and ugly dwarf who sings and dances, which the Infanta greatly enjoys. So much so that she wants him to perform just for her.

The dwarf wrongly thinks that she has fallen in love with him. He tries to kiss her and she rejects him, calling him a monster. The Infanta orders Ghita, her favourite maid, to take him in front of a mirror so he can realise the reality of his situation. Due to his humble origins, raised with his family of coalmen in a cabin in the forest, the dwarf is unaware of his appearance. Upon seeing his reflection, he understands that the Infanta cannot love someone so ugly and unpleasant, and that he is only a source of fun for her.

The discovery of this harsh reality causes the dwarf to have a heart attack and dies.  When the Infanta sees him collapsed on the floor, she orders him to get up and dance for her. Ghita realises what has happened and informs the Infanta that it is not possible because the dwarf has suffered a broken heart.

The latter orders that, from that point on, nobody with a heart should enter the palace and join the party.

Alexander von Zemlinsky was madly in love with his composition student, the famous artist Alma Schindler, the future wife of Gustav Mahler. Initially, she responded to the feelings of love from Zemlinsky, but, ultimately, the relationship broke down, seemingly, due to family pressure. Der Zwerg has been interpreted as a metaphor for Zemlinsky's relationship with Schindler, who referred to the ugliness of the composer on several occasions.

The Birthday of the Infanta is one of the four stories compiled in the book of short stories A House of Pomegranates by Oscar Wilde. For this short story, the writer took inspiration from the dwarves of the Spanish court depicted by Velázquez.

The Opera 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).

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 10:00 a.m. to 05:00 p.m., Saturdays from 10:00 a.m. to 02:00 p.m.

From 1 to 14 February, the Auditorio de Tenerife offers a discount on tickets for the opera Der Zwerg (The Dwarf).

The Auditorio de Tenerife proposes to celebrate Valentine's Day with the opera Der Zwerg (The Dwarf).The Dwarf). From 1 to 14 February, we offer a 15% discount on tickets for this opera. Just add the code VALENTIN23 during the purchase process, either online, by phone or at the box office.

This French co-production is the fifth title of the Ópera de Tenerife’s season and will take place in the Symphony Hall at Auditorio de Tenerife on 7, 9 and 11 March at 7:30 p.m. This one-act opera, composed by Alexander von Zemlinsky, is inspired by the short story The birthday of the infanta by Oscar Wilde.

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 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Saturdays from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Check the special discounts for the audience under 30 years of age, students, unemployed and large families.

The Opera de Tenerife initiative is organised by the Island Council through the Auditorio de Tenerife with the collaboration of the ICDC (Institute of Cultural Development of the Government of the Canary Islands) and the INAEM (Institute of Performing Arts and Music of the Spanish Government).