The new programme features four small-format performances of decidedly contemporary works

 

The Tenerife Island Council, in collaboration with the Canary Islands Government, presented the first edition of ‘Ópera en minúscula’, a new undertaking of the Auditorio to be held at the Espacio La Granja. The performances consist of four small-format operas of decidedly contemporary works. The first event takes place on Friday, the 20th and Ópera en minúscula runs until Saturday, the 28th, to draw new spectators to less conventional venues using innovative formats.

The details were announced by the provincial Minister for Culture of the Island Council of Tenerife, José Carlos Acha, the General Director of Cultural Innovation and Creative Industries, Cristóbal de la Rosa, the Artistic Director of the Auditorio de Tenerife, José Luis Rivero, as well as Ruth González and Ricardo Campelo, the Artistic Directors of ‘Ópera en minúscula’.

The Minister for Culture said his administration was 'proud to present something new that will likely become much bigger, thanks to the collaboration of the Canary Islands government and Madrid's autonomous community. We also collaborated with them in our production of 'Alone with Marilyn', which is scheduled to conclude the programme. 'These four works are part of our strategy of targeting new audiences, which will bring in new spectators who, in this case, will enjoy opera performances. We have put the opera's appeal into a smaller venue, without detriment to its potential for emotion.'

Cristóbal de la Rosa stated, ' We intend to continue in this direction with the other Island Councils, thus enriching the public's entertainment options. The General Director said that the initiative results from 'the ongoing efforts of consultants and collaborators', adding that 'the idea is to provide audiences with entertainment and to allow creators and artists to approach opera as another means of expression'. The Artistic Director of the Auditorio de Tenerife acknowledged that ‘the launching of a new project is always exciting. We must uphold the operatic cultural heritage and to broaden our horizons with modern compositions in Spanish’. Rivero added that, in this new undertaking, ‘we are offering lower-case scenes for upper-case projects in which nothing is technically impossible, so the works may be similarly interpreted in other Canarian venues’. He also mentioned ‘the contemporary nature of all the works, which draw on modern issues such as vicarious violence, fake news, improvisation and credibility in general’.

Ruth González commented on the 'sustainable format' of the four performances, which give spectators up-close performances of the artists, which is an altogether different experience from that of large-format operas. She expressed her belief that 'There are people who don't yet realize how much they will enjoy opera, and all we have to do is to give them the opportunity'. She concluded, 'This initiative facilitates the creation of new works by today's composers and is a first step towards greater awareness of them. It also deepens the connection between the public and what is being performed, as well as how it is being performed.

Ricardo Campelo, the other half of this artistic tandem, comments on breaking away from the paradigm of collaboration, saying 'everything here has been transversal and composed as a dialogue '. The director explains that modern and standard approaches are used, owing to the contemporary nature of the compositions: 'So, a viol may converse with a saxophone, spoken word with singing, and hip hop with traditional song. It used to be that composers had to wait a long time to be called on for the composition of an opera. What we are seeking now is that private companies are the ones who will call on composers to create opera'.

The four shows, programmed under the artistic direction of Teatro Xtremo, are a selection of operas for soloists and ensembles and represent several periods and styles. The spectators will enjoy well-known works of Kurt Weill to contemporary pieces of Spanish composers such as Madrid-born María Herrero and David del Puerto, the latter being a winner of the National Music Award. Ópera de Tenerife, the opera programme of the Auditorio de Tenerife, has the support of the Canary Islands Government and the National Institute of Performing Arts and Music (INAEM).

All performances will be held at the performing-arts theatre Espacio La Granja at 7:30 p.m. Mahagonny & The Seven Deadly Sins opens the programme on Friday with six singers and a piano in a very pop atmosphere. The journey of the sisters Anna through the world of vice in The Seven Deadly Sins (1933) and the incursion into the streets of a chaotic city in Mahagonny Songspiel (1927) are combined in a single work in this adaptation of two operas of the German composer Kurt Weill with texts of the playwright Bertolt Brecht. Its contemporary staging and ingenious scenography immerse spectators in the intricate worlds of these two pieces, which are woven into a coherent narrative that highlights their emotional depth and critical view of society.

This Sunday, the 22nd, the stage will host the operetta buffa Cassandra o el elogio del fracaso, a performance riding the line between contemporary chamber opera and theatre, which delves into the life and inner world of the mythical character Cassandra, known for her gift of prophecy and the curse placed on her by Apollo that caused her predictions to be rejected by the public. María Herrero composed the music of this work and collaborated in the writing of the text with Íñigo Guardamino, in addition to her role as director of this opera. The work combines original compositions for four voices, electronic devices such as loopers and classic pieces for voice, guitar, piano and viola da gamba. The work invites spectators to reflect on the past and the future, proposing several modern-day Cassandras and suggesting the importance of the societal credibility that might allow their messages to be heard.

Ópera en minúscula programmes on Wednesday the 25th outside the Espacio La Granja the performance La Plaza, an ongoing experiment that showcases how eight artists come together to create and seek possibilities within the opera genre, exploring the limits of each of its member's performing skills. This creative process blurs individuality and roles in favour of creativity, fostering a space for vulnerability and affection or a search for commotion.  With a largely process-based approach, this group has worked as a laboratory during an artistic residency, prioritising search and exploration and shunning the logic of an industry-imposed result. La Plaza seeks to defy the operatic canon by breaking away from judgment, space and time.

Finally, on the 27th and 28th, Alone with Marilyn will take place, a chamber opera for soprano, mezzo-soprano, electric viola, electric guitar and soundscapes. This work explores betrayal, self-destruction and the influence of modern-day myths on society's perception of reality. David del Puerto, winner of the National Music Award, composed this opera's music, combining contemporary styles with classic techniques. The story is based on Alfonso Zurro's theatrical work with the same title, and Zurro himself adapted it to the operatic format. The work focuses on the everyday life of a mother and supermarket cashier and the crisis she experiences after being abandoned by her husband. Upon hearing the name Marilyn, she embarks on a journey of self-discovery and desperation in which she will confuse reality, fantasy, dreams and delirium when she becomes obsessed with the enigmatic figure of the cinema actress Marilyn Monroe. Alone with Marilyn is a co-production of Teatro Xtremo, Ópera de Tenerife and Madrid Cultura y Turismo (MACUTU) of the Community of Madrid.

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. They are also available at the Espacio La Granja box office on the day of the show. Check the special discounts for unemployed people (-50%), the audience under 30 years of age (single price €5), students (-20%), 65 years or more (-20%), large families (-20%), people with a disability degree equal to or greater than 33% (- 20%) and 33% low visibility seats (-20%).