Today : world première of 'L'Enigma di Lea' by Benet Casablancas in Barcelona

Today, the Gran Teatre del Liceu in Barcelona presents the world première of L'Enigma di Lea, an opera in three parts and fifteen scenes composed by Benet Casablancas with a libretto by Rafael Argullol.

It is the composer's first opera.

Lea, a creature who has belonged to God and exists to serve the divine pleasure, lives in a place beyond time and cannot reveal her secret. The bearer of immortality, she is under surveillance from two monstrous beings who guarantee morality in opposition to individual freedom. (reproduced from the Liceu website)

The cast includes mezzo Allison Cook (Lea), baritone José Antonio López (Ram), soprano Sonia de Munck (Millebocche), bass Felipe Bou (Milleocchi), countertenor Xavier Sabata (Dr. Schicksal), tenor David Alegret (Michele) and tenor Antonio Lozano (Lorenzo). Josep Pons conducts Orquesta Sinfonica y Coro del Gran Teatre del Liceu. Carme Portaceli directs.

The required orchestra is the following (reproduced from the Music Sales Classical website) :

- 3 flutes (doubling alto flute and piccolo), 3 oboes (doubling English horn), 3 clarinets (doubling bass clarinet), 3 bassoons (doubling contrabassoon) ;
- 4 horns, 3 trumpets, 3 trombones, 1 tuba ;
- timpani and percussion (4 players) ;
- harp, piano (doubling celesta) ;
- strings.

The performance should last about 2 hours, including a 30 minutes intermission. The publisher is Unión Musical Ediciones (The Music Sales group).

New Season 2014-2015 at the Gran Teatre del Liceu in Barcelona

During, the 2014-2015, the Gran Teatre del Liceu in Barcelona will perform 11 operas in 4 languages, including a double bill.

- Gioachino Rossini : Il Barbiere di Siviglia, conducted by Giuseppe Finzi, directed by Joan Font, advertised as a 'new production', by already performed in Houston (TX), in October 2011 ;
- Giuseppe Verdi : La Traviata, conducted by Evelino Pido, directed by David McVicar, announced as a 'new coproduction' (already performed in Cardiff in February 2012 and in Geneva) ;
- Richard Strauss : Arabella, conducted by Antoni Ros-Marba, directed by Christof Loy (first performed in Frankfurt in January 2009, then revived in Amsterdam last April) ;
- Gaetano Donizetti : Maria Stuarda, conducted by Maurizio Benini, directed by Patrice Caurier and Moshe Leiser, is supposed to be a 'new coproduction', but has already been performed in Houston (TX) in April 2012 and in London ;
- Xavier Montsalvatge : Una voce in off, and Francis Poulenc : La voix humaine, conducted by Pablo Gonzalez, directed by Paco Azorin (new productions) ;
- Vincenzo Bellini : Norma, conducted by Renato Palumbo, directed by Kevin Newbury (new production, to be performed later in San Francisco and Chicago) ;
- Richard Wagner : Siegfried, conducted by Josep Pons, directed by Robert Carsen (first performed in Köln in November 2002, and subsequently revived in several theatres)
- Georges Bizet : Carmen, conducted by Patrick Fournillier, directed by Calixto Bieito (this production is at least 10 years old, and has already been performed in Barcelona in September 2010) ;
- Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart : Cosi fan tutte, conducted by Josep Pons, directed by Damiano Michieletto (first performed in Venezia in February 2012) ;
- Gaetano Donizetti : Don Pasquale, conducted by Diego Matheuz, directed by Laurent Pelly (new coproduction, with the Santa Fe Festival and the San Francisco Opera).

There are only 3 new productions this season in Barcelona. Several new productions or new coproductions are in fact revivals, considering the stagings have already been performed in other theatres. This is a publicity stunt used by some opera houses to erroneously enhance the artistic level of their seasons.

Brochures recently received in the mail

I was away for a couple of days, and during that time, I received the following brochures in the mail :

- Barcelona, Gran Teatre del Liceu : 2014-2015 season program book ;
- Braunschweig, Staatstheater : July 2014 leaflet ;
- Bregenz, Bregenzer Festspiele 2014 : Festival program book ;
- Darmstadt, Staatstheater : July 2014 leaflet ;
- Detmold, Landestheater : 2014-2015 season program book ;
- Freiburg, Theater : July 2014 leaflet ;
- Glasgow, Scottish Opera : 2014-2015 season book ;
- Heidelberg, Theater und Orchester : July-August 2014 leaflet ;
- Liège, Opéra Royal de Wallonie : 2014-2015 season book ;
- Linz, Landestheater : July-August 2014 leaflet ;
- Lübeck, Theater : June-July leaflet and 2014-2015 season program book ;
- Stuttgart, Staatstheater : June-July 2014 journal and July 2014 brochure ;
- Trier, Theater : July 2014 leaflet ;
- Vienna, Volksoper : Zeitung No. 32 (June to September 2014) and September 2014 calendar.