THE FIND (G. VERDI)
Villamarta Theater in Jerez de la Frontera
Jerez is taking more and more consistency in opera and thus this year, after opening season with The House of Bernarda de Alba, of Miquel Ortega, program to start the new year no less than The Troubadour, one of the most popular operas of Giuseppe Verdi, always awaited with interest by the fan.
For the occasion the Villamarta Theater has assembled a cast of young singers, who offer interest in advance.
Musical Direction
Initially, the Brazilian director was announced Luis Fernando Malheiro, who is currently the musical director of the Manaus Festival in his native Brazil, but he has finally canceled and will be replaced by the Mallorcan Jose Maria Moreno, who has previously directed opera at the Villamarta Theater. The last times were with The Traviata in January 2017 and with Aida in June 2015. On both occasions the critics positively valued his direction. Currently, it is the Principal conductor of the Malaga Orchestra.
Jose Maria Moreno Valiente
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At your service will be Malaga Philharmonic Orchestra, just like him Choir of the Villamarta Theater.
Vocal cast
Manrico
The protagonist who gives the opera its title will be performed by the Basque tenor Andeka Gorrotxategi, who undoubtedly owns an important and appropriate voice for this type of character. I don’t remember singing the role before. He does not usually have problems in the upper zone until the SI. It is well known that here there is a DO in the always expected Pira, which I suppose, as often happens, will be lowered in tonality. It comes from singing with good reviews the part of Gabriele Adorno at Simon Boccanegra from Malaga, which has starred Carlos Alvarez.
Leonora
The Mexican soprano is its interpreter Maria Katzarava, which is conducting an interesting career since winning the first female prize in the Operalia contest in 2008. The character of Leonora is appropriate to her vocal characteristics and she has already sung it several times before, the last being in Trieste. His last performance in Spain was in Oviedo in the double program of Pagliacci and A Florentine Tragedy. For my taste it shines more in He gave.
Maria Katzarava
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Azucena
Run by Maria Luisa Corbacho, whose artistic category is below the previous ones, although she is always a correct interpreter, whose career has developed in Spanish theaters and what we could call second category. She already sang the part of Amneris in the Aida what was seen in the Villamarta as of 2015.
Count Luna
Luis Cansino will be Manrico’s brother. He is always a good performer and has a wide and attractive voice. He just successfully sang at the Sao Carlos Theater of Lisbon Gellner’s character from the under-represented opera La Wally. Shortly before he delighted the public in A Coruña as Don Hilarión in The Verbena de la Paloma. This should have been his second performance in Jerez this season, since in November he was announced as Poncia in Bernarda Alba’s house, which had to be canceled due to the pandemic.
Scenic Production
A production by the Bilbao stage director is announced Marta Eguilior, of whom I cannot say anything, since I have never seen his works. It is not the first production that he does in Jerez, since in November 2018 he directed The Last Sorcerer, of Pauline Viardot.
There will be a total of 2 performances on January 22 and 24. José M. Irurzun
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