The opera season in Spain always reaches a
crescendo in the early spring, when the Mediterranean sun
warms the southern cities of the Iberian Peninsula far sooner
than most travelers realize. To take advantage of the stellar
opera performances, it is necessary to embrace several cities
during a compact period, as the theatres usually offer only
a single opera at a time. For our annual visit to Spain in
2010, we have found an enticing program of major performances
in the Catalan capital of Barcelona, the Levante capital of
Valencia, and the Andalusian capital of Seville – with
a balanced three nights in each city. Our travelers should
not be intimidated by the fear of March weather, as both Barcelona
and Valencia benefit from the mild Mediterranean climate,
while Seville enjoys Spain’s most southern location.
Average temperatures are expected to be in the 60’s,
and we have enjoyed ample sunshine on our recent March visits.
Our
itinerary will begin with the cosmopolitan city of Barcelona,
which celebrated the 150th birthday of their beloved native
son Antonio Gaudí a few years ago in 2002. A sightseeing
excursion will focus on the fanciful ‘art nouveau’
architecture accounting for Gaudí’s reputation
as both a genius and a Catholic saint during the early 1900’s
– a body of work which can only be appreciated by visiting
Barcelona. We are fortunate to include a performance of Donizetti’s
‘bel canto’ comedy La Fille du Régiment
at the Gran Teatro del Liceu – the foremost of al Spanish
opera houses – with soprano Patrizia Ciofi and tenor
Juan Diego Florez displaying their exceptional artistry in
the leading roles. Of equal importance, an orchestral concert
of Baroque favorites (Vivaldi, Albinoni & Pachelbel) will
take us into the astonishing Palau de la Musica, a colorful
landmark of the ‘art nouveau’ style. A third evening
in Barcelona will embrace the exuberant tradition of Flamenco
dancing at the intimate nightclub, Tablao Cordobes.
Our
second city will be Valencia, Spain’s third-largest
city and the capital of the Levante. The nation’s newest
major performing arts center is the Palau de les Arts, “a
majestic building designed by Valencian architect Santiago
Calatrava, endowed with the finest infrastructure available,
especially in the areas of opera and large-scale musical performances.”
(www.cac.es/palau). Set at the mouth of the Turia River, Valencia
is an important Mediterranean port and a flourishing cosmopolitan
center. Valencia’s unique Ciutat de las Arts i les Ciències
is a futuristic complex of resplendent buildings which attracts
students and travelers from all over the world. Our performance
in the breathtaking opera house will be an enticing double-bill
of Mascagni’s verismo classic, Cavalleria Rusticana,
and Manuel de Falla’s intrinsically Spanish favorite,
La Vida Breve, starring Chilean soprano Cristina Gallardo-Domas.
New Yorkers will be pleased that the conductor will be Valencia’s
Music Director Lorin Maazel, whose recent retirement from
the NY Philharmonic proved to be an emotional farewell. Our
dates also coincide with an evening of chamber music in Valencia’s
Palau de la Musica, with a program of romantic works by Schumann
and Mendelssohn will feature the German soprano Chritiane
Oelze and the Petersen Quartet.
Third
will be the romantic Andalusian capital of Seville, where
the Moorish influence is evidenced in many of the quiet neighborhoods
and will be felt immediately in the architecture of our deluxe
Hotel Alfonso XIII. A grandiose production of Puccini’s
perennial favorite, Turandot, will be staged in the atmospheric
Teatro de la Maestranza, featuring Janice Baird, Ainhoa Arteta
and Marco Berti as the principals. And after too long a hiatus,
a full-day excursion will enable us to return to the extraordinary
Alhambra in Granada, which is within comfortable striking-distance
of Seville. The Alhambra is renowned throughout the world
as one of Europe’s incomparable highlights.
Our
carefully chosen hotels will be the Hotel 1898 in Barcelona,
the centrally located Meliá Plaza in Valencia, and
the celebrated Alfonso XIII in Seville. March is a refreshingly
uncrowded month to enjoy Spain’s rich museums and imaginative
restaurants. From Great Performance Tours’ point of
view – to combine opera and concerts with the country’s
incomparable art and architecture – this compact program
represents the very best that Spain can offer.
Friday,
March 19th, departure from New York’s Kennedy Airport
at 6:55 pm on Iberia Airlines flight #7084, arriving in Barcelona
at 9:00 am on the morning of Saturday the 20th. Or independent
travel to Barcelona.
