Third installment of a new season at the Principal Theatre of Inca, home of the Orquestra de Cambra de Mallorca, which we were able to hear once again at the church of Llubí. A program that was already quite appealing in itself, with a degree of difficulty that made it an added value and with an undisputed figure, Eduardo Ríos, violinist of the Berliner Philharmoniker, as the soloist commissioned for the occasion to bring to life the Violin Concerto in D major, op. 6. One of the most convoluted concertos and the only one Ludwig van Beethoven composed for the instrument. A composition that, like so many others, carries its legend attached. Premiered by Franz Clement, he received the score very shortly before the concert, and performed it as if it were almost a first reading, but, moreover, he added a sonata of his own as a cadenza played on a single string and with the violin upside down. So difficult was the execution of the concerto that the virtuosos of the time decided it was unplayable, until, thirty-six years after its premiere, at the age of thirteen, and with Felix Mendelssohn conducting, Josef Joachim placed it on the pedestal it deserved and from which it has never descended again.

Third installment of a new season at the Principal Theatre of Inca, home of the Orquestra de Cambra de Mallorca, which we were able to hear once again at the church of Llubí. A program that was already quite appealing in itself, with a degree of difficulty that made it an added value and with an undisputed figure, Eduardo Ríos, violinist of the Berliner Philharmoniker, as the soloist commissioned for the occasion to bring to life the Violin Concerto in D major, op. 6. One of the most convoluted concertos and the only one Ludwig van Beethoven composed for the instrument. A composition that, like so many others, carries its legend attached. Premiered by Franz Clement, he received the score very shortly before the concert, and performed it as if it were almost a first reading, but, moreover, he added a sonata of his own as a cadenza played on a single string and with the violin upside down. So difficult was the execution of the concerto that the virtuosos of the time decided it was unplayable, until, thirty-six years after its premiere, at the age of thirteen, and with Felix Mendelssohn conducting, Josef Joachim placed it on the pedestal it deserved and from which it has never descended again.

It must not have been easy at all to choose a couple of plays with which to celebrate the fortieth anniversary of a theatre company of such relevance as Iguana Teatre. A group that is not history, I would say it is "the history" of contemporary theatre in the Islands, for the simple reason that they were the ones who paved the way for many others to begin their journey. They have chosen Sa varietat de sa locura to commemorate the event together with the Teatre Principal. A piece that perhaps is not the most representative of their style, it could have been many others among the more than fifty they have put on stage, but, on the other hand, it is irrefutable proof of their versatility, of this habit of moving through all levels of theatre, from the classics to the most avant-garde, from an investigative perspective, with their always inquiring and respectfully groundbreaking seal, which is what led them to this series of interludes that make up such a peculiar show.

The question in the headline has no answer, but Verdi's biographer, Julian Budden, stated that it was in the Requiem that he showed the greatest concentration of his genius. Among so many requiems that inhabit the universe of music, it is not very difficult to think, with many elements of judgment, that this one we are discussing is the most complex, monumental, and anthological of all of them. It was not a genre that Giuseppe Verdi had cultivated much. It was his participation, with a Libera me Domine, which, along with twelve other composers, they dedicated to Gioachino Rossini, the "swan of Pesaro." A piece that was not even premiered when its first performance was planned, the commemoration of the first anniversary of the death of the person to whom it was dedicated. Verdi rescued it when he decided to dedicate his to Alessandro Manzoni. Thus began the history of this colossal musical skyscraper, which we enjoyed as the sixth concert of the season by the Balearic Islands Symphony Orchestra, along with the UIB choir, conducted by Núria Cunillera, Mira Alkhovix, soprano; Sílvia Tro Santafé, mezzosoprano; Antoni Lliteres, tenor, and Simón Orfila, bass. Pablo Mielgo conducted the event.

A concert for those who cultivate a love for music. Perhaps for that reason, and because there were many children, students from the Conservatory, the Auditorium on the Passeig Marítim had a delightful atmosphere. The program was enticing, enticing from beginning to end. It began with theOpening No. 3, of Leonora, which Beethoven considered too important and imposing to lose relevance as the beginning of an opera, the only one he composed, Fideliowhich should first be said as the piece in question. And so, imposing, with lime and corresponding, sounded the prologue to the seventh concert of the season of the Illes Balears Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Pablo Mielgo. A majestic presentation, I would even say with a special demeanor on the part of the conductor and the sixty musicians who accompanied him on this very special evening when interpreting such a precise musical synopsis of what would be the only operatic composition by the genius of Bonn. It was clear that there was a desire to please a little more than usual and they made that clear from the first bars.

Return to the Gran Teatre del Liceu Manon Lescaut, by Puccini, and it does so with a truly unbeatable headliner: the splendid Asmik Grigorian, whose production is directed by Àlex Ollé and conducted from the pit by Josep Pons. This is the second musical version of Antoine François Prévost's novel, which was originally titled The story of the Chevalier des Grieux and Manon Lescaut, The maestro from Lucca achieved his first major public success. A success that the Ricordi management, apart from his boss and the boss, weren't entirely convinced about, since it was the same story that Jules Massenet had staged ten years earlier with considerable acclaim. Although there are still those who say that Manon There's only one, and they're not referring to the one we're discussing; undoubtedly, this one has already earned its place among those that haven't been left out of the major circuits. Manon The Grigorian chant is an added value, both in terms of the dramatic aspect, which is essential in this case, and the vocal aspect, with an excellent, flawless performance.

We could give many examples that confirm the truth of the title, but just the last three operas I've seen these past few days immediately dispel any doubt. First was the Gotterdämerung Wagner's opera, where it becomes clear that the tragic and central protagonist is Brünhilde. And she is none other than Senta, who heads the cast of The Flying Dutchmanwhich we were able to enjoy at the Principal Theatre of Ciudad. To round off the week, at the Gran Teatre del Liceu, the one who carries the banner is the one who gives the work its title, The Mona Lisa. A composition, the only known one by Amilcare Ponchielli, yet still an indisputable masterpiece that requires six top-level voices to reach its full potential, as was the case in the production between the Liceu and the Teatro San Carlo in Naples, with stage direction by Romain Gilbert. Based on a drama by Victor Hugo, Angelo, tyrant of Padoue, to which Arrigo Boito, author of the librettos for Verdi's last and among his most highly regarded operas, under the pseudonym Tobia Gorrio, moved to Venice. An aspect that Gilbert has configured with complete and absolute fidelity, adding a few touches of the conmedia dell'arte, with the inclusion of Harlequin, Pantalone and Columbine, in addition to some narrative liberties, such as, among others, the final appearance of The Blind Woman, by Violeta Urmana, who still retains many of her qualities and, above all, the skill to accurately depict the essential characteristics of the character.

Der fliegende Holländer, by Richard Wagner, at the Principal Theater. Impossible!, many of us thought. My faultDifficult, no doubt, but good work and sound judgment prevailed. This isn't a spoiler. It was a success, with a full house, and ohne irrtum —without error— as the composer would say, and surely if he didn't say it, he at least thought it. Everything worked perfectly. Nothing disappointed, and perhaps that remarkable balance achieved was the best and most essential of the many virtues the show possesses. The circle might have been smaller than usual, for obvious reasons, but it was undoubtedly a perfect one. A fact that was already clear from the very first agreements of theOpening, With the imposing brass announcing the stormy tragedy, the Balearic Islands Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Guillermo Garcia-Calvo, for whom Wagner holds far fewer secrets than for the vast majority of conductors, having so thoroughly captured the essence of Bayreuth, thus fulfilling this initial requirement regarding the size of the orchestra, which sounded powerful and expansive, as well as rich in textures and impeccably clear.

Twenty-eight editions have taken place in the bars of various Ciutat establishments, which over the years have become theatrical havens, where every Thursday they fill up to enjoy these wonderful little stories with a beer in hand and a tapa in mouth. The theme for this year's event offers plenty of material: tourism, which none of the authors have glorified or even hinted at. On the other hand, recommending one performance over another is more difficult than ever.

Animula, vagula, blandula/ Hospes comesque corporeal/ Quae nunc abibis in loca/ Pallid, rigid, nudula, Neco, ut solas, dabis yocos… Thus begins the funeral poem written by the Emperor Hadrian, which inspired Marguerite Yourcenar for her Memoirs, as a hypothetical farewell letter he writes to his young successor, Marc Aureli. A piece that was, at the time, essential and delightful reading. Years later, none other than Maurizio Scaparro brought them to the stage in an adaptation by Jean Launay, starring Giorgio Albertazzi, which we saw at Madrid's Teatro Albéniz. The director himself revived it in Spanish, starring José Sancho, with whom he toured much of the Iberian Peninsula.

Tenant It is the latest theatrical farce of the caloric Julia Truyol. She always chooses well, from the company with which she has become a canonical benchmark to others. Her standards are very high, and on this occasion, once again, she has surpassed them with that natural interpretive skill that is her trademark. However, Tenant It's a challenge with a few added twists and turns, requiring many elements surrounding the story for the project to succeed. First, a good script, starting from a very common situation: a tenant evicting a female tenant due to the excesses, to put it mildly, in which we live and which we've even become accustomed to, shrugging our shoulders and thinking, "What can you do?" Putting this everyday circumstance on stage risks turning it into a piece of everyday life. That's not the case here. Furthermore, a monologue needs plenty of incentives to keep the audience engaged, forcing the protagonist to perform a series of somersaults that can only be overcome with a wide range of registers at a pace that, if not frenetic, is certainly high-energy, constantly shifting her tone, going from despair to resignation, reflecting the protagonist's temperament.

The fifth concert of the Balearic Islands Symphony Orchestra's season was filled with some unusual names, from the composers to the soloist and the conductor. Regarding the latter two, it goes without saying that having Frank Peter Zimmermann as soloist is a true luxury and, of course, a privilege. Zimmermann also brought with him a Spanish premiere, the Violin Concerto, by Swiss composer Frank Martin. A piece based on The stormShakespeare's, with the character of Ariel as a permanent musical allusion, with a structure that is, at least, peculiar.Allegro tranquil-Andante molto moderato-Presto— and a whole series of references ranging from dodecaphony to jazz, which intertwine to form a homogeneous kaleidoscope that culminates spectacularly in the final movement. A demanding piece, in which both the orchestra and the soloist displayed both immense energy and masterful ensemble playing. The performance was rewarded: Zimmermann returned for two encores, one of them no less literary than the composition itself. The King of the Elves Schubert's work, inspired by a melancholic and fantastical poem by Goethe. This exercise in complicity between the protagonists also had a name: Pietari Inkinen, the prestigious Finnish conductor, whose resume boasts, among other achievements, conducting Wagner's Ring Cycle in Bayreuth in 2023, and who drew out the full potential of the orchestra. So much so, that the musicians gave him a warm and resounding ovation as he left the stage.

If I had to choose just one play, I'm sure it would be Cyrano de Bergerac, Edmond Rostand's play, which I'm almost certain is the one I've seen adapted the most times in my life. Seeing it advertised at the Teatro Principal in Ciudad, with Salvador Oliva's adaptation by the company La Impaciencia—founded by Rodo Gener, Salvador Oliva, and Xavi Núñez, and directed by Luis Venegas—evokes at least two opposing feelings. On the one hand, the enjoyment of being able to see and hear the words, adventures, and misadventures of someone whom it's impossible not to admire, envy, and never even come close to. On the other, I confess, the doubt of how far this daring group can go with only three actors and four wooden boxes as scenery in just an hour and a half of performance.

Once again, an incomparable setting welcomed the equally incomparable Bach. The Cathedral was transformed into a Bach-infused spectacle. To the popular and widespread messianic tradition of George Frideric Handel, we must add this small but significant glimpse of the immense and marble-like master. Christmas Oratorio BWV 248 The Capilla de la Seu, directed by Joan Company, and the Illes Balears Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Pablo Mielgo, have been performing for several years in the cathedral's presbytery, beneath Gaudí's baldachin and alongside Jujol's transgressive and incendiary paintings. And if the setting can only be described as sublime, the concert shone equally brightly, with soprano Irene Mas, countertenor-soprano Rafael Quirant, tenor Bryan López, and baritone Tomeu Bibiloni as vocal soloists. As for the orchestra's soloists, Emma Goillot, on the piccolo trumpet—a small, four-valve instrument tuned to D—consolably captivated the audience. Bach trumpet— in his speech, performing with Tomeu Bibiloni an excellent Gosser Herr, or Starker König.

The auditorium on the seafront was packed to capacity to hear what was supposedly Ludwig van Beethoven's last symphony. Theoretically, because there was a later one, the Tenth, which was only missing one movement. So much so that on May 7, 1824, when the... Symphony No. 9, Op. 125, in D minor at the Kärntnertortheater in Vienna, with the composer present and on stage —which they had to turn towards the audience so that he could enjoy the intensity of the applause; If it is not vero, it is well trovato—, the three movements that the genius from Bonn had already completed were also performed. An anecdotal circumstance, since the Novena It has overshadowed everything. Undoubtedly, and without getting into rankings that might seem purely sporting, what is clear is that this "last" one is the most imposing of the eight preceding ones. The description monumental It has become a prefix for the Ninth Symphony, for the simple reason that it takes both a heart and an orchestra large enough to reach this great musical summit.

Time travel, a long-held human obsession, was made possible by Studium. To begin with, they traded their usual haunts for the Church of La Mercè, consecrated in 1661—nothing is a coincidence—the very time when all the composers featured in this concert were writing the pieces we heard last Monday. Furthermore, they did so with a lineup that would very likely have been quite similar to those of the 17th century: two violins, Ramon Andreu and Bernat Martí; a cello, Rosa Cañellas; an organ, Pedro Aguiló; and two sopranos, Irene Mas and Raquel Ribas. There was no need to close our eyes, or climb into Doc Brown's DeLorean, or enter the time machine imagined by H.G. Wells, nor was it even necessary for the musicians of Studium Aureum's small orchestra, conducted by Carles Ponseti, to use period instruments. Everything was much simpler; just by listening, we were able to enjoy a delightful and rich journey through the Italian Baroque. With such a small effort, we encountered as many as ten contemporary and fellow Italian musicians. The evening began with Girolamo Frescobaldi, with Canzon seconda, for two violins and continuo. From the very first agreements, it was enough to know that the teleportation had been a success. Just in case there were any doubts, the two sopranos were added to perform the Hail most noble virga Jesse, by Michelangelo Grancini, and so on, Dario Castello, Giovanni P. Cima, Salamone Grassi, and Arcangelo Corelli, among others, made an appearance.

The fourth concert by the Illes Balears Symphony Orchestra at the Auditorium on the Passeig Marítim offered some attractions that went beyond a superb and stimulating program. Curiosity was palpable, to a greater or lesser degree. This was hardly surprising given the announcement of Raise the Roof. Concerto for Timpani, as a starting piece. A composition by Michael Daugherty, a disciple of Pierre Boulez and Luciano Berio, performed by percussionist Javier Eguillor, with Nuno Coelho leading the ensemble. An unusual piece that truly shines live, showcasing the dynamic energy of a protagonist who displays a whole range of possibilities on the timpani and cymbals, from melodic tuning to placing a cymbal on one of the five timpani in a convex position—and I mean convex—an immense array of rhythms that make it a complex and unusual musical singularity. Clearly, its duration, just over twelve minutes, makes it fly by. There was an encore, of course, and right afterward they repeated a fragment of Daugherty's piece, as if to savor it more fully and with greater understanding.

Tomeu Moll-Mas, along with Caterina Alorda in his first performance and with Marta Bauzà and Roger Padullés in the second, within a few days of each other, interpreted and in a way revived the works of Antoni Torrandell and Baltasar Samper, two Mallorcan composers and contemporaries of undisputed quality and significance. These are not the only similarities, since, in addition to being Mallorcan and contemporaries, both were highly accomplished pianists who sought much of the inspiration and influence in Paris, after many hours of study, that they could not find at home. Perhaps, almost certainly, because the island had become too small for them, but this is another story that would even merit, especially in the case of Samper, a documentary. What is important and significant is to shed light on these unjustly forgotten scores. A light that, in Torrandell's case, shone in his hometown of Inca, at the Teatre Principal, where Tomeu Moll, with good judgment, in this concert entitled Torrandell and Debussy!, She not only performed some of her pieces, specifically three more as an encore, but also complemented them with the Prints and The joyous isleClaude Debussy's work, as if making a comparison, to demonstrate the striking parallels between the two. Furthermore, if any piece, due to its difficulty, could be singled out above the others, it would be the third movement of the first. The gardens pay the rain, of superb quality, and which, moreover, was premiered in its day by Ricard Viñes, Torrandell's master of virtuosity. And Moll-Mas performed Torrandell's work. Splendeur du printemos op. 9, Enchantements mistérieux op. 13, Chimere Op 26 and Son Alcalde op. 46. It was on the third one, Chimere. For reciter and piano, A recording exists of Joan Moll and Biel Mesquida, in which Caterina Alorda recited the beautiful and enchanting poem, accompanied by piano, providing a backdrop that amplified the value and meaning of the words. A magical moment. Moll-Mas, for his part, added this essential thread of sensible energy to transform the evening into much more than a well-deserved tribute, with a screen serving as a fitting backdrop, where the pianist's hands could be seen at many points. Added value.

Again, The elisir He again gave the impression that he preaches the jocoso Doctor Dulcamara, sung for this occasion by the great Ambrogio Maestri, is a role he has performed so many times throughout his career that it has become a paradigmatic canon. And regardless of his voice's decline, he is still the smooth-talking purveyor of the cure-all potion. Meanwhile, Javier Camarena/Nemorino, who debuted at the Liceu thirteen seasons ago in this role, was still unwell, and Michael Spyres took over, who, it should be remembered, had sung it the day before. There was little applause at the end of almost any of the most famous and acclaimed arias, until he sang the renowned... A furtive tearWith that, he woke the audience up as if someone had stepped on a lightbulb. A little unfair, they made up for it later, and the party ended as always, with the audience in a frenzy, accompanying Dulcamara when she did the obligatory encore, the usual one. Udite, Udite Oh! Rusticio.

The week that begins with Cati Moyà

I will visit Visit the TACA space, on Sant Feliu street in Palma, to discover the artist's latest work. Lluís Juncosa, a solo exhibition entitled (ROAR) Shooting in the karmic chair and dedicated to the memory of Julià Homar. The exhibition brings together a collection of 23 drawings by Juncosa, created between 2003 and 2023, which synthesize some of the recurring themes in the artist's career, with a visual and narrative force that is absolutely overwhelming and captivating. According to the exhibition's promotional poster, the images, which address elements such as bodies without organs, are part of a series "that will not be revealed." le privilège des mouseis" and of a "future publication entitled Dermopolitik".

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