End of the festival, major festival, with a truly luxurious Falstaff, which, moreover, we will surely never forget, because it is the last opera directed by Josep Pons as artistic director of the Gran Teatre del Liceu. Therefore, a heartfelt farewell to someone who for 14 seasons has given us many memorable evenings. One of them, without a doubt, this third performance, the second of the first cast of Giuseppe Verdi's last opera. He said he was writing it just for fun. His librettist, the indispensable Arrigo Boito, said that Requiem and the previous opera, Othello. Now we will not enter into the diatribe of rankings, which go against the essence of art, but it is no less true that it does not have the appeal of many others by the master of Busseto in everyone's memory. In any case, more or less commercial, what is not in doubt is that it is an indisputable masterpiece. A good proof is the production of the Teatro Real, of La Monnaie de Brussels, of the Opéra National de Bordeaux and of the Tokyo Nikkita Opera Foundation, directed by Laurent Pelly, which we were able to see in Madrid six seasons ago.It is, without a doubt, a real privilege to be able to enjoy it with the best possible Falstaff, Luca Salsi, and without forgetting that it is Ambroggio Maestri who is also responsible for interpreting the famous character, so celebrated that he makes an appearance in three of Shakespeare's plays, in the two of Henry IV and at The Merry Wives of Windsor, immortalized by Orson Welles in cinema. Although it is a character as comical as it is pathetic, the simplest thing would be to turn him into a caricature, but Pelly hits the right tone and his characteristics become a very accurate portrait with much more depth and substance than could be guessed at first glance. Salsi, immeasurable, from beginning to end, from head to toe, brilliant with the declaration of principles of the braggart, Honor! Thieves!, an explosion of contrasts with which the function opens. The bar, set very high. The others did not lower the level, such as Lucas Maechem's Fenton, with the same dose of stage presence as his “opponent”. Serena Sáenz's Nannetta and Carolina López Moreno's Alice, impeccable and with the grace that both characters need. All compensated, they all become the perfect complement to each other, but it must be said that Daniela Barcelona's Quickly had added value. With each intervention, she was funnier than the previous one. A choral work with an almost perfect distribution of protagonism and with a production in which everything was just right. As expected, Josep Pons, had already tidied up any possible small imbalance from the opening night, offering an impeccable reading of a score with a lot of harmonic diversity, which concludes with the presence of the choir, as minimal as it is effective.

Ninth concert of the season for the Illes Balears Symphony Orchestra at the Auditorium of Ciutat, which began with the peculiar Concert for Birds and Orchestra, by Finnish composer Einojuhani Rautavaara, under the direction of a conductor of enormous presence in every sense, the Norwegian Rune Bergmann. He was undoubtedly the one who turned the concert into a spectacle of dimensions that corresponded to his own. Just after the ornithological composition, the first major highlight of the program arrived, with pianist Olga Kern as the great protagonist, to perform the Piano and Orchestra Concerto in A minor op. 54, by Robert Schumann. The first movement began, with a very solid, somewhat rocky style, and a very firm pulse, from the decisive entry of the piano, with a martial and powerful succession of descending chords, to reach the polyhedral cadence of the finale, from where the coloratura of the composition increased, with as much precision as elegance. Her performance was raising the level and delicacy, as for example, with the Andantino grazioso, a delightful dialogue between the orchestra and the piano that, little by little, turned into a tender and subtle monologue of the solo instrument. Kern made clear her mastery and ability to suggest all this series of variations and styles that Schumann incorporated into the score, in a very novel way for its time. The soloist, once again, resumed the energetic tone of the beginning, in an impetuous third movement, when, all of a sudden, she established a delightful new dialogue, this time with the oboe, as a prelude to the exceptional final coda that can only be described as exceptional and which served the protagonist to receive the enthusiastic applause of the audience. As it should be and as everyone expected, there was an encore, first a Prelude, by Claude Debussy, which never disappoints or leaves one indifferent. Impeccable. And in response to the plea in the form of an ovation, another little gem, by Nikolai Myaskovsky, a piano arrangement by Joseph Horovitz.

Ninth concert of the season for the Orquestra Simfònica Illes Balears at the Auditorium de Ciutat, which began with the peculiar , by the Finnish composer Einojuhani Rautavaara, under the baton of a conductor of enormous presence in every sense, the Norwegian Rune Bergmann. He was, without a doubt, the one who turned the concert into a spectacle of dimensions that correspond to his own. Immediately after the ornithological composition came the first main course of the program, with pianist Olga Kern as the great protagonist, to perform the Piano Concerto in A minor op. 54, by Robert Schumann. He began the first movement, with a very solid, somewhat rocky style, and a very firm pulse, from the decisive entry of the piano, with a martial and powerful succession of descending chords, until reaching the polyhedral cadence of the finale, from where the composition's coloratura increased, with as much precision as elegance. Her interpretation was raising the level and delicacy, as for example, with the Andantino grazioso, a fun dialogue between the orchestra and the piano that, little by little, turns into a tender and subtle monologue of the solo instrument. Kern made her mastery and ability to suggest all this series of variations and styles that Schumann incorporated into the score, in a very novel way at the time, clear. The soloist, once again, resumed the energetic tone of the beginning, in an impetuous third movement, when, suddenly, she established a delightful new dialogue, this time with the oboe, as an announcement of the exceptional final coda that can only be described as exceptional and which served the protagonist to receive the enthusiastic applause of the audience. As it should have been and as everyone expected, there was an encore, first a Prelude, by Claude Debussy, which never disappoints or leaves one indifferent. Impeccable. And before the ovation-like plea, another little gem, by Nikolai Myaskovsky, a piano arrangement by Joseph Horovitz.

Manacor will premiere, for the first time, an original Christmas musical created from scratch. A premiere date has already been set. The magic dragonA stage production with live music that promises to become one of the major cultural highlights of the city's festivities. The show (which will run for a week, starting on December 23rd at 7 pm) combines various disciplines with actors, musicians, and dancers from the Manacor Conservatory of Music and Dance, who have showcased their talent in a preliminary phase. The musical's story transports us to the life of Jackie, a boy trapped in a world of screens and haste, who receives a surprise visit from a magical dragon forgotten in the confines of his own imagination. From there, they embark on a magical journey together that leads them to encounter pastry-baking pirates, forgetful queens, and fallen stars, until they understand that growing up isn't about ceasing to be afraid, but about learning to walk with fear. The production combines elements of magical realism, contemporary musical theater, and audiovisual projections, with scenes full of colors and visual textures that captivate the audience. This is a proposal that, beyond entertainment, seeks to delve into themes such as childhood, creativity, and the importance of continuing to dream at any age. The opening ceremony, held Tuesday afternoon, was attended by directors Joan Miquel and Joan Toni Sunyer, the lead actors Berta Costa, Joan Mascaró, and Joan Manel Vadell, and other key members of the artistic and technical team. Also present were the Mayor of Manacor, Miquel Oliver, and the Councilor for Culture, Ferran Montero, who emphasized that this production confirms itself as "one of the major cultural and family events of Christmas in Manacor." During the presentation, the actors offered a short live excerpt from the show, which will run at the Auditorium from December 23 to 29, 2025. This preview showcased the high level of quality achieved and the challenges involved in making this project a reality. The music

The musical soul of the show has been created and directed by Sebastià Gris, who has composed an original soundtrack designed to enhance the audience's emotions. A renowned guitarist and composer from Manacor, Gris opts for a contemporary sound that accompanies and strengthens the inner journey of both the characters and the audience.

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The Ibizan Council has challenged the registration of the trademarks of Nacho Cano, a former member of Mecano, who wants to use the island's name to promote his new show. "This is standard practice, as we denounce all brands that use the name of Ibiza to do business," the Ibizan institution confirmed at the ARA Baleares radio station.

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