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The
Zarzuela Theater in Madrid
will present "Dalí" in
2004; The Liceu Theater
in Barcelona has not yet
decided.
The Liceu has forecasted
a program with the opera
"Gaudí" in 2004, which
will perhaps premiere
at "El Grec" in 2002.
Gaudí
and Dalí go to the opera
Gaudí
and Dalí are prepared
to hit the stage, each
as the protagonist of
new operas. And they are
knocking on the door of
the Liceu, or any theater
that wants to have them,
after they have been reincarnated
in the corresponding librettos
and musical scores. Two
great artists, two universal
Catalonians, served up
by the texts of well-known
authors, Josep Maria Carandell
(Barcelona, 1934) and
Jaime Salom (Barcelona,
1925), and by the music
of two outstanding composers
from what is called "the
Generation of 51", Joan
Guinjoan (Riudoms, 1931)
and Xavier Benguerel (Barcelona,
1931). It is the goal
of the Liceu to program
the opera "Gaudí" for
October or November of
2004, and achieve a co-production.
In this case, the premeire
could be produced earlier,
during the Summer of 2002,
at the "Festival del Grec".
With respect
to "Dalí," the Liceu is
interested in presenting
this work as well, yet
no final decisions have
been made thus far. Although,
again, they like the idea
of possible co-production.
The Zarzuela Theater in
Madrid shows a good disposition
to present the opera during
January of 2004, and also
seeks co-production. Will
it be difficult to reach
an agreement between the
two theaters? Let's remember
that the Year of Gaudí
is 2002, and that the
Year of Dalí is 2004.
The opera
"Gaudí", divided into
two acts, lasting somewhere
around 2 hours, was finished
in 1992, and it has been
only the abnormality of
the musical life in this
country which has kept
it from premiering in
the theaters to this point.
Carandell, as much as
Guinjoan, so linked to
the area of Tarragona,
were very strongly attracted
to the the personality
of Antoni Gaudí (Reus,
1852-Barcelona, 1926),
and little by little became
swept up hopelessly by
his genius. Carandell,
author of some 40 works,
has dedicated four books
to Reusian themes, and
has been working for years
now on an extensive biography
of the great architect
himself.
For the
libretto of the opera
- in Catalan - focuses
mainly on the problems
that exist in the realms
of Cultural History and
Art in the period between
the 19th and 20th Centuries.
They are based on these
new thoughts that nothing
is, nor feels, as firm
and safe as it once was.
A perfect symbol of this
is Gaudí, a more realistic
and more imaginative Gaudí.
And with him, the "trencadís"
(mosaic).
Guinjoan
has had an absolute respect
for the text, practically
worships the melody, makes
the voices sing (there
are monologues, duos,
and trios), introducespopular
elements - although disfigured
- in the Riudoms-Reus
area, and has procured
that the music alone will
endure and assimilate
itself as musci of the
scene. The langueage is
pantonal. There is meliodism
- with points of reference
--, quite a bit of percussion
and balance between voice
and orchestra.
There
are also various "light
motifs" throughout the
duration of the play,
but they escape from falling
into the the topic by
pleasing the public. The
chorus is trying poliphonically.
The idea is an orchestra
of three, with four percussionists
and the drums. At the
end of the first sccene
of Act II, is placed the
ballet "Trencadis" (rupture
and recomposition), 8
and a half minutes of
brilliance, intense and
powerful music which we
have listened to on the
master of the disc which
will be introduced in
Barcelona in March. "We
believe that we have made…"
say the libretist and
composer, "…an Spanish,
Catalan, and Gaudinian
opera. With one descriptive
part, and one expressionist."
The opera
"Dalí" (provisional title),
divided into four acts
- unified into two sets
of two, with an intermission
in between - and with
a duration of close to
two hours, will be ready
for next June. Jaime Salom
(author of 40 plays, one
of which was "Casia una
Diosa" [Almost a Goddess],
about Gala, the painter's
wife) recaptures in his
script (in Castillian
Spanish) the greatest
moments in the life of
the Ampurdain (Figueres,
1904-1989): 1)Gala and
Dalí meet in Paris, both
leave for Cadaqués, and
fall in love. 2) The couple
is in New York; the relationship
remained strong; introduction
into the millionare circles
of the City. 3) Years
of triumph; great baths
in money; the eccentric
world of Dalí. 4) Gala
in Púbol; there arose
her love of "Jesus Christ
Superstar"; the death
of Gala; Dalí alone, dies,
between flames.
According
to Salom, "The play is
about a realistic and
surrealistic story. Written
with the instinct of a
dramatic writer. A general
recap of the life of Dalí,
his painting in front
of the rest." Benguerel
has composed music which
is intimately linked to
the text. In an atonal
language, and utilizing
in the instrumental part
that which has most interested
everyone of the 20th Century,
the composer frames this
score en the following
line from the '80s ("Llibre
vermell", "Te Deum").
The voices
sing "naturally". There
is great care taken with
way things are acted and
maximum respect for the
pitch. There are some
very lyrical fragments,
"solos" (not Italian arias
in the traditional sense),
in those that flower the
feelilngs, and three choruses
(of surrealistic masks,
with themes from the department
stoores of 5th Avenue,
of millionaires).
And in
the third act there is
a ballet inspired by the
erotic circus of Dalían
orgies. "The voice is
rich in order to produce
itself naturally," explains
Benguerel, "If the music
is not understood, the
goal has not been reached.
One should not confuse
this with doing concessions.
The music is my word."
José
Guerrero Martín
La
Vanguardia
18 February 2001
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