An opera that perhaps comes too late

At 88, Antoni Ros-Marbà is the dean of our musicians: composer, conductor, pedagogue, and master of masters. And now it's his turn to opera, a musical form that the musician from Hospitalet de Llobregat knows perfectly, having conducted various titles from very different repertoires.

Faithful to the commitment to the music of his time, and with text by Anthony C. Madigan (transferred in 2017), Ros-Marbà has now seen the Liceu premiere his opera. Benjamin in Portbou, which summarizes the last days of the German philosopher persecuted by Nazism and a refugee in Portbou, where he presumably committed suicide after seeing no alternative to fleeing the criminal regime of Adolf Hitler.

The project (developed between 2010 and 2016) passed through several hands among those who have held the artistic direction of the Barcelona theater. And things haven't been easy, starting with the fact that the Liceu initially intended to program the opera in a concert version. Ultimately, the semi-staged version was chosen, and it is here that we must salute the talented work of Anna Ponces, who deserves the opportunity to direct a major repertoire opera at the theater on La Rambla.

Making a virtue out of necessity, and despite the limited number of rehearsals, Ponces has managed to make the most of Madigan's plot, which was not easy. The result is an opera staged with all the "er's" and "ut's" and with suggestive elements such as the parade of exiles—omnipresent throughout the production—which contributes to understanding the structure based on flashbacksThe only thing left over is the light panel by Playmades Studio and Andreu Fàbregas, with resources that end up being repetitive.

He wonders to what extent the opera is arriving late to the Liceu: at this point, it's difficult to predict whether Ros-Marbà will embark on a new compositional project in the operatic vein; Madigan died a year after he finished the score, and programming it now, with the season practically over and only two performances ahead, sounds like an effort to get himself in good shape and off his feet.

A pity, because the score—despite its technical demands and difficulties—is interesting and pivots well between the world of the present (Benjamin in Portbou) and the past (his relationships with the philosopher's wife, with Hannah Arendt, or with Bertolt Brecht, for example). It's true that the piece exudes a rather oratorial character, due to the aphoristic weight of a rather untheatrical little book, but Ros-Marbà's score makes up for this with its skillful orchestration and the latent tensions in many scenes.

The cast had a tough time, facing a world premiere and with no references to draw on. Tenor Peter Tantsits embodies the role of Benjamin with a harsh timbre but expressive singing. He is accompanied by a capable cast with brilliant individuals such as Joan Martín-Royo (Scholem), Laura Villa (Dora Pollack Benjamin), David Alegret (Brecht), Serena Sáenz (Angelus Novus), and Elena Copons (Asja), among many others. A fine performance by the theater's titular heart and orchestra against a difficult and complex score that should have received much more attention: Benjamin and Ros-Marbà are well worth it.