Rusalka's transformation returns to the Liceu

Barcelona"It's a particularly moving story, with a lot of emotion and tragedy," says Piotr Beczala, the Polish tenor who leads the opera's cast. Rusalka which will be performed at the Liceu from June 22 to July 7, with stage direction by Christof Loy. Rusalka is a water nymph who falls in love with a human prince and, in order to live out that love, wishes to transform into a woman. She will achieve this by convincing her father and making a deal with Jezibaba, the witch who will transform her in exchange for some cruel consequences: losing her speech and being unable to walk. Rusalka accepts and manages to make the prince fall in love for a while, but she will end up abandoning him for a foreign princess. Rusalka will not be able to undo the transformation and this new reality will force her to rediscover her place in the world, still feeling the pain of not having been reciprocated.

The story, which will surely resonate with the reader because of the film version of The Little Mermaid, comes from Slavic mythology and traditional Czech tales. The plot that Antonín Dvorák explains in his best-known opera, Rusalka, is very similar. It premiered in Prague in 1901 and quickly became one of the most performed operas in the country. The hypnotic Song of the Moon, which is one of the highlights of the show, surely helped.

The first time I Rusalka It was performed in Barcelona in 1924, at the Gran Teatre del Liceu, where He returned in 2013 with a risky proposal Directed by Norwegian Stefan Herheim. Seven performances have been scheduled this year under the musical direction of Josep Pons, who assures that Christof Loy's production has all the ingredients to become "a benchmark." Soprano Asmik Grigorian and tenor Piotr Beczala perform the main roles, Rusalka and the Prince, and this is the first time they have sung together.

A character-centered version

Christof Loy's version is a co-production of the Liceo with the Teatro Real in Madrid, the Palace of Arts in Valencia, and the Dresden State Opera, and offers a contemporary interpretation of the play. Now, Rusalka is an artist without an assigned role and must discover her place in the world. Rusalka is immobilized and on crutches, surrounded by characters who inhabit her memories. The conflict is between art and life, and to narrate it, Loy focuses his attention on the characters' psychology.

frames the play. He assures that the scheduled performances have all the ingredients for the audience to enjoy it: the cast and crew that accompany her. (genie of the waters), the Finnish soprano Karita Mattila will play the foreign princess who seduces the prince, and the role of the witch Jezibaba will be played by the German mezzo-soprano Okka von der Damerau, who was a magnificent Elsa in the performances of Lohengrin three months ago at the Liceu, where she replaced Iréne Theorin.

It's the first time Grigorian and Beczala have sung together, although the Lithuanian soprano has experience in the role of Rusalka. Her role is one of the most demanding in the work because it requires vocal work and physical preparation for the ballet part. "We're in good hands," says Beczala, who emphasizes the team in charge of the production that will be seen at the Liceu. He says that having this control over what happens on stage ensures that those who inhabit it can enjoy it and is key to conveying the story to the audience. The goal, he assures, is for the audience to be fully involved.

Josep Pons emphasizes the aquatic sound of the orchestra, which displays all its power throughout the three acts of the work. Dance also plays a pivotal role, showcasing the richness of traditional Czech dances and Grigorian's ability to capture them. The Wagnerian-influenced music will be performed by the Gran Teatro del Liceu Symphony Orchestra, and the heartfelt melodies of nymphs and undines will be embodied by young singers Laura Fleur, Alyona Abramova, and Julietta Aleksanyan.