Tribute to Caballé

The Castell de Peralada festival devotes its 33rd edition “to the memory of the great soprano Montserrat Caballé, who, together with Carmen Mateu, dreamed up and turned Peralada into an internationally prestigious music festival.” The festival directed by Oriol Aguilà will pay tribute to Caballé with a concert by the great North American soprano Sondra Radvanovsky, in the Carme church: the same venue in which the Catalan soprano sang in the inaugural concert of the event’s first edition on July 18, 1987.

Opera, classical music and dance make up the festival’s three main pillars, which this year debuts its own production: Verdi’s La traviata, with stage direction by Paco Azorín. Moreover, the cloister of the Carme church will host the premiere of the chamber opera, Dialogues between Tirant and Carmesina, by Joan Magrané and Marc Rosich.

The festival this year features such major names as Juan Diego Flórez, Ludovic Tézier, Camilla Nylund, Joseph Calleja, and Núria Rial with Juan Sancho, performing Händel arias and duets. Meanwhile, La Fura dels Baus will bring their interpretation of Stravinsky’s The Soldier’s Tale, while top conductor Gustavo Dudamel will direct the Mahler Chamber Orchestra & Friends.

The festival opens with the Mariinsky Ballet from the theatre of the same name in Saint Petersburg, while the auditorium in the castle park will host Sodre, the National Ballet of Uruguay, performing El Quijote del Plata, as well as Acosta Danza company from Cuba.

Estiu Musical, the festival’s pop section, will feature Charlotte Gainsbourg, Paul Anka, Pink Martini, Jessie J. and the electronic-symphonic fusion music of the show, Maestro, as well as a first-time performance by the Cirque Éloize company from Montreal.