Video on demand: L'Heure espagnole / Gianni Schicchi

Two comic operas. In one, a clockmaker’s wife takes advantage of her husband’s absence to let in her lovers. In the other, a seemingly devout family discovers that they have been disinherited; the moral façade collapses and now it is just about the money. All this could be the stuff of tragedy - marital woes and a family torn apart over an inheritance - but Ravel and Puccini highlight the comedy, and therein lies the full force of these early 20th century jewels.

Palau de les Arts’s new production of this double bill is directed by the Belgian/French duo of Moshe Leiser and Patrice Caurier. Since their debut at Covent Garden in 2001, they have been in demand across the world. Their work is acclaimed for its contemporary approach, bringing opera close to the audiences of today without degrading the original dramatic elements. The fine cast in Valencia, conducted by Michele Spotti, includes singers such as the Italian baritone Ambrogio Maestri, the Valencian soprano Marina Monzó, the Peruvian tenor Iván Ayón-Rivas, and the Franco-Swiss mezzo-soprano Eve-Maud Hubeaux singing alongside emerging talents from Centre de Perfeccionament Palau de Les Arts (Palau de les Arts’ Opera Studio).

Recorded on 02.05.2025