Winterreise seen by Antonio López

The painter, sculptor and engraver Antonio López, born in Tomelloso (Castile-La Mancha), has been invited by the Liceu to take part for the first time in designing a stage set. Throughout his career, López has used his highly individual technique to depict themes such as the passing of time, human beings and their environment, still lifes and childhood.

Here he sets up a dialogue between his artistic works and the world of suffering evoked by the music of Schubert's Winterreise. Considered one of the most important song cycles in the history of music and the composer's musical testament, Winterreise is a daunting challenge for singers.

Antonio López will reflect on solitude and self-isolation, conveying the traumas, longing, hopes and fears of the wandering traveller. Adverse fate and despondency have so ravaged the character's inner world that only the desire to escape from an oppressive community keeps his heart beating.

Winterreise, in all its disquieting beauty, is an invitation to profound melancholy, each desperate episode evoking another step along the path of a man betrayed. Antonio López will act as the audience's distinguished guide as they immerse themselves in Schubert's poetic universe and make this inner journey into emptiness.