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© Gran Teatre del Liceu
Benjamin in Portbou
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July 2025 | ||||||
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Opera in a semi-staged version in two acts.
Benjamin in Portbou is an opera commissioned by the Gran Teatre del Liceu to Maestro Antoni Ros-Marbà. Written in two acts and 13 scenes based on the libretto by Anthony Carroll Madigan, it focuses on the life of the philosopher and literary critic Walter Benjamin.
For Ros-Marbà, composing this opera was like an unfinished task in his long musical career. The opera's libretto, penned by the erudite Tony Madigan, is a work of art, in a literary language that begs to be set to music and staged, drawing from the author's deep understanding of Walter Benjamin's life and work (Berlin, 1892 - Portbou, 1940).
Benjamin was born into a Jewish family and studied at the universities of Berlin, Freiburg, and Munich, participating in anti-war student movements. In 1915, he befriended Gerschom Scholem, a scholar of Hebrew mysticism, and in 1918, in Bern, he met Ernst Bloch, the theorist of utopia. In 1917, he married Dora Sophie Pollack, and after the war, he returned to Berlin where he wrote "Critique of Violence" and "The Task of the Translator."
In 1923, in Frankfurt, he became friends with Theodor W. Adorno and Gretel Karplus, his wife, with whom he maintained a rich correspondence over the years, but his friendship with Bertolt Brecht would be one of the most enduring. With the advent of Nazism in 1933, he was forced into exile, first to Ibiza and then to Paris. Subsequently, he moved to Svendborg (Denmark) — along with Brecht — and then to San Remo. When the war broke out, he declined Adorno's invitation to move to California, stating that "there are still positions to defend in Europe," and he was interned for three months in the Nevers camp until he received the safe conduct arranged by Horkheimer to move to the United States.
Program and cast
Approximate running time - 2h
WALTER BENJAMIN: Peter Tantsits
HANNAH ARENDT: Marta Valero
DORA POLLACK BENJAMIN: Marta Infante
GERHARD SCHOLEM: Joan Martín-Royo
ERNST SCHOEN: Pau Armengol
THE ANGELUS NOVUS: Serena Sáenz
ASJA LACIS: Elena Copons
BERTOLT BRECHT: David Alegret
STAGE DIRECTION: Anna Ponces
SET DESIGN AND LIGHTING: Playmodes Studio and Andreu Fàbregas
PRODUCTION: Gran Teatre del Liceu
CHOIR OF THE GRAN TEATRE DEL LICEU (PABLO ASSANTE, DIRECTOR)
SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA OF THE GRAN TEATRE DEL LICEU
CONDUCTOR: Antoni Ros-Marbà
Gran Teatre del Liceu
Barcelona's opera house, the Gran Teatre del Liceu, was founded on the Rambla in 1847 and has continued over the years to fulfil its role as a culture and arts centre and one of the symbols of the city.
Today it is publicly-owned (by the Government of Catalonia, Barcelona City Council, Barcelona Provincial Council and the Ministerio de Educación, Cultura y Deporte) and administered by the Fundació del Gran Teatre del Liceu which, in addition to the aforementioned bodies, incorporates the Patronage Council and the Societat del Gran Teatre del Liceu (the old society of owners).
Origins: From 1837 to 1847
The Liceu evolved out of the Sociedad Dramática de Aficionados (Society of theatre-lovers) set up in 1837 at the instigation of Manuel Gibert in the former convent of Montsió by members of the National Militia, an organization of armed citizens with liberal leanings.
Barcelona's economy and population were growing fast at the time and the city needed a music conservatory. This led to the conversion of the Sociedad Dramática into the Liceo Filármonico Dramático Barcelonés de S.M. la Reina Isabel II (Barcelona Dramatic and Philharmonic Lyceum of HM Queen Isabel II). In addition to its theatrical activities, the new organization cultivated Italian-style singing and music.
The building on the Rambla
The original building was solemnly opened on 4 April 1847. The plans had been drawn up by Miquel Garriga i Roca, subsequently assisted by Josep Oriol Mestres. The project was funded by selling shares, which meant that many of the boxes and seats were to be privately owned. The shareholders formed the Societat del Gran Teatre del Liceu, known as the “Societat de Propietaris” (Society of Owners), which was in sole charge of running the Gran Teatre del Liceu from 1855 onwards, after it was legally separated from the Conservatori del Gran Teatre del Liceu.
The theatre was operated by impresarios who were given a concession to stage a specific number of productions in exchange for the proceeds from the sale of tickets not reserved for the Societat itself. This system was to endure until 1980.
The creation of the Consortium
By the last quarter of the 20th century this management system was no longer viable. In 1980, to avert the danger of the disappearance of an institution of such worldwide cultural renown, the Generalitat Catalonia's first government in modern times – set up a consortium, the Consorci del Gran Teatre del Liceu, which also incorporated Barcelona City Council and the Societat del Gran Teatre del Liceu. Barcelona Provincial Council joined the Consortium in 1985, followed by the Spanish Ministry of Culture in 1986. From then on the Consortium took over operation of the theatre.
Related events
Classic Concerts in Barcelona
Barcelona - The Palau de la Música Catalana
Performances: Fr 27 Dec 2024,
Performances: Fr 27 Dec 2024,