Ainadamar

("Fountain of Tears")
An Opera in Three Images

Poetry in emotion.

Famed poet and playwright Federico García Lorca now stands as one of Spain’s greatest icons. But in 1936, he found himself standing in front of the firing squad at Ainadamar (“fountain of tears” in Arabic)—quite literally caught in the middle of the Spanish Civil War. In a series of rousing flashbacks, Lorca’s muse and lover Margarita Xirgu conjures up his controversial life and defiant death in this stunning production. With Argentinian composer Osvaldo Golijov’s Grammy Award-winning flamenco- and rumba-infused score, Ainadamar delivers a dreamlike passion play complete with everything from bullfighting and bravado to the artist’s struggle for love and free expression.

Co-production from the Fundación Ópera de Oviedo, Festival Internacional de Música y Danza de Granada, and Festival Internacional de Música de Santander

Audio excerpts from Osvaldo Golijov’s Ainadamar (Prensa Festival de Granada, 2011; Corrado Rovaris, conductor). Featuring Marina Pardo (Lorca), Maria Hinojosa (Margarita Xirgu), Carmen Romeu (Nuria), Alfredo Tejada (Ramón Ruiz Alonso). Excerpts include: the opera’s opening Water and Horse Prelude; Young women sing the open chorus from Lorca’s play Mariana Pinedaas Margarita Xirgu reminisces about the play as we hear guitars strum in the orchestra. Margarita says “What a tragedy when young flesh is torn and gushes a torrent of hot blood.” In “A La Habana” (To Havana) Margarita tries to entice Lorca to join her theatrical troupe on a tour to Cuba. “A la Habana, tú y yo” (To  Havana, you and I), they say.  Then, we hear a portion of the “Interludio de Balazos y Lamento por la Muerte de Federico” (Interlude of Bullets and Lament for Federico’s Death) as a flamenco singer cries “Oh my God, what a great shame! Federico died!”  Margarita sings to Federico’s spirit that she has kept him alive in Latin America although his works have been banned in Spain. The excerpts end with rhythmic determined music of the opera’s final scene. Selections courtesy of Prensa Festival de Granada.

OPERA AT THE ACADEMY

Venue:

Academy of Music
240 S Broad Street, Philadelphia, PA 19102