Lorin Maazel, the musical director at the Palau de les Arts in Valencia returned to the city two days ago after learning of the accident with the stage lifting gear.

After conducting a rehearsal for Mozart's 'Don Giovanni', he stated that "we will not fail our public," and confirmed that the opera would be staged as was originally planned, to coincide with the 250th anniversary of the birth of the composer, and that the six performances of the opera would go ahead as planned -on December 16, 19, 22, 26, 28 and 30, with Erwin Schortt in the title role, following his success at Covent Garden in London.

Equally enthusiastic was stage director, Dr Jonathan Miller, who apart from expressing his agreement with Mr Maazel, added that as a result of the accident, he had invented a new space for the opera to be staged in the interior of the auditorium thanks to the extra large orchestra pit, one added benefit of which, he claims, is that it will "bring the opera closer to the audience."

'Human error not to blame' for Palau stage collapse
By: valencialife.net
Wednesday, December 6, 2006

The first report of the organisation that runs the Palau de les Arts in the City of Arts and Sciences in Valencia has not placed any blame on the staff of the theatre for the incident that took place last Saturday during a set change.

The installation has a 'black box' that records movements of the complicated equipment and this very clearly recorded that the staff undertook nothing untoward.

Yesterday two regional ministers -Gerardo Camps (Economy) and Alejandro Font de Mora (Culture)- gave a press conference in which they stated that a mechanical error had occurred as a consequence of the breakdown of one of the four hydraulic motors that was raising the set of 'Don Giovanni', and this then became paralysed. Two of the other motors were also damaged, but the cause of this has yet to be determined.

As was revealed yesterday, it was neither speed nor any possible excess weight that caused the accident as the equipment is easily capable of raising 80 tonnes at a speed of 0.18 metres per second, and at the time the incident took place, it was raising a set that weighed three tonnes at a speed of 0.10 metres per second.

Currently representatives of the architect, Santiago Calatrava, are working with representatives of the lift manufacturing company who have a maintenance contract for the equipment, whilst there is also an insurance policy valued at over three hundred million euros, and the Valencian government is considering issuing a claim on this for losses both in material and budgetary as well as damage to the overall image of the Palau.

Mr Font de Mora also stated that all those who wanted the cost of their tickets refunded would receive their money "immediately" if they chose this option as opposed to exchanging their tickets for another performance.

With regard to the future programming for the Palau, directors Lorin Maazel and Jonathan Miller are studying alternatives to stage 'Don Giovanni', and the intention is to preserve that largest part of the programme. 

In this way the Wagner 'Trilogy' will go ahead, 'The Witch', 'Simon Boccanegra' and the Forman operas have been "saved," the only problem is a technical one surrounding the Phillip Glass opera 'Beauty and The Beast' and this will now probably be moved to the next season.

To compensate for this, the performance by the Catalan troupe, Els Comediants, and their 'Mozart Walking' will now form part of the subscriptions to the Palau.

The performances of 'Cyrano de Bergerac,' starring Placido Domingo, requires a different stage setting and this has not yet been approved.

The Palau also stated that there would be alterations in the concert programme and these would be announced as soon as possible.

Experts seek urgent solution to Palau stage problem
By: valencialife.net
Tuesday, December 5, 2006

It has now become a matter of some urgency to correct the problem at the Palau de les Arts in the City of Arts and Sciences that caused the Sunday performance of the opera 'La Boheme' to be cancelled after part of the stage lifting gear collapsed.

A meeting will take place later today between the technical department of the Palau, members of the office of architect Santiago Calatrava and representatives of the Thyssen-Waagner-Biro company that installed the machinery.

Sources have stated that the show absolutely must go on as soon as possible as the failure of the apparatus is fast becoming a problem for the overall image of the government of Francisco Camps that has promoted the Palau so actively.

It is now believed that several performances will be able to go ahead on a fixed stage that should be set up as soon as possible, but this still calls into question two performances: the UNICEF Gala and Jesus Lopez Cobos's 'Around Don Giovanni', both of which are set to take place next week.

Other sources, such as Leonard Garuz, the director of the Liceo in Barcelona that also uses similar equipment, stated that the idea that the machinery had collapsed due to a weight problem was "ridiculous as we have a similar installation in our theatre and it can take up to 80 tonnes, whilst the set in question only weighed one."

However, he did point out that despite being termed as 'heavy equipment', it was built with watch-like precision, adding that an incident like this "could happen in any theatre."

Opera cancelled after Palau stage collapses
By: valencialife.net
Sunday, December 3, 2006

Yesterday morning, the Palau de les Arts in the City of Arts and Sciences in Valencia was forced to announce the cancellation of the performance of the opera 'La Boheme' for later today after the stage collapsed.

It was during a change of scenery yesterday morning that the giant stage lift became blocked, and an investigation is currently under way as to the causes as well as trying to find a remedy.

This mechanical failure comes less than two months after the opening of the state-of-the-art facility, and will also affect the recital by Ana Maria Sanchez that was scheduled to take place tomorrow.

This season, some ten operas are to be staged in the Palau including 'Don Giovanni' by Mozart, Verdi's 'Simon Bocanegra', and 'Beauty and the Beast' by Glass.

The cancellation of 'La Boheme' will purportedly force the Palau to decide whether to  refund 170,000 euros to the ticket holders, or offer them an alternative date. 
 
Tickets available for 'La Boheme' at the Palau
By: valencialife.net
Thursday, November 16, 2006

Rehearsals have now started for the opera 'La Boheme' by Giacomo Puccini at the Palau de les Arts in the City of Arts and Sciences in Valencia.

The opera itself is being directed by Pierre Audi, and is a production of the Dutch Opera Company of Amsterdam with Maija Kovalevska, who won the recent Operalia contest, in the role of Mimi and tenor Massimiliano Pisapia as the poet Rodolfo.

Musical direction of the opera is being undertaken by Xian Zhang, who was the assistant to Lorin Maazel in the New York Philharmonic Orchestra.

The opera itself will be performed next Tuesday at 8:30, with other performances on November 23, 26 and 28 as well as December 1 & 3.

Another unusual aspect of this combining of highly talented people is that the performance of the Opera will take lace at midday on November 23 and 26.

Some tickets are still available: 902 100 032.