It’s all about the ladies at the third annual Festival de Mediterrani, at the Palau de las Arts Reina Sofia. With the slogan “ELLA”, the operas featured during the month-long event were chosen for their focus on strong female characters. Richard Strauss’s Salome, based on the play by Oscar Wilde features the infamous Dance of Seven Veils and its shocking finale. And Georges Bizet’s capricious Sevillian gypsy Carmen takes the stage, as well.
We’re not really into opera much ourselves, but the festival, which runs from May 30th – June 30th, incorporates much more. Concerts, chamber music, recitals, conferences, and a number of films screened free for the public, including Gilda and The Barefoot Contessa — all in keeping with the theme of ELLA, of course.
And here’s a tip you won’t see publicized very often: at least for the festival, the Palau offers a 50% Last Minute Discount on tickets purchased 2 hours before each performance. This obviously won’t work for any sold-out performance, but could provide a great way to see an opera you don’t necessarily want to shell out the big bucks for.
More information can be found at the Palau’s official website.