The city of Sabadell is preparing to host an opera season described as "comic, raw, local, and solemn" by the artistic director of the Fundació Òpera a Catalunya (FOC), Jordi Torrents. From October 2026 to April 2027, the Teatre La Faràndula will stage four iconic works: L'Elisir d'amore by Gaetano Donizetti, the double bill Cavalleria rusticana by Pietro Mascagni and Pagliacci by Ruggero Leoncavallo, the zarzuela Cançó d'amor i de guerra by Rafael Martínez Valls, and Aida by Giuseppe Verdi. The company will present a total of 15 performances in Sabadell and 57 across Catalonia.
The season will feature three entirely new productions and one revival. The cast will blend the experience of veteran singers with the energy of emerging talents, and there will also be directorial debuts. Public response has been positive, with an increase in season ticket sales compared to the previous year, which Torrents attributes to the "quality of the titles that draw audiences."
L'Elisir d'amore, scheduled for October, is characterized by its "comedy, good vibes, and tenderness," sentiments Torrents deems "very necessary in these times." The opera tells the story of Nemorino, an naive young man trying to win the heart of the wealthy Adina with a supposed love elixir.
The double bill Cavalleria rusticana and Pagliacci, to be performed after an intermission, will explore themes of jealousy, honor, and revenge in rural Sicilian and Calabrian settings. Torrents describes these works as "unvarnished portrayals of life, the rawness and harshness of violence in rural villages," highlighting their "extraordinary expressive intensity and great dramatic power." These will be the only revivals of the season.
The zarzuela Cançó d'amor i de guerra, celebrating its centenary, will be presented in February 2027. Stage director Dani Coma, alongside musical direction by Júlia Cruz and Jordi Francés, will bring to life the story of the humble blacksmith Eloi. The cast will include Sabadell native Arnau Torres, Xajo Gorina, and Enric López. Torrents assures it will not be an "old-fashioned and cliché" performance, but a modern take on the genre.
Aida by Giuseppe Verdi is poised to be the season's highlight, demanding significant vocal prowess. The opera presents a love triangle between the Egyptian general Radamès, the princess Amneris, and the Ethiopian slave Aida, exploring the conflict between love and patriotic duty. Despite often being associated with the "Triumphal March," Torrents describes it as an "intimate opera" promising "an explosion of sound and color" at La Faràndula. The stage direction will be led by Esteve Gorina i Andreu, assisted by Irene Garrido, with costumes by Ester Martín being a key feature.
