24 years after its only performance at the Liceu
The Gran Teatre del Liceu in Barcelona will open the 2025-2026 season on Monday with Leos Janácek’s opera ‘The Cunning Little Vixen’ in Barrie Kosky’s symbolist production, a work about the eternal cycle of nature and the relationship between humans and the planet, returning to the Barcelona lyric coliseum after its only previous performance in 2001.
At a press conference at Parc de la Guineueta in Barcelona, Liceu’s general director, Valentí Oviedo, emphasized that the 2025-2026 season is the last one for Josep Pons as musical director, praising his wisdom and ability to generate the sound that the orchestra now has, as well as celebrating the 25th anniversary of El Petit Liceu.
Liceu’s artistic director, Víctor Garcia de Gomar, stated that ‘The Cunning Little Vixen’ is a beloved title among opera audiences, but has only been presented once at the Liceu and will now be performed in seven shows until September 30 – although this Saturday, the 20th, there will be a performance of the ‘Opera between Generations’ program before the premiere.
This is a mature work by Janácek inspired by a Czech children’s tale, addressing aspects that concerned him such as the relationship between humans and animals and the cycle of nature in a philosophical reflection for adults.
The production, directed by Andreas Weirich, features the leading voices of Elena Tsallagova, Peter Mattei, and Paula Murrihy. It departs from the green colors of nature and the forest trees in which the opera is set, with singers portraying different animals dressed in colors rather than animal costumes in a dreamlike setting.
While the opera retains the light tone of the tale, the main focus is on the realistic representation of nature and its processes, with each act representing a period in the vixen’s life.
DRINKING FROM FOLKLORE
Josep Pons, conducting this score for the first time, described it as an opera rooted in the musical movements of the early 20th century that draw from local folklore in rhythm and text accentuation, in this case Czech, turning the piece into an «adventure.»
Pons, praising Janácek as brilliant, highlighted the instrumentation and color exploration in the composer’s piece, noting its alignment with ‘Rusalka’ by Antonin Dvorak, which closed the previous Liceu season.
Russian soprano Elena Tsagallova, embodying the young vixen, described it as a «sophisticated yet accessible» opera aimed not at children but at all audiences. She mentioned the challenge of learning the character but emphasized the enjoyment she finds once immersed in it.
Mezzo-soprano Paula Murrihy, portraying the charismatic vixen, deemed it a perfect piece for a first journey into the world of opera: «It’s like a Netflix series, it hooks you in and you want to reach the end.»
Concurrent with the performances of ‘The Cunning Little Vixen,’ Liceu’s Saló dels Miralls will host an exhibition by visual artist Eulàlia Valldosera inspired by Janácek’s work, inviting viewers to perceive reality as a mutable fabric.