Cristóbal Halffter’s contribution to the BBVA Foundation-NEOS Collection has the distinction of being the first opera among the titles published to date and also the first work presented on DVD. Recorded in Kiel, the venue of its world premiere in May 2008, ‘Lázaro‘ was performed under the musical and artistic direction of Georg Fritzsch and Alexander Schulin.

Born into a musical lineage, Cristóbal Halffter (Madrid, 1930) is one of Spain’s most renowned contemporary composers. After training in music in his home town, he went on to complete his studies in Germany, where he would later receive the Federal Cross of Merit. A member of the San Fernando Academy of Fine Arts in Madrid, he is also a holder of the Gold Medal for Artistic Achievement awarded by King Juan Carlos I. ‘Lázaro’, his second opera – the first, ‘Don Quijote’, was premiered in Madrid’s Teatro Real in the year 2000 – was written between 2004 and 2007 by an artist in full possession of his powers. A one-act work in five scenes, its source is the biblical story of Lazarus, the brother of Mary and Martha restored to life by Jesus Christ, which in Juan Carlos Marset’s libretto becomes a metaphor for the relationship between art and power.

Performances by:
Jörg Sabrowski, Lázaro
Friedemann Kunder, Judas
Julia Henning, María
Claudia Iten, Marta
Johannes An, Guardia I/Santiago
Steffen Doberauer, Guardia II/Juan
Matthias Klein, Guardia III/Andrés
Jooil Choi, Malco/Simón

Philharmonisches Orchester Kiel
Georg Fritzsch, musical director
Alexander Schulin, stage director
Stefanie Pasterkamp, scenery & costumes
Joscha Schaback, dramaturge

Track list
Lázaro. Opera in one act on texts by Juan Carlos Marset

Total time: 111′