The large-scale family opera revival of Representative Master Pedro’s altar, tied to Manuel de Falla, unfolds with striking grandeur. Towering puppets rise above the stage, greeting Christmas as ADDA Simfònica hosts the weekend performance. Josep Vicent, the artistic director and owner of the Alicante venue, will conduct with live orchestral accompaniment and has described the production as wonderfully captivating. [citation: ADDA program notes]
Performances take place on Friday, December 22 and Saturday, December 23 at 7 p.m. The project is presented by Etcetera Group, a respected Spanish puppet workshop with forty-two years of experience, led by Enrique Lanz. Lanz, the grandfather of the author behind the original dolls created for Falla in 1950 for the Paris premiere in 1923, brings a deep lineage to this production. Tenor Mikeldi Atxalandabaso, baritone José Antonio López, and mezzo-soprano Marisa Martins provide the vocal power behind the colossal figures that drive the action. [citation: Etcetera Group]
The show builds on the original concept with a theater-within-theater framework. As noted by the Minister of Culture, Juan de Dios Navarro, this is a one-of-a-kind experience where fiction and reality mingle—a perfect chance for families to enjoy culture and music amid a dramatic stage design. [citation: Ministry of Culture]
Image display: seven-meter-high puppets, part of the COMMITTEE collection. [citation: COMMITTEE collection]
History
The narrative travels into Cervantes’ world during the second part, episode XXVI, where Falla’s altar-describing figure reimagines Master Pedro and his assistant Trujamán as they present Melisendra’s Liberty Altarpiece. Don Quixote, Sancho, and a gentleman enter the scene, blurring the lines between illusion and reality. The production invites the audience into a playful game of illusion, all set to the expressive, intense music of the Cádiz-born composer. [citation: Cervantes narrative]
Falla Letter Box updated and commemorative book added
Falla’s inspiration
As a child, Manuel de Falla used puppets to recount Don Quixote’s adventures for his younger sister. The auditorium notes highlight that the boy from Cádiz already knew the beloved character before becoming a renowned composer. In 1918, when the princess of Polignac commissioned a chamber work, Falla chose Chapter XXVI of Cervantes’ Second Part as the subject of his opera. He proposed staging it with puppets and transformed this episode into a humorous puppeteer’s tale. For the score, Falla blended diverse literary styles, weaving music from ancient, folkloric, liturgical, and avant-garde traditions into a seamless tapestry. [citation: Falla biography]
Another view from the show offers action-shot puppets, underscoring the committee’s ongoing collaboration. [citation: production photography]
The Falla score echoed Cervantes’ varied literary palette, merging traditional and experimental musical threads to create a rich auditory landscape for the puppet drama. [citation: musicology notes]
Tickets
General admission can be secured through Instanticket.es. Tickets are priced at 12 euros and are free for attendees under 16 years old. [citation: ticketing]