[ by the author of Cuéntame una Ópera. En Español aquí ]
It has been about 25 years since Sony Classical Spain decided to publish my “operas as tales”, which I had started to write for my son in 1996-97. By that time, I had already visited most publishing houses in Barcelona and Madrid with my suitcase full of the original illustrations and texts, since I had not even started digitizing them. What a time! During the promotion of the CDs with their booklets, released by Sony Classical Spain under the name of “Colección Cuéntame una Ópera”, I was invited to quite a few national and local radios and televisions in Spain, where I had the chance to explain my motivation and the value I could find in those stories with their extraordinary music.
Side Note 1. What I did not share at that time, and I think was most relevant to my determination for telling operas to children, was that those stories had been for actual life-saviors in my teenage years, since I was living in a complicated household. Opera can take you to conflicting worlds where the characters take time to confront their weaknesses, temptations and abuse, and they do so with the emotion of music. Now I see how my favorite operas provided support, helped me to take distance, taught me to stop and reflect so I could find my own way… composers gave me the present of music and sense of humor to survive.
Today, each one of my operas as tales in the collection that I designed brings me very specific memories. Most of them are linked to my son Manuel, who grew up with their characters just like if they were his friends. Apart from learning to read with Ulysses, at very young age he played conducting Cosí fan tute, singing with Figaro and with Leporello… at three years old he used to say that music was in his guts (pointing at his belly), a comment Teresa Berganza found very wise, and the unforgettable Fernando Argenta agreed when I told him in an interview in his famous radio space Clásicos Populares (RTV2). This anecdote comes today to my mind while Manuel is collaborating with the orchestra which is keeping Argenta’s legacy alive still inviting new generations to their Conciertazo… Is chance the fool’s name for fate?
Side Note 2. Actually, today I believe that I found this new and simple way to explain operas, not only to ease the way for Manuel, but also to share with him those moments that were my favorite. Because for me, the most important was that he could connect with the emotion that every musical moment entailed, and that by the way he could discover those stories and characters full of humanity. Moreover, I was completely positive that my son, and later on any child who were to discover ópera with my works were going o to grow up and they deserved knowing the original script in the most genuine way. I had to condense and I would elude those complicated moments unintelligible at young age, yet I would never manipulate or change the libretti that had inspired the great composers. On top of that, today I think that going hand in hand with such great masters was essential for me to overcome my many insecurities as an author
Recently, at the end of 2024, I had the opportunity to attend a performance at the Teatro Real of Madrid. The music was by George Frederick Haendel since it a staged version of one of his last oratorios. There was a very long time since I had not attended a performance in a great Opera house, and I had a tremendous shock. Like for most of those stages, the music performance was excellent and a true gift for any listener. For the rest of the senses -which are concerned in the Opera genre in its usual definition- the experience was sadly deceiving. I left the theater more than angry, very sad, and feeling very personally the treason to Haendel that I had just witnessed. Why putting those screens all around the public to compete for attention with the stage? Is the actual stage performance not enough? How can a Christian martyr become a terrorist building an explosive in a restaurant kitchen? Why should those admirable singers accept to take the stage to play something that was completely off the script/libretto of the opera they were supposed to be performing? I actually believe that the work of these singers must be much more challenging under such circumstances… In more than a moment, I had to close my eyes to be able to enjoy music without interferences. A nonsense I leave here for your own reflection.
Side Note 3. At the end of 2024, after a few years engaging with technological developments, including contacts with innovative visual artists, I was considering recovering my “tales from operas”. For a moment, the performance I attended at the Real, made me reconsider.
For many years, I have attended all kind of “updates” and “versions” of operas and classics. I understand that stage directors need to show off their creative contribution to the production, and I won’t criticize them, although I question the place that such contributions should actually have. Nevertheless, just to tell the truth and to respect your public, why doesn’t the theater dare present the piece programmed as it is? In this case, for example, this title could have been announced as “Theodora, a Christina terrorist” an original lyrical production by Katie Mitchell, inspired by the oratorio Theodora (1749) with music by G. F. Haendel and English libreto by Thomas Morell”. This would have been more honest than the line at the bottom of the information page “This production may contain explicit presentation of scenes of sexual violence, harassment and exploitation and themes evocation of themes of terrorism”.

I never worked with an opera house, and today I do not need to justify or support whatever most of them present as Ópera, too often forgetting about the composers and librettist due respect and with questionable points of view. Nevertheless, we cannot forget that most of those opera performances are only possible because they count with public funding. That’s why I think it is just a question of common sense to ask oneself: What is the general interest that justifies such spending? What is the real value of the Opera for the public?
Quick personal response just from my own experience: today more than ever, Opera interests me only for the actual value it brings to me, the stories from masterpieces and the music that fills them with emotions. Maybe for Opera houses there is another value to Ópera… therefore, it is again time to ask ourselves: when thinking of Opera, do you think of great theaters, the Opera Houses, or do you think about the huge and diverse repertoire created during the past four centuries?
Personal Epilogue. When I launched the first website for Cuéntame una Ópers, I started to work independently and with little personal resources. I brought operas to hundreds children in little villages of Asturias, Andalucía, from Mexico, from Argentina… via the illustration contest that was managed online for seven years. Today I think that such initiative had real value, and it was only possible thanks to the Internet. In these days, I am reconnecting with my illustrations as I am considering bringing them to life using som A.I. tool looking to create some animated digital collectibles with our favorite characters (Manuel may bring his opinion too…). These should help me to introduce my operas as tales with a new vision, more appealing to new generations.

The musical genre of Opera, like any other, has evolved with time and I am positive that it will keep evolving. There will be new formats on stage, new means to reach at new generations, and new masterpieces will be premiered beyond the main repertoire in all kind of stages.
As for me, from Mirlo Studio, I will try to bring my humble contribution to invite curious newcomers focussing in its everlasting value: the stories they tell and the wonderful music.
This is a great challenge for the year 2025 we are just starting!
I will bring more news here…
Georgina