photo: Boston University Opera Institute and Symphony Orchestra
“PARMA Recordings has the unique pleasure of spending much time with previously unrecorded scores, many of which have the proverbial ‘wet ink’ of a composition just completed,” said PARMA Senior Producer Brad Michel, following a recent live opera recording at Boston University’s Tsai Performance Center to be released on PARMA’s GRAMMY®-winning Navona Records label.
“With the new recording from the BU Opera Institute of El Caminante we are experiencing a new kind of excitement, getting the chance to produce a recording of a previously unrecorded Cuban opera from the early 20th century, an era not usually known for undiscovered masterpieces.”
“A Gem of a Piece”
Premiered in Havana, Cuba in 1921 at Teatro Tacón, later renamed Teatro Nacional, this forgotten opera in Spanish by Cuban composer and musicologist Eduardo Sanchez de Fuentes (1874–1944) with an original libretto by Spanish poet Francisco Villaespesa (1877–1936) had been lost for 100 years.
BU Assistant Professor David Guzmán’s research led him to a copy of the full score stored away in Havana’s Museo Nacional de la Música. Presented in concert for the first time since 1921, this one-act Poema Lirico presents a story that blends religion, myth, and love with music that recalls the Italian Romantic period.
“Guzmán has discovered a gem of a piece, a wonderfully romantic opera highlighting the values of love and healing.”
– Brad Michel, PARMA Senior Producer
“The book was amazing,” Guzmán told BU’s The Brink. “The music was so clever and well-written. But when I found the score, it just opened a world of possibilities with this opera.”
With the full orchestral score in hand and a suite of talented young performers in BU’s College of Fine Arts at the ready, Guzmán prepared the manuscripts for their second world premiere.
“The performance and recording of El Caminante were incredibly emotional for me, as they marked the culmination of years of dedication, research, and collaboration,” Guzmán said. “I felt immense pride in bringing this forgotten opera back to life, along with gratitude for the talented colleagues and institutions that supported this journey.”
With a full recording now and post production and a release date in the works, Guzmán hopes that future listeners of El Caminante will not only appreciate the craftsmanship of de Fuentes, but also find personal meaning in the opera’s message.
“This work explores the profound relationship between our internal emotional life and our physical well-being. By engaging with its drama, I hope listeners discover a renewed awareness that emotional healing is a journey of recognizing and accepting ourselves from within, and that by doing so, we can ultimately restore our emotional and physical well-being.”
– David Guzmán, tenor
In collaboration with PARMA Recordings, El Caminante was brought to life with help from BU students and faculty:
Founded in 1985 by Phyllis Curtin, The Opera Institute is an intensive, highly selective two-year performance-based training program for emerging operatic artists. Each Institute member receives a full tuition scholarship, and graduates from Boston University College of Fine Arts with a Performance Diploma in Opera.
The mission of the Opera Institute is to mentor operatic artists of unique quality and caliber who are driven towards a professional career in opera. Within a
supportive environment, participants are engaged and encouraged to achieve the highest standards in lessons, classes, coachings, rehearsals, and performances, with the objective of developing proficiency in both traditional and contemporary operatic repertoire.
“It was a pleasure working with the entire BU Opera Institute,” said Michel. “Equally impressive was the BU Symphony Orchestra led by Professor William Lumpkin, whose preparation and intense concentration contributed greatly to the success of this project.”
Lumpkin, Artistic Director and Conductor of the BU Opera Institute, shared his thoughts on the project.
“The opportunity to work with PARMA Recordings in creating a recording of this unknown opera was an enriching experience for all involved, and in particular offered a valuable and distinctive experience to the excellent instrumentalists in the Boston University Symphony Orchestra. It was an incredibly rewarding opportunity.”
– William Lumpkin, BU Opera Institute
