Verdi's 'Falstaff', second opera at the MUN, with the participation of more than 150 students and international soloists.

"Falstaff is a vulgar man, yes, but he is also funny, witty and unconscionable. He clings to his glorious past without realizing that the world has changed around him. And there is no better setting for his downfall - and his farce - than a 1950s and 1960s radio and television set, where image is everything and truth is just another staging". This is how Liuba Cid, stage director, explains the proposal that the MUN presents of the last opera composed by Giuseppe Verdi, Falstaffan opera buffa (operatic comedy), which can be seen on April 1 and 2 at its Theater. Tickets are still available at the box office and on the website.

This MUN production, which is supported by members of its sponsoring board of trustees, involves more than 150 students, including the Symphony Orchestra and the University of Navarra Choir, plus participants in the Theater Training Plan as extras. "Participating in an opera production allows them to develop practical skills that are essential in any professional field. From time management to problem solving, every rehearsal and every performance are lessons that transcend the stage. The need to meet deadlines and adapt to unforeseen situations are experiences that prepare them for the 'real world,'" explains Carlos Bernar, head of Campus CreativoMUN's area in charge of activities aimed at students. Bernar emphasizes that this is a very funny opera and a great opportunity for young audiences to get in touch with this art form: "If they don't laugh and have fun, we'll give them their money back for the ticket," he jokes.

Borja Quintas is in charge of the musical direction, and he also emphasizes that it is a unique opportunity for any spectator to enjoy this title, since it is very rarely performed. The maestro emphasizes that "after the great experience of Tosca -a co-production of the MUN and AGAO, premiered last April-, Falstaff presents a new challenge in terms of technical difficulties and, above all, the rhythm of musical discourse". He adds that "in the creative process, the musical exchange between students and professionals is proving to be enormously enriching for the production"; and puts the students in the focus of this proposal, in which students from all branches of knowledge (from faculties and centers as varied as Medicine, Nursing, Architecture, Pharmacy and Nutrition, Science, Economics and Business, Communication or Law) join their efforts and talents to bring forward an opera that is "permanent movement, which requires great agility and responsiveness".

Regarding the students of the Theatrical Training Plan, stage director Liuba Cid comments that "they have played a fundamental role in the different phases of the creative and scenic process. It has allowed them not only to work in important roles, but also to learn from the inside the rhythms, codes and demands of a large-scale opera production. Their participation has ranged from integrated acting work on stage, to observation and analysis of the process of stage direction, stage management and design, favoring a broader and deeper understanding of professional stage practice".

Paula Peralta is a second-year Audiovisual Communication student in the Performing Arts Production Program. Participating in such a big production from the inside is changing my perception a lot," she says. -Sometimes you go to the theater and get so caught up in the fiction that you forget that the fiction is in our heads. We see characters, scenery, costumes, hairdressing, make-up.... But we are not aware that the curtain closes and everything is real: the characters are played by people, the scenery are real objects that someone has worked on. Communication and teamwork are crucial for the project and to combine it with my studies. I think I'm learning a lot and I'm eager to continue. The experience is being a very enriching first contact with reality that is dismantling many stereotypes. I can't wait to see the final result, for others to see it and to feel proud to have been part of it".

The students will share the stage with a cast of soloists with consolidated careers and international projection, from Italy, Argentina, Japan and Spain: baritones Omar Kamata (Falstaff) and Nomachi Tomohiro (Ford), tenors Julen Jiménez (Fenton), Enrique Ferrer (Dr Cajus) and José Miguel Baena (Bardolfo), sopranos Guiomar Cantó (Alice Ford) and Aida Turganbayeva (Nannetta), mezzo-sopranos Carolina Bardas (Meg Page) and María Luisa Corbacho (Mrs. Quickly), and bass Armando del Hoyo (Pistola). Quickly), and bass Armando del Hoyo (Pistola).

Italian Omar Kamata plays the protagonist of this opera buffa, Falstaff. "Singing Falstaff is a fascinating journey," he confesses. - It is a role that requires not only a great vocal mastery, but also a deep understanding of the theatrical rhythm and irony that Verdi knew how to infuse in his last work". About this one, he maintains that "it is alive, it is life. A kaleidoscope of musical virtuosity, full of subtleties and irony. Falstaff means that everything in the world is mockery, but the passion with which it is lived is true, authentic and inexhaustible". The baritone is pleasantly surprised by the experience of working with the students, by their "attitude and hunger to learn", in such an unusual project.

Guiomar Cantó will be Alice Ford and says she would have loved to have been able to join such an unusual project during her university years. About her role, she says: "She is a fascinating character, and I love how Verdi combines cunning, humor and elegance in her; it is an incredibly dynamic role that exudes wit and energy. I feel very connected to her vibrant and confident personality, and I think playing her is a wonderful and rewarding challenge."

For Julen Jiménez, who plays Fenton, this is a special production, as it is not his first experience on Campus: he is an alumnus of the University of Navarra. "Debuting such an important role as Fenton at home is a real privilege. Returning to the Campus to sing this opera has brought back many memories of my years at the School of Communication. I am living every rehearsal to the fullest, enjoying myself with my wonderful classmates and facing the vocal challenge that this role brings." And she encourages students and young audiences to enjoy this proposal, since they have "a great opportunity to enjoy a hilarious comedy, whose scenic and musical complexity makes it a work that you rarely have the opportunity to hear live".