Released for the first time on DVD and Blu-ray!

A national monument in Spain, Manuel de Falla’s La vida breve is perhaps the greatest opera ever written in the Spanish language. A kind of ‘tragic zarzuela’, it unites verismo atmosphere, Andalusian local colour and a score shimmering with reminiscences of French Impressionism.

La vida breve is the story of a poor gypsy and her lover, who is engaged to wed a wealthy girl. “Simply a stroke of genius” wrote Spain’s Opera Viva about Guancarlo del Monaco’s austere, minimalist staging at Valencia’s Palau de les Arts Reine Sofia. Giancarlo del Monaco has worked with most important opera houses and festivals (MET, La Scala, Bregenz etc.)

Staged by: Giancarlo del Monaco at Palau de les Arts Reine Sofia, Valencia, 2011.

“Lorin Maazel celebrates a triumph with his splendid orchestra” - El Pais

“Del Monaco situated ‘la vida breve’ in a space that is strictly symbolic, denuded, profound…” - ABC

“’La vida breve’ is simply marvelous” - Levante

“Beautiful scenes, perfectly integrated into the purest theater […] Gallardo-Domâs in best shape and great presence, dominating the stage from beginning to end” - La Razón

Running Time Total: 82 minutes
Picture: 16:9, HD
Sound: DTS-HD MA 5.0, PCM Stereo
Subtitles: English, German, French, Spanish
Booklet: English, German, French