In an exclusive conversation, director César Tello shares the details of the upcoming production of Giuseppe Verdi’s Nabucco, which will be staged on August 1 and 3 at 8:30 PM at Teatro Avenida. Tello discusses the challenges of this unique version, the opera’s message, and his expectations. Tickets are available on Ticketek starting at $9040 and at the theater’s box office.
By Virginia Chacon Dorr
On August 1 and 3, Teatro Avenida will become the stage for a highly anticipated production of Nabucco, the famous opera by Giuseppe Verdi that established the composer as one of the great masters of the genre. Under the musical direction of César Tello and the stage direction of Gabriel Villalba, this production will feature a distinguished cast including Leonardo López Linares, María Castillo de Lima, Guadalupe Barrientos, Bruno Sciaini, Marcelo Reynes, Mariana Carnovali, and Nicolás Sánchez.
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– “Nabucco” is a work laden with symbolism and has historical relevance like few others. What message do you believe this opera conveys to us today?
– The opera Nabucco might convey a message of hope and perseverance in times of adversity. It could remind us of the importance of staying united and fighting for our rights and freedoms, as well as the need to resist any form of oppression or injustice. Ultimately, Nabucco could inspire us to move forward amidst difficulties, reminding us that the strength of unity and determination can triumph over tyranny and intolerance.
– This work is as beautiful as it is complex. What have been the main challenges you have faced leading up to the premiere?
– The preparation and musical assembly of Verdi’s Nabucco present several challenges due to the complexity of the work and the demands it entails. It requires singers with exceptional vocal skills, capable of interpreting challenging roles both technically and emotionally. The opera features highly demanding arias and duets that test the vocal abilities of the soloists. It also includes numerous choir interventions, both in highly dramatic scenes and in moments of great emotion. Coordinating a large choir and achieving the necessary harmony and precision can be a significant logistical and musical challenge.
– What would you like the audience to take away from their encounter with Nabucco?
– I hope the audience leaves with a sense of emotion and a beautiful memory of having seen a different and unforgettable version of Nabucco.
– To entice the audience a bit, could you share some details about the staging?
– It will feature the best opera singers specializing in Verdi, a staging with superior theatrical quality, an international-level choir and orchestra, and a well-told and interpreted story. Additionally, it will have cinematic scenography and costumes. A unique version.
– The Artistic Compañía Clásica del Sur celebrates its tenth anniversary. Could you share with us an overview of these ten years of work?
– Ten years of sacrifice, work, opportunities, emotions, struggles to keep going, and providing opportunities to more than 280 artists in all their branches (singers, instrumentalists, stage directors, set designers, costume designers, makeup artists, hairdressers, choristers), as well as offering thousands of people the opportunity to enjoy our operas, concerts, oratorios, master classes, workshops, and seminars. And with 40 titles staged.
– What challenges lie ahead for the Compañía?
– The Compañía Clásica del Sur has a 2024 season worthy of its 10th anniversary celebration. This year, we will continue in September with six performances of Donizetti’s Lucia di Lammermoor, three performances in October of Orff’s Carmina Burana, and three performances of Boito’s Mefistofele in December, closing the year with a masterpiece that only the great opera houses in the world represent. Additionally, we will offer advanced workshops on Rossini and Bellini.
And 2025 will bring Offenbach’s The Tales of Hoffmann, Verdi’s Attila, Rossini’s The Count Ory, and Verdi’s Requiem. There will also be training courses in technique, bel canto composer styles, and scenography workshops.
Nabucco by Giuseppe Verdi
Date and Time: August 1 and 3 at 8:30 PM
Location: Teatro Avenida (Av. de Mayo 1222)
Tickets: Available through Ticketek starting at $9040 and at the theater’s box office.
Musical Direction: César Tello
Stage Direction: Gabriel Villalba
Executive Production: Juan Carlos Montamant / Juanma Fernández Ariza
General Production: Clásica del Sur and Sol Producciones
Cast:
– Nabucco: Leonardo López Linares (Special Appearance) / Marcelo Iglesias Reynes
– Abigail: María Castillo de Lima / Mariana Carnovali
– Zaccaria: Bruno Sciaini
– Fenena: Guadalupe Barrientos / Mónica Koggionis
– Ismael: Nicolás Sánchez
– High Priest: Ighuel Ángel Gualano / Augusto Nureña Santi
– Anna: Lorena Sayegh / Natalia Vivas
– Abdallo: Miguel Alberto Balea / Ramiro Moreno Hueyo
Choirs:
– Coro Estable de Clásica del Sur, directed by Mtro. César Tello
– Chorale Lyrique de Buenos Aires, directed by Silvia Aloy
About César Tello
Orchestra Conductor, Choral Director, Repertory Specialist, Pianist
César Tello was born in the city of La Plata, where he studied Piano Teaching and Musical Education at the Gilardo Gilardi Provincial Conservatory of Music. In Buenos Aires, he pursued Choral Conducting and Opera Musical Direction at the Higher Institute of Art of the Teatro Colón. He also studied Repertoire with Maestro Irma Urteaga, Orchestral Conducting with Fernando Álvarez, and Chamber Music with Maestro Guillermo Opitz, specializing in German Lied and French Chanson.
He was declared, by decree, a “Distinguished Illustrious Musician of the City of La Plata,” receiving the gold medal.
As a concertmaster, orchestra conductor, pianist, and choir preparer, he worked at the following institutions: Teatro Colón, Teatro Argentino de La Plata, Teatro El Círculo de Rosario, Centro Cultural Néstor Kirchner, Teatro Roma de Avellaneda, Teatro Margarita Xirgu, Auditorio de Mar del Plata, Auditorio Nacional del Sodre, Teatro Astral, Teatro San Martín (Sala Martín Coronado), Centro de Experimentación Teatro Colón, Auditorio de Belgrano, Casa de la Ópera de Buenos Aires, Juventus Lyrica, Buenos Aires Lírica, and Luna Park.
He has given concerts in cities such as Rome, Berlin, Frankfurt, São Paulo, Santiago de Chile, and Montevideo, and has offered Master Classes at the Cantareira Faculty, São Paulo. Additionally, as an orchestra conductor and concertmaster, he has led over eighty opera and oratorio titles, specializing in composers such as W. A. Mozart, G. Rossini, G. Donizetti, V. Bellini, G. Verdi, G. Bizet, J. Massenet, J. Offenbach, H. Berlioz, and Ch. Gounod.
From 2004 to 2007, he served as the resident pianist for the program “A título personal” on Canal A and Canal Encuentro, hosted by Víctor Hugo Morales. He arranged and directed the music for “Las mujeres sabias” by Molière at the San Martín Theater Complex.
He founded the Camerata Dvořák in Buenos Aires and created and served as a juror for the only International Chamber Music Competition in Argentina, held for three years in Bahía Blanca. For four years, he was the Director of the Stable Choir of the Provincial Symphony Orchestra of Bahía Blanca, conducting at the Municipal Theater with its Stable Choir, Symphony Orchestra, and Ballet with titles such as Verdi’s Requiem; Orff’s Carmina Burana; Bach’s Mass in B minor; Rossini’s Solemn Mass and Stabat Mater; Brahms’ German Requiem; Bellini’s Norma; Donizetti’s Lucia di Lammermoor and La fille du régiment; Verdi’s Don Carlo.
He founded the Chamber Opera of the National University of the South, and as Director and Conductor, he led operas such as Mozart’s Così fan tutte and The Magic Flute; Rossini’s The Barber of Seville, Le Comte Ory, and Cinderella; Donizetti’s Anna Bolena; Verdi’s Rigoletto, among others.
Since 2018, he has been a member of the Rotary Club and is currently the President of the Microcentro branch of the institution. He has been President since its inception in 2014 of the NGO and Artistic Compañía Clásica del Sur, which aims to train and promote young talents in academic music in Argentina through its Opera Studio — which he directs — and to perform benefit concerts for children’s hospitals.
