It just had to come. An opera premiered tonight in the Theatre of Zarzuela of Madrid called 'Yo, Dali' (I, Dali), coming to the Liceu Opera House of Barcelona later in October. It was based on the book written by Xavier Benguerel, now 80 years old, but he finished the work in 2004, for the centenary of the famous painter, about his life and the complex relationship the artist had with his last love, Gala.
It was a commissioned project by the Ministry of Culture to which Xavier Benguerel had dedicated 2 years to accomplish. It should have been premiered in the Zazuela when the theatre was then directed by Xavier Casal but, after his demission, Jose Antonio Campos, his substitute, changed his idea, believing that The Real and The Liceu should take on the project. It wasn't until the arrival of Luis Olmos who unblocked it, having thus delayed 7 years!
Tow hours, 4 acts and 60 years' of Dali's life, from his arrival at Paris till his death, mixing real elements with fiction, and how his first love degenerates to become hatred. I remember another writer, Javier Salom, had already dedicated a book to Gala called 'Casi una Diosa' (Almost a Goddess) in 1993, presenting Dali as a genius turned crazy because of his talent, and his lady love Gala just as talented but perverse.
Despite all, it's premiered tonight, with the huge production cost in the middle of general crisis. Even Dali is universal, being native of Catalunya and loved by all, my guess is' however the critics or the public think of the opera in Madrid, the show would be a great success later in Barcelona in Oct.
My big question is, if the opera is supposed to be a biography, what is fiction doing there? What do they want people to believe of Dali, the real part or the fictional?
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