La bruja

A three-act work by Ruperto Chapí, with a libretto by Miguel Ramos Carrión, returning to the Teatro de la Zarzuela in a new production directed by Ignacio García with musical direction by José Miguel Pérez-Sierra.

First performed in Madrid in 1887, the work is set in seventeenth-century Navarre. Leonardo, a young farm labourer, falls in love with Blanca, whom the villagers consider a witch. In truth, she is under a spell that has aged her, and which can only be lifted when a man secures fame and fortune for her. Leonardo sets off for Italy with that aim.

Years later, Leonardo returns as a captain of the Tercios, determined to keep his promise, but the Inquisition, which is pursuing Blanca for witchcraft, stands in the way of his plans. With the help of Tomillo, Rosalía and Magdalena, he devises a ruse to free her from the convent where she has been confined and where she is subjected to an alleged exorcism.

The score is extensive and the spoken dialogue is sparing, so the music plays a central role in the narrative. Ignacio García directs the staging of this new production, and José Miguel Pérez-Sierra is the musical director. For those who need an adapted experience, there is also an accessible performance with a tactile tour.