Opera Flash mob in Valencia's Mercado Central

Opera en el Mercado from esoqueseconocecomolaopera on Vimeo.

Wish I'd been there! I just love these things. Members of Valencia's wonderful opera house, Palau de les Arts a couple of days ago in the beautiful Art Nouveau Mercado Central, said to be Europe's largest covered indoor market. See more of this beautiful city by visiting thisisvalencia.com or buying Tim Birch's excellent just published Frommer's guide to the city 'Valencia day by day'

Karpov vs Kasparov meet tonight at the Palau de les Arts

Valencia is host to two major Chess events this week; The internacional symposium on “Valencia Cuna del Ajedrez Moderno” (Valencia, cradle of the modern chess) and the long awaited rematch of Karpov vs Kasparov.
The Symposium starts today at 4pm and is followed at 7pm by the first round of the matches between Karpov and Kasparov - the SemiRapids it will be the first time they have played against each other since 1985 (picture above)
All very exciting stuff and Palau de les Arts is a great venue for the competition

Palau de les Arts tonight and Sunday

If you missed the Placido Domingo Performance in Plaza de la Virgen last night or you saw it and want more of it all, head on down to the Palau de les Arts tonight or Sunday 28 jun for Anell de LLum, a stunning spectacular outside and ON the Palau. It all starts at 22:00 but get there early to reserve a good spot

Placido Domingo live across Europe

Citizens of Brussels, Manchester, Liverpool, Bristol, Swansea, Ímola, Rávenna and Sofía will be able to see a live performance of Die Walkure starring Placido Domingo wednesday at 19h local tIme. The performance is being beamed live from the Palau de les Arts as part of the 2009 European Year of Creativity and Innovation under the Patronage of Ján Figel, European Commissioner for Education, Training, Culture and Youth.
http://www.vivaeuropajune24th.eu/

The Royal Ballet comes to the Palau de les Arts

The ballet returns to the Palau de les Arts in the hands of Carlos Acosta and The Royal Ballet. The Cuban dancer, one of the best dancers of today, hailed by the press as the “successor of Nureyev” and the “new Nijinski” together with the UK's finest Ballet company, Covent Garden's The Royal Ballet will present a show with choreography by Robbins, Stevenson, MacMillan and Balanchine. In the pit, Paul Murphy, musical director of the Royal Ballet of Birmingham, will conduct the Orquestra of the Comunitat Valenciana.
more at thisisvalencia.com by clicking the headline

FORMULA ONE GRAND PRIX of EUROPE, VALENCIA

European Grand Prix, Valencia
Valencia 22 to 24 August
Track: 5.44km 57 laps
Qualifying: 14.00 Sat
Race: 14.00 Sun

The 12th Grand Prix of the 2008 season will be held on the streets of Valencia this Sunday. Some of us who stood by the opera house one March evening last year, watching Fernando Alonso and Lewis Hamilton hurtling across the Turia riverbed in their McLarens can hardly believe that the time has passed so quickly! At the time, the idea of a Formula 1 race through the streets of Valencia seemed almost surreal and yet here they are....

With one day of practise still to come, Ferrari seem to have got the measure of this new circuit and both Kimi Raikkonen and Felipe Massa have posted some very quick times. Fernando Alonso, determined to give a good account of himself, is also going extremely well. Sadly, ‘Nando crossed the white line entering the pits and was fined an eye-watering 10,000€ [and we complain about the local traffic penalties!]

First impressions of the track? ‘Nando was very impressed, saying: ‘It is not a normal street circuit, it is a little bit more than a street circuit’. Robert Kubica, currently fourth in the Driver’s Championship said on the subject of overtaking: ‘I think here in Valencia we have some opportunities in two places or maybe three’. Flavio Briattore, Renault Team boss said: ‘We really need to congratulate the people of Valencia for the job they have done.... It is an amazing job, really. The ambience is fantastic.’

The McLarens of Lewis Hamilton and Heikki Kovaleinen have yet to get their settings fine-tuned but their times are still looking good. Hamilton will be looking to build on his lead in the Championship but Raikkonen and Massa will be equally determined to regain their positions at the top.

Qualifying starts at 14.00 today and the race proper will start at 14.00 tomorrow. There are mixed opinions as to the weather tomorrow. Some forecasts promise a mix of sunshine and cloud while others suggest light showers may be coming. Whatever the weather, Formula 1 is welcome in Valencia!

After 11 races, the scores look like this:

Drivers:
1 Lewis Hamilton (McLaren) 62
2 Kimi Räikkönen (Ferrari) 57
3 Felipe Massa (Ferrari) 54
4 Robert Kubica (Sauber BMW) 49
5 Nick Heidfeld (Sauber BMW) 41
6 Heikki Kovalainen (McLaren) 38
7 Jarno Trulli (Toyota) 22
8 Fernando Alonso (Renault) 18
9 Mark Webber (Red Bull) 18
10 Timo Glock (Toyota) 13
11 Nelsinho Piquet (Renault) 13

Teams:
1 Ferrari 111
2 McLaren 100
3 BMW Sauber 90
4 Toyota 35
5 Renault 31

La Fura dels Baus at the Palau de les Arts, Valencia

If you were paying attention and have read and digested our latest lovely newsletter - you will have known, just in time, that there was a free performance outside the Palau de les Arts last night of 'Anell de llum' (Ring of Light) at 22.30.
It was a free performance and gave the public a spectacular taste of what the audience see at the Wagner opera, Siegfied.

This unique performance by the troupe who gave us the opening ceremony of the Barcelona Olympics, was in three parts and based on Light, Dawn, Daylight and Sunset.

It was an incredible performance, with sound from the full orchestra and singers and light projected over the Palau. There were glass tanks with mermaids splashing and suspended from a huge crane, there were absailers and robots and giants and a web made up of 42 people suspended above our heads.

It was a marvellous evening and if you are thinking that this is a little mean, telling you how great something you missed was, then don't. We are telling you because there is another chance to see it next Thursday 19th June at 22:30 - DO NOT MISS IT!

Thanks to Diana Jean and to Derek Workman for the Photos!

Our Latest Newsletter has a brand new look!

This is our latest newsletter - it looks great and we've had lots of nice emails about it - If you want to know what's going on in the wonderful city of Valencia then thisisvalencia.com is the place to go!

Flood Damage at the Palau de les Arts

Helga Schmidt


Contractors outside the Palau


In a hastily convened press conference at the Palau de les Arts, Valencia this afternoon, Helga Schmidt, the Palau's Chief Representative, announced that due to the damage to the new Opera House following heavy rains on the 11th and 12th of October, the new season that was supposed to begin with a new production of Carmen on the 26th will now be delayed until the 06 November.

Santiago Calatrava flew over yesterday with his team to survey the damage and had meetings with the Foundation, representatives of the City of Arts and Sciences and also the Generalitat. Meeting continued today to evaluate and identify the problems and so find solutions so that the new season can go ahead. The date of 06 November will, they feel, give the various sub-contractors time to rectify the damage.

The rest of the season will go on as advertised, with the exception of the production of 1984, whose staging requires the hydraulic platform, the motors of which were damaged by the water and need to be replaced. 1984 will now be held another season, as Lorin Maazel is unable, due to other commitments to reschedule during the current season. (Any ticket holders for this Opera will be fully refunded.)

The main damage seem to have been electrical , and the Opera House is currently without power. The computer ticketing system has been lost, the audio visual systems in the main auditorium are damaged and there is still water in some areas. Currently only the contractors have access, though there is a meeting scheduled for tomorrow at 6pm to see whether the power an be put back on Wednesday. If successful, this would mean that rehearsals, which have been unable to take place so far, can begin in the auditorium on Saturday.

Ms Schmidt emphasised that the production is ready, that the costumes and sets were undamaged, it just needs the Orchestra, Choir and performers to get together in the main hall to rehearse. It is most important that the airconditioning i working for this to happen.

Tickets for the public which were due to go on sale on the 19th will now be on sale at the ticket offices at the Palau only on the 29th October. These will be for Carmen ONLY, and as the computer system will not at that time be functioning yet, purchasers are asked to bring cash and to be very patient as the tickets will be issued manually.

On the 26th of November, tickets for all remaining Performances throughout the season, by which time a brand new automated ticket system will be in Place.
More details Follow

THE RACE FOR VALENCIA HAS JUST BEGUN

The continuing development of Valencia as a property hotspot has been in the news of late, not least because of its growth as a sporting centre of excellence. Just as Barcelona saw its image improved and its waterfront transformed by the 1992 Olympics, so Valencia has been enjoying the benefits of hosting the Americas Cup this year. It also saw huge investment in the redevelopment of its marina and waterfront, an added bonus to the attraction of the city. The successes of the local football team has also played its part in recent years, with Valencia CF winning the Spanish league title, triumphing in the UEFA Cup and reaching two Champions League finals to prove there is life beyond the giants of Barcelona and Real Madrid. The new Mestalla football stadium is being built and the foundations are being built as we speak on the edge of the city.
The America’s Cup aside, the most exciting news has been the recent announcement that the city will become the home for the Formula One European Grand Prix from 2008-14. This will not only ensure further sports tourism, including the wealth that comes with such a high-profile event, but will also create possible prime buy-to-let opportunities for those with the resources to obtain houses with a direct view over the Monaco-style street circuit that the city will create.
Investors looking for a piece of this action will be glad to know that the ease of low-cost access is growing. Easyjet,Ryanair, Clickair, thomsonfly and Jet2 fly here from UK, with Ryanair opening Valencia as a hub in the November.
Overall, there can be little doubt Valencia is booming. Prices have risen by one hundred per cent in the past six years and are still increasing, something Barcelona and Madrid cannot match. Much of this is undoubtedly due to the America's Cup, with the advent of the Grand Prix next year providing a further boost.
And it's not just Sport, the city was already making a name for itself, thanks to the incredible Millenium Project that is the City of Arts and Sciences, with the beautiful new Opera House, Palau de les Arts, about to embark on its second season of international Opera and concerts.
Valencia is now firmly on the map as a city attracting the wealthier set looking to live or enjoy a holiday home here; something which investors in property will no doubt be interested to learn. The city is also beginning to attract middle-class professionals and younger people who want a city which is both safe and has a vibrant nightlife.
Investors who miss the boat will be left to stare wistfully after those already lined-up on the grid. Pole position hasn’t yet been decided. What are you waiting for?
More on this and the new Ryanair hub - click the headline.

New season at the Palau de les Arts in Valencia

The fabulous Palau de les Arts, Valencia's Opera House has announced the new season which includes the Festival del Mediterrani in May 2008 - for more details click the headline. And subscribe to our excellent fortnightly newsletter by sending an email to newsletter at thisisvalencia dot com.