Fura dels Baus show to preview in Catalonia ahead of Salzburg premiere

Fans of La Fura dels Baus theatrical troupe will be able to catch the group's new show in the Catalan town of Martorell on December 20, more than a month before its official premiere on January 24 in the Mozart Week festival of classical music in Salzburg.

La Nau Ca n'Oliveras venue in Martorell will also host the group's rehearsals of the show, a reworking of 'Thamos,' which Mozart composed to accompany a play, but which is being turned into an opera and adapted to modern times, under the title 'C.A.T.H.A.M.O.S.'

The reinterpretation addresses power and contemporary forms of slavery, and aims to "enrich the musical legacy of the composer with a piece that works on stage, in a format in which it has never before been performed," said La Fura artistic director, Carlus Padrisa.

The challenge the group has set itself is to blend Mozart's work with that of his opera, The Magic Flute, as well as including an algorithmic soundtrack composed by Barcelona based musician, Urbez Capablo.

The music will be provided by Barcelona's Orquestra del Reial Cercle Artístic. The orchestra's spokesman, César Mateos, expressed his satisfaction: "After three years chasing this project, were lucky to do it with La Fura, and a wonderful script,” he said.

One of the opera's main attractions lies in the transitions between the main pieces that will be performed by robotic instruments. These will be improvisations depending on external factors, such as the condition of the musicians or the physiological reactions of the audience.