It's Lorca at the Alhambra for love, passion and violent death

Lorca at the Alhambra For Love Passion and Violent Death

And It's All In The Best Possible Taste

The first time we went to see a presentation of Lorca at the Alhambra Generalife Gardens it was 9.30pm and the night was strangely wonderful. The temperature was cool after the heat of day and dusk was falling.
Garcia Lorca

We passed through the entrance gates with the others, young and old, all dressed ready for a good night out, some smart some casual. But Lorca at the Alhambra was the attraction.

There was a general hub-hub of conversation from the audience.

We were sitting in the open air amphitheatre waiting for the show to start. And finally the music played, the dancers took to the stage and the moment arrived. We were watching our first flamenco ballet featuring the work of Federico García Lorca of the Alhambra and Generalife.

Lorca was born in the village of Fuente Vaqueros near Granada in 1898. Just 38 years later in 1936 he was killed by Spanish nationalists in the outlying Vega, and was buried in the grave that he had been made to dig for himself. In life, he was a prolific writer and poet as well as being an expert guitarist and pianist.

In Granada we now have a new annual tradition, being presented with a production of a Lorca play in the Generalife, the beautiful gardens that are part of the Alhambra palace, which, for this short time, becomes the home of Lorca at the Alhambra.

Our First Visit To a Night Of Lorca In The Generalife

The first year we came to the open air amphitheatre we enjoyed Lorca's story of "Yerma" which featured the conflict that a barren marriage can bring. In the play, Yerma finally strangles her husband, Juan, who just cannot understand her need to bear children. The feeling generated during the performance was such that, when the husband was strangled to death, the whole audience applauded as one in support of the justice of it all.

The next year we loved "Blood Wedding", another entertaining Lorca story of a bride who is finally tracked down and murdered by her husband after she runs away with a previous lover..

As you can see, Lorca's main themes are love, passion and violent death... aspects which marked his own short life.

Poet in New York

And so we are looking forward, this year, 2007 to seeing "Poet in New York", the play which was inspired by the poems and writings of Lorca when he stayed in New York from 1929 to 1930 at Columbia University.

In the show, the twenty dancers, of different disciplines, express the emotions of Garcia as he explored and sought to come to terms with Wall Street, Harlem and the extremes of abundance and poverty of "The Big Apple".

The production runs from the 19th July through to the 31st August 2007 and starts at 10 o'clock each evening except Sundays.

Tickets Available

Tickets, which can be bought through El Corte Ingles in person or online at ElCorteIngles and at the Alhambra itself, cost just 20 euros each, although anyone buying entrance tickets for the Alhambra at the same time will be able to get a discount on the Ballet/ Flamenco show.

Tickets for Lorca at the Alhambra can also be purchased by telephone through 902 400 222 and 902 262 726

We can't wait to see it.

Hope to see you there!

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