La Lettre au général Franco

With Dominique Côté, Magali Simard-Galdès and Rose Naggar-Tremblay

Tickets

Starting at $75

February 27, 2027 – 7:30 p.m.
March 2, 2027 – 7:30 p.m.
March 4, 2027 – 7:30 p.m.
March 7, 2027 – 2:00 p.m.

Salle Pierre-Mercure

300 Boul. Maisonneuve Est
Runtime: 1 hour 15 minutes
Languages: French and Spanish with French and English subtitles

Dominique Côté

Macario

Magali Simard-Galdès

Anita

Rose Naggar-Tremblay

Abuelita

Pedro Halffter

Composer and conductor

Premiering worldwide, La Lettre au général Franco draws inspiration from Fernando Arrabal’s cult classic.

Pedro Halffter is both the composer and the conductor, while the libretto — co-written by Kristian Frédric and Michel Beaulac — pulses with emotional urgency and dramatic tension. Spanish sculptor Victor Ochoa contributes directly to the staging, crafting his artwork live as the story unfolds. Performed in both French and Spanish to the sounds of the Orchestre de l’Agora, this new opera offers a raw, deeply human experience.

Hidden in an abandoned underground reservoir in Madrid, sculptor Macario finishes a letter to General Franco while shaping his final work — a sculpture denouncing the regime’s brutality. His niece Anita, his only visitor, seeks the truth about her father’s disappearance, a secret Macario has carried for years. Her persistence forces the confession that transforms her life. As Macario dies, he entrusts her with the letter; Anita crosses the Pyrenees, determined to carry the voice of a silenced people beyond the border.

Program

La Lettre au général Franco

Music and musical direction: Pedro Halffter
Libretto and direction: Kristian Frédric
With special collaboration from: Michel Beaulac

Cast:
Macario: Dominique Côté (Canada)
Anita: Magali Simard-Galdès (Canada)
Abuelita: Rose Naggar-Tremblay (Canada)

Set design: Michel Beaulac and Victor Ochoa
Lighting design: Renaud Pettigrew
Costume design: Dominique Guindon

Orchestra: Orchestre de l’Agora
Production: Opéra de Montréal

Season 2026-2027

Orchestre de l’Agora

Programming 26-27

About

Programme

Quintette à vent

Jacques Ibert

3 Pièces brèves
I. Allegro
II. Andante
III. Allegro scherzando

Paul Taffanel

Quintette pour instruments à vent
I. Allegro con moto

George Bizet

Carmen Suite (arr. Jean-François Taillard)
I. Aragonaise
II.Habanera
III.Séguedille
IV.Les Dragons d’Alcala
V.Toréador

Quintette à cordes

Nicolas Ellis et Elisabeth St-Gelais

Berlioz: L’Île inconnue (Sol majeur)*
Fauré: Après un rêve (Do mineur)*
Chausson: Chanson perpétuelle
Hahn: La dernière valse (Si bémol majeur)*
Massenet: Nuit d’Espagne (Sol mineur)*
Messager: J’ai deux amants (Si bémol majeur – seule tonalité)*
Lekeu: Nocturne (Ré bémol majeur – seule tonalité)

*Arrangements: Alexandre Dratwicki