Luis López Lamadrid (San Sebastián, 1936 – Menorca, 2023) used to relate, somewhere between embarrassed and amused, the reaction that the premiere of Calixto Bieito’s Carmen caused in Peralada. “There was one who grabbed me by the lapel, with his fist raised…, he wanted to hit me,” said the one who had been founder and artistic director of the festival until 2006. That emaciated Carmen who pretended to take off her panties in front of Don José recovered it then the Liceu – revived it on January 4 – and it has become the most viewed production of Carmen in the world.
But the origin must be sought in the bravery of a character “key in the history of opera in our country, relevant in the cultural life of Barcelona and indispensable in musical and literary environments”, as Llucià Homs, member of the Board, indicated yesterday. of the Cercle del Liceu, at the tribute lunch given to Luis by his colleagues and club members.
“Opera in Spain would not be understood without him, creator of FestClásica and promoter of Ópera XXI so that it could carve out its own personality here,” said Oriol Aguilà, current artistic director of Peralada. Luis spoke of that idea of ??progress that was so cosmopolitan and brave: he wanted prestige for Barcelona, ??for modernity to be its flag. His legacy in Peralada with Bieito, Mario Gas, Joan Font, Rigola… Montsalvatge and Carles Santos is a seal of risk that came from the most suffering person, since Luis was incapable of sitting down to watch the performance, he experienced the nerves from the outside , but he had the courage and the European vision of ‘here we are going to make history.'”
The meeting in his memory began with a festive toast from family and friends who revealed themselves to be his admirers. The president of the club, Francisco Gaudier, and his predecessor, Ignacio García Nieto, were joined in the photo by the widow, Sonsoles Buxeres de Caralt, his son Luis López Lamadrid Buxeres, his nieces Carmen and Isabel Güell and friends, such as the count of Sert.
“For me it’s a blow, I didn’t expect it, he was more than a brother,” Francisco Sert would say about the unexpected death of López Lamadrid, last August, due to a . Luis had known music through opera and Liceu, where my parents had a box and we always went. In tuxedos, of course, although later we went to the cabaret. At the end of the fifties we caught the era of the great divas, the Tebaldi and the beginnings of the Caballé, promoted by the Bertrand family. Afterwards we took a box and Luís had two: one with his brother Toni and Ricardo Bofill and another with us, the most leftist, with Eulàlia Vintró, who was angry when they said goodbye to her with a ‘goodbye, lady countess’. They were very fun years…”
The niece of the honoree Isabel Güell remembers him as cultured, entertaining, sharp, a great conversationalist, interested in culture and politics… a luxury of a person, so vital, so active. When he left office in Peralada, he found his connection with the Circle very stimulating. He has left a mark.”
The general director of the Liceu, Valentí Oviedo, assured that the performances of Carmen next month will be dedicated by the theater to the memory of Luis López Lamadrid, “since it was he who promoted it, an opera as contemporary as this Carmen de Bieito.” “Luis called me so that I would know the importance of Ópera XXI… One of his teachings is how important tenacious, persistent people are, because only then, with the intensity of wanting to do, is how things are achieved.”
Ignacio García Nieto explained how much Lamadrid was involved as part of the Círculo board during his presidency. “He was very involved in the Palau de la Música during difficult times, and at his age he did not retire but was also involved in the Círculo. And what the club is today is owed to Luis, since he was one of my closest collaborators. , dedicated hours and efforts to make the Casas exhibition possible, which put us in the limelight of the city.”
“I am left with his image sitting at the entrance of the club in front of La Sargantain, erect without tension, with the glass in his hand and smiling at everyone who entered,” Gaudier read from a note sent by Pepe García Reyes, who was Travel. And again the glasses were raised for him.
