show category: Tango-operita

INTERNATIONAL FESTIVAL OPERA APERTA 2025

Tango Operita Performance

OPERA APERTA INTERNATIONAL FESTIVAL 2025

María de Buenos Aires is a tango operita in two acts with music by Ástor Piazzolla and a libretto by Horacio Ferrer, first premiered in 1968 in Buenos Aires. Considered one of Piazzolla’s most original creations, this work explores the boundaries between music, poetry, theater, and dance in a symbolic, dark, and poetic universe.

The story follows María, a woman born “on a day when God was drunk with sadness,” who lives on the margins of society in the shadowy neighborhoods of Buenos Aires. The first part depicts her life as a prostitute, while the second takes place after her death, as she returns as a ghost, perhaps sacred, perhaps mythical. Surrounded by an array of characters – from a poet-narrator and grotesque duende, to puppets, laborers, and psychoanalysts – the tale forms a surrealist collage blending urban reality, lyricism, and religious references.

This is no traditional opera: the dance is tango, not ballet, and the music belongs to the nuevo tango style, which fuses traditional tango with jazz and contemporary music. The atmosphere is intense, sensual, visceral – pulsing with the unmistakable rhythms of Piazzolla.

Originally inspired by Egle Martin, the role of María was ultimately made iconic by Amelita Baltar, whose expressive voice and commanding presence became the soul of the character. Over time, María de Buenos Aires has been reimagined through expanded orchestration, theatrical productions, and experimental interpretations.

Performed in Spanish with Romanian surtitles.

Recommended age: 14+