El Real premieres ‘Enemigo del Pueblo’, an “iconic” work by the absent Francisco Coll, “the best Spanish composer since Falla”

The Royal Theater will offer, between February 12 and 18, four performances of ‘Enemy of the people’an opera by the composer Francisco Coll – absent due to illness – whom he will replace Christian Karlsen who has defined the piece as a “milestone” that will have an impact for “decades or centuries” and that will be performed “in many other places.”“.

“Francisco Coll is the greatest Spanish composer since Falla. He has done a lot of research into traditional Spanish music, he is very immersed in the culture and that can be seen in all his compositions. It happens to Coll like many other Spanish composers that, when they leave their country, they become much more Spanish.“said Karlsen at a press conference, in which the artistic director of the Teatro Real, Joan Matabosch; the stage director, Àlex Rigola and the performers Moisés Marín and José Antonio López also participated.

Karlsen assures that ‘Enemy of the People’, based on the homonymous piece by Henrik Ibsen, is an “iconic” work in the history of opera, with “extraordinary dramaturgical and musical qualities”, and predicts a success that will last for “decades or centuries.” “This premiere is going to be iconic and will be one of those important moments that will have an impact for decades or centuries. It will be an opera that will be performed in many other places,” has stood out.

The opera is a commission and a new co-production of the Teatro Real and the Palau de les Arts in Valencia, where it had its world premiere on November 5, 2025, under the musical direction of Francisco Coll, National Music Prize 2025. ‘Enemigo del pueblo’ is the second opera by the Spanish composer, after ‘Café Kafka’ (premiered at the Royal Opera House (London) in 2014).

The stage direction will be carried out by Àlex Rigola, who in 2018 directed Henrik Ibsen’s original drama at the Teatro Pavón in Madrid. Rigola explained that the work mainly addresses two themes: ethics and universal suffrage. Regarding the first theme, the musical director has praised the contemporaneity of the piece by stating that each person’s ethics are “unbreakable” until difficult situations appear..

“When we are all in a calm moment we have an unbreakable ethic, but when we risk our things, like time, money or work, then our ethics move elsewhere. And we have all seen this,” he explained.

The second main theme of ‘Enemy of the People’ is universal suffrage, since the work invites the viewer to reflect on how easy it is to manipulate human beings. The plot, structured in two acts and eight scenes presented without pauseconfronts two brothers with antagonistic interests and personalities, through a dialectic that raises ethical and moral questions.

The protagonists of the story are the Doctor (José Antonio) – with more relevance than in Ibsen’s text – who wants to alert citizens with scientific bases about the dangerous contaminated waters of his town’s spa, but his brother, the corrupt mayor (Moisés Marín), refuses to accept a reality that would put at risk the economic framework and the power relations that sustain the community.

For its part, José Antonio (Doctor) has explained that his character is going to oppose everything and manipulation and will fight “for the common good“, despite the fact that this leads him to the “painful” confrontation with his brother. Matabosch has indicated that it is “impossible” not to empathize with the doctor’s character because “he is a hero”, although as the plot evolves he transforms into a “dangerous monster”, as his interpreter has commented.

Finally, Moisés Marín has confessed that it has been the biggest challenge he has faced in his career, and has classified it as the “most exciting” job. “I have been able to create this character in a much more multifaceted way and it has been a much deeper work as an actor. For me it has been a gift,” he stressed.

MUSK VS SANCHEZ

On the other hand, Matabosch has highlighted the importance of two theaters agreeing to “defend, co-finance and co-commission” a contemporary opera like ‘Enemy of the People’. “It is a very powerful and very solid bet. From the moment the work is created, it is guaranteed that it will be done again and this is very important.“, he stated.

Before ending the press conference, Matabosch commented that Ibsen’s text from 1882 has something “prophetic” and added that “it has never been as current as today.” Given this statement, Rigola has argued that the world is in “transformation” and has stated that economic systems increasingly have “more exhaustive” control over the manipulation of opinion.

“This same week we have the owner of X giving his opinion on how Spain should be governed, scolding an elected president, chosen by the citizens. This was unthinkable a few years ago. We are moving towards a new space that is difficult to guess how it will come,” he said before recalling the controversial greeting that Elon Musk made on the day of the election of the president of the United States, Donald Trump. “The Nazi sign left me totally out of place”he added.