"The Teatro Colón must be taken care of its own prestige," says its current director Jorge Telerman, who a year after his administration evaluates achievements and difficulties.
"The idea that some efforts have had, for me wrong, that you should not touch anything from Columbus ... No! The Colón wants to be used as an institution, in terms of public, to accommodate different trends, tradition and innovation, so that it can effectively fulfill its role as an expression of excellence, "says Telerman and concludes:
"In 2022 we came with the programming of the previous management and the only thing we did is certain adjustments, but we initiated the change of something that is part of the soul of what we consider a very good management: the link of the theater with the community. As we consider the Colón to be a public theater par excellence, it has to communicate and open up to the community. That slogan that I mentioned at the time 'the Columbus has to be for everyone, but not for everything', is part of that. And, it seems to me, it begins to be seen and to bear fruit."
"The Colón is a public theater par excellence, it has to communicate and open up to the community," says Telerman.
-What do you mean by taking care of the Teatro Colón of its own prestige?
Because of the imprint that the Columbus has, and it happens with all the great institutions, it sometimes generates a distance from those who believe that it is something that is not for them, that it is inaccessible. We must break that barrier that exists and work permanently on that.
-In what ways can a better articulation between the theater and the community be generated?
-Communication, like what we do in the networks, is one. Also the specific programs that we launched, from "Last minute" tickets, tickets from $ 200 for under 35 years, special programs for young people and adults. The "Last Minute" Youth ticket for me is a blessing from heaven.
At the time of launching it in the networks, a queue began to form that ended up going around the theater. And a very high percentage came to Colón for the first time and a lot of new audiences are formed from that. On the other hand, communication beyond the music loving universe is also important, giving Columbus its identity.
The sale from "Last minute" tickets was successfully installed, tickets from $ 200 for children under 35 years old.
Of course, the Columbus is always infinitely greater and more important than those who administer it, but giving it that human presence, which I believe is also making a difference and serves to break that barrier of inaccessibility.
"Last minute" tickets
-He talked about accessibility but "last minute" tickets were not available for "Il Trovatore" with Netrebko. Why?
-With Netrebko, my task is - the one that takes me the most time - to keep this ship afloat, and the economic equation requires a lot of precision. Again, I defend the idea of having great casts and great artists. But those great artists are great moves that require us to put all the weight not on the taxpayer, but on the one who comes to see the show. So, there are some functions, such as those of Netrebko, with a very high demand and that tickets are sold out in minutes, we need them to be sold one hundred percent. We restrict plundering, everything, to generate revenue, which fortunately has increased a lot.
"Il Trovatore", with Anna Netrebko. International figures want to sing at the Colón. Photo courtesy of Máximo Parpagnoli
-There was an evident recovery of public, to the point that functions were added in some works. Did it exceed expectations or was it a miscalculation?
-Producing something at the Teatro Colón requires more time than in other places. In some cases we have not added more features due to lack of time and not due to lack of demand. And, as colleagues from other countries pointed out to me that they thought was great, it happened with a title like The Libertine's Career. Adding a Stravinsky for sold out seats is not at all usual.
-In that sense, it is mischievous that they made only a function of titles that require a lot of production effort and had great call, such as "Einstein on the Beach" or "Joan of Arc".
-Something is happening to us that we like, but we also have to rethink it: the answer was even beyond the highest expectations we had. They suggested me at first to do three Stravinsky performances, I decided to do four, and we had to do five; And we could have done six. With Faust we could have done season; it also happened with Caravaggio, which is not the best-known ballet. What happened to us with The Magic Flute was alluvial, we added one more function, and it gave for several more.
The official clarified why he believes the public returned to Colón.
There is a pressing question of structure that does not allow the coexistence of several works at the same time. What kind of solutions could be implemented?
-The Colón cannot, and could not have, a coexistence of four or five simultaneous stagings because it does not have the space to do so, not even with reforms. The technical team is doing a very important job, we are starting to practice a double schedule on some things. There is such a strong audience that has come -the numbers show it in a very forceful way-, we are 25% above the historical average of attendance.
But in the face of these possible floods we have to organize ourselves in such a way that they allow the addition of functions, without neglecting the taxpayer's money, taking into account that they are not cheap productions. Much less when they have international artists.
The Martha Argerich Festival, one of the successes of the 2023 season. Photo Federico Lopez Claro
-When "Il Trovatore" and "Anna Bolena" were announced in concert version, it aroused mixed opinions. What is your assessment of these productions?
-In principle, I am very happy, for what I said just now. The Colón has a limited number of possibilities due to its technical characteristics. Adding titles in the form of a concert, which have a much lighter setting and can be assembled in 24 or 48 hours, is a way to add more titles.
We chose the concert format in some titles that, due to their characteristics, the accent is placed on the musical, on the voices, and we chose casts that hold that greatness beyond discussion. But, in addition, we went a step further: they are not typical operas in concerts, but we add what is called "putting in space", where there is our own work, of our own technicians and designers, with costs that are absorbed in our fixed costs.
-Your management put a strong emphasis on connecting the theater with the international scene. Are you satisfied with what you planned, the idea is to continue in that direction?
Yes, I said it from the day I took office: the Colón is an institution that dialogues with the world. Being a public theater, it is the place where Argentina converses with the world. I think we have recovered it, and we must keep it strong, the place where the Argentine public can see directly what the art world continues to do, in the most austere way possible in these circumstances.
The guided tours, with many foreigners, and the Colón store generated new and important income.
And also to project to the world what is done here?
-Of course, it is a two-way conversation, where we show and project, because we are also working hard so that our productions, and co-productions, begin to come out. We cannot commit the sin of closing ourselves off from the world in any aspect, especially in the field of art or science. There are essential fields in the human condition.
-You can not miss the number of international artists who want to perform at the Colón.
-Great figures of the international scene think about their retirement or their farewell at the Teatro Colón. We cannot lose that, even in the context of the toughest politics. We have that blessing, there are very few "Colones" in the world. How can we not take advantage of it? In the field of art, the Teatro Colón is Messi. It is a very important resource in the country.
-It seems to me that with the new situation it will be complicated to sustain the hiring of foreign artists.
-That is another point that I want to highlight, outside of these quicksand of recent weeks, which we do not know how it will end, we had projected to end this year with 40% of the resources obtained in their own way for the first time in history.
It has never happened in the Theater that 40% of all salaries, national and international artistic caches, sets, materials, etc. was obtained properly by the theater, for its sources of income, which are essentially the sale of tickets, the store, guided tours, and sponsorship. That is an aspect that, without a doubt, must be taken care of and increasingly, because there is a society that requires the greatest possible austerity.
The Argerich Festival had all its splendor. Photo Martín Bonetto
Somewhat incomprehensibly, the theatre never exploited its brand before. Now they timidly started with a store. Did it have any kind of impact on the theater's revenue?
-It is becoming a very important income strong. Also the guided tours, which we have promoted, had more than 150 thousand visitors. As I'm talking, I'm looking at the designs we're making. For some things we are summoning great artists, such as the great institutions of the world, who make a collection in relation to a title and designers are summoned to make objects on a set. They sell like hotcakes. It is a very important source of income.
-A consumption designed more for foreigners, right?
-A simple calculation: only 150 thousand people came from guided tours, and more than half are foreigners who buy merchandise made by Argentine hands, at an average of ten dollars – or much more for a foreigner – and from that they can only enter a million dollars. Brand design has a great economic dimension.
The historical archive
-And what is the historical sound archive of the theater doing? It was supposed to be available this year.
-In the next 60 days I hope to release a wonderful recording of Martha Argerich, Piazzolla, and also other historical ones.
-Is the idea to upload them to the theater's YouTube channel?
-Yes, put together the sound file and see well issues of rights. And, also, start generating a minimum source of income with our own platform. We have some amazing pieces. There is also a film material.
The always demanding Stable Ballet of the Teatro Colón. Photo: Press/ Arnaldo Colombaroli
- What kind?
-Most are to a fixed camera, but they have a lot of documentary value.
-With respect to another topic, why was it that in some functions, such as "Joan of Arc", the Stable Choir did not participate and Vocal Ensemble Cámara XXI was hired?
-It was due to high productivity. The first option, of course, is for our Choir to do it. But in some cases he had to do it outside of his working hours. In this season, for example, we were rehearsing Faust and Resurrection simultaneously, and it was physically impossible, so we needed another choir. Otherwise, you don't do the play and miss the opportunity of Dutoit directing. Of course we are proud of our artistic bodies, and the Choir has a level of excellence that no conductor comes from outside and does not highlight it.
-I dare to say, although the year is not over yet, that the great milestone of your management so far was the Argerich Festival. Do you agree?
-This festival has been so angelic that it was one of the great things we have been involved in. We will not forget it. As I tell him, a chill runs through my body. There was a special love in this Festival and as a preview, I tell you that next year it will also be done.
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