Florencia en el Amazonas: Daniel Catán’s lush journey through magical realism in Bay Area premiere

Experience the mystical allure of the Amazon with the Bay Area premiere of Mexican composer Daniel Catán’s Florencia en el Amazonas — Opera San José’s first Spanish-language opera. Witness Alexa Anderson’s performance as Rosalba, a young journalist obsessed with La Diva Florencia.

Florencia en el Amazonas
Composed by Daniel Catán
Libretto by Marcela Fuentes-Berain

The Story

Set aboard a steamboat traversing the enchanted Amazon rainforest, the opera tells the story of Florencia, a renowned soprano, disguised among the passengers. She embarks on a quest not just through the jungle but into the depths of her own past, searching for her long-lost lover, Cristobal, a butterfly hunter who vanished in the wilderness.

As the journey unfolds, Florencia and her fellow travelers—including Rosalba— encounter a world where the lines between reality and fantasy blur, leading to profound transformations.

The Music

This contemporary opera offers a lush tonal palette that transforms the opera into a visually and sonically resplendent tableau. The music shimmers and captures the sensual, vibrant pulse of the Amazon.

In his review of the 2023 New York City Opera production, Robert Levine said the score “sounds and feels like Puccini and Debussy, with murmurs of Ravel and the film music of Technicolor epics.” He says: the music glistens like sun on the river; it is graceful and ravishing.”

The Run

Opera San Jose’s production opens on Saturday, April 20 at 7:30 pm. Through May 5, additional performances will begin Friday evenings at 7:30 pm, and Sundays at 2 pm. Each performance will include a pre-show lecture beginning an hour before curtain.

Seats range from $55 to $195. Find the tickets here.