On 19 July 2026, the Gran Teatre del Liceu brought its performances of Giuseppe Verdi’s Falstaff to a close under the musical direction of Josep Pons. Directed by Laurent Pelly, the production became Pons’s final operatic project as Music Director of the theatre, bringing to an end fourteen years at the helm of its resident musical ensembles.
Premiered in Milan in 1893, Falstaff was Verdi’s final opera and remains one of the masterpieces of the operatic repertoire. Inspired by William Shakespeare’s The Merry Wives of Windsor and passages from Henry IV, the score represents an extraordinary synthesis of the composer’s theatrical craft, combining orchestral sophistication with dramatic vitality and an unmistakable sense of humour.
Laurent Pelly’s production offered an elegant and deeply theatrical interpretation, avoiding caricature while highlighting the humanity of its characters. Through precise stage direction and a staging fully integrated with the dramatic rhythm of the work, the production revealed the enduring relevance of an opera that reflects on ageing, vanity and the human condition.
The title role of Sir John Falstaff was shared by Luca Salsi and Ambrogio Maestri, alongside an outstanding international cast including Lucas Meachem, Carolina López Moreno, Roberta Mantegna, Serena Sáenz, Maria Miró, Daniela Barcellona, Marianna Pizzolato, Gemma Coma-Alabert, Laura Vila, Santiago Ballerini, César Cortés, Josep Fadó, Pablo García-López and Alessio Cacciamani.
Leading the Gran Teatre del Liceu Symphony Orchestra and Chorus, Josep Pons approached one of Verdi’s most refined scores, where every orchestral detail serves the dramatic flow. The transparency of the orchestral texture, the flexibility of the musical phrasing and the balance between pit and stage brought to life the remarkable modernity of the composer’s final opera.
Beyond its musical significance, these performances marked the conclusion of Josep Pons’s operatic journey at the Gran Teatre del Liceu. Over fourteen seasons, he conducted many of the cornerstones of the operatic repertoire, from the great works of Wagner, Strauss, Debussy, Berg, Puccini and Janáček to the major symphonic projects developed alongside the theatre’s orchestra.
Following the final performance, the musicians of the Gran Teatre del Liceu Symphony Orchestra surprised Josep Pons with a tribute in the Hall of Mirrors, a gesture of appreciation that reflected the close relationship built over years of shared artistic work.
With the final curtain on Falstaff, Josep Pons brought his operatic chapter at the Liceu to a close. His tenure as Music Director will conclude a few days later with Gustav Mahler’s Symphony No. 8, the concert that will mark the end of one of the defining musical periods in the recent history of the Gran Teatre del Liceu.