Language: Spanish (Basque)
Subtitles: English, French, German, Italian, Spanish

Gernika is Francisco Escudero's second opera, written in 1985. The libretto was written by Escudero with the assistance of Carmelo Iturria and Augustin Zubikarai, and based on an idea for a plot by Luis Iriondo.

The opera consists of four acts, and is about 2 hours long. Gernika was first presented in concert version in the Arriaga Theatre in Bilbao on the 25th of April, 1987, with several other works as part of a commemoration on the 50th anniversary of the bombing of Guernica. In essence, Gernika is a song of the Basque Country. Escudero put all his beliefs about history and nature of the community to which he belongs into this work. He presented the Basque Country as a free country with its own personality, peaceful, continuing the traditions of ancestors, who have always remained united.

The characters include Gernika (a young, beautiful, clairvoyant force of the town), Podio (leader of the royal militia), Gogor (a passionate young man and secret love of Gernika), Aitona (an old and wise authority figure), and the King (noble, true to his word, and sensitive). Interestingly, the opera’s creation was influenced by the tragic events of the 1937 bombing of Guernica during the Spanish Civil War. The name “Guernica” had become associated with the horrors of war and fascism, which may explain why the opera was not staged at that time due to its political sensitivity.

Direction: José Ramón Encinar (Music Conductor)
Cast: Carmen Solís (Gernika), Federico Gallar (Podio), Gustavo Peña (Gogor), Fernando Latorre (Aitona), Miguel Ángel Arias (Rey), Sociedad Coral de Bilbao, Orquesta Sinfónica de Euskadi