The Liceo season began on October 3, 1888 with La Africana , with Gabbi-Ugonotti. He continued with Mefist feles, Lucrecia Borgia and La Favorita , whose Gentle Spirto aroused unspeakable enthusiasm. In the first half of November, within the festivities of the International Exposition, an International Orfeones Competition was held. Gayarre passionately followed the fight for first place, especially that of the Bilbao and Limoges choirs. In a letter to his friend Enciso, he summarized the victory of the Basques in this way: "By eight votes to one, the prize was awarded to the Orfeón de Bilbao. A general hurrah! made the room tremble. The Bilbaoans hugged and embraced to Zabala. Everyone shouted (and me the most): Viva Bilbao! We note that in his long letter, Gayarre calls the Bilbao people "chapelgorris." Gayarre's triumphs were counted by performances, saying goodbye to Mefist feles . "And after the epilogue, a fragment that has remained one of the most delicious that any artist -Hernández Girbal- has ever sung, the audience, which completely filled the theater, gave him one of the most moving ovations of his life , as if he sensed that he was saying goodbye forever.He was given a bust, a strange rain of golden leaves and laurels fell on Gayarre and his bust.To correspond to so much affection he sang the Gernikako Arbola on the piano.
MEL