Italian Opera Season
November 15 to 24
Italy will always be the birthplace of opera! Each November, opera houses throughout the country ring in the new opera season. In celebration of this year’s new opera season, Stingray Classica premieres fresh productions of two cherished Italian operas: Giuseppe Verdi’s Rigoletto and Gaetano Donizetti’s L’elisir d’amore. On Friday, November 15 at 21:00, Stingray Classica presents Verdi’s Rigoletto, performed by the Orchestra and Chorus of the Maggio Musicale Fiorentino under the baton of Riccardo Frizza. In this 2021 production, Italian director Davide Livermore places the familiar tragic story of the unfortunate court jester in a contemporary setting. On Friday, November 22 at 21:00, Frizza conducts the Orchestra Gli Originali and the Coro Donizetti Opera in a performance of Donizetti’s light-hearted L’elisir d’amore. Directed by Frederic Wake-Walker, this unique 2021 staging features Alberto Zedda’s recent reconstruction of the complete original score, based on Donizetti’s autographs. To further the performance’s authenticity, the orchestra plays on historical instruments to recreate the sound of Donizetti’s original orchestration. These broadcasts are repeated on Sunday, November 17 and 24 at 14:00.
Verdi - Rigoletto
November 15 and 17 | 21:00 and 14:00
Riccardo Frizza leads the Orchestra and Chorus of the Maggio Musicale Fiorentino in a performance of Giuseppe Verdi’s tragic opera Rigoletto (1851). In 1850, Teatro La Fenice commissioned Verdi to compose a new opera. Verdi proposed Victor Hugo’s controversial play Le Roi s'amuse to his librettist Francesco Maria Piave. This play, which premiered in 1832 but was banned after only one performance, portrayed the monarchy in its worst vices. However, Verdi was determined to adapt the play to opera and reached a compromise with the censor. The opera revolves around Rigoletto, a hunchbacked jester at the court of the licentious Duke of Mantua. Rigoletto’s life is turned upside down when his latest wisecrack starts a vendetta that is far from amusing, leaving him cursed. In this 2021 production, Italian director Davide Livermore follows the story as we know it, but places it in a contemporary setting. Among the soloists are Javier Camarena (Duke of Mantua), Luca Salsi (Rigoletto), Enkeleda Kamani (Gilda), Alessio Cacciamani (Sparafucile), Caterina Piva (Maddalena), and Valentina Corò (Giovanna). This performance was recorded at Teatro del Maggio Musicale Fiorentino in Florence, Italy, in 2021.
Donizetti - L’elisir d’amore
November 22 and 24 | 21:00 and 14:00
Riccardo Frizza conducts the Orchestra Gli Originali and the Coro Donizetti Opera in a performance of Geatano Donizetti’s comic opera L’elisir d’amore (‘The Elixer of Love’, 1832). L’elisir d’amore is perhaps the most famous work in Donizetti’s extensive repertoire. It tells the story of the poor peasant Nemorino who is in love with the beautiful landowner Adina. After hearing about the legend of Tristan and Isolde, the desperate Nemorino wonders if a love potion would help him to gain Adina’s love. He seeks help of the travelling quack Dr. Dulcamara, from whom he purchases a bottle of magic elixir. Directed by Frederic Wake-Walker, this 2021 production is unique as it features the complete, original score as reconstructed by Alberto Zedda based on Donizetti’s autographs. In addition, the orchestra plays on historical instruments to recreate the sound of Donizetti’s orchestra. Among the soloists are Caterina Sala (Adina), Javier Camarena (Nemorino), Florian Sempey (Belcore), Roberto Frontali (Dulcamara), Anaïs Mejías (Giannetta), and Manuel Ferreira (Master of ceremonies). This performance was part of the Donizetti Opera Festival, recorded at Teatro Donizetti in Bergamo, Italy, in 2021.