The 83rd Opera Festival, which take place this summer in the Arena of Verona, is the chance of the year to hear Italian lyrical music in one of the biggest and the best conserved of the roman amphitheatre in the world. Flowing in the Arena and feeling the power of the orchestral music hover among the ancient stone is a great experience.
By now, the opera in the Arena is an occasion not be missed for those visiting Verona, which has been the most important city in the world for lyrical performances dating back to the year 1913, when the festival that takes place every year began.
Verdi, Puccini, Punchielli, in the Arena you’ll hear the composers that have brought fame and fortune to Italy music. Written for the Cairo Opera House and for the opening of the Suez Canal, Verdi’s Aida is one of the best know Italy Opera in the world.
Va' Pensiero, the most famous air of Nabucco was (still today) a success for Verdi without precedent and which revealed his true talent in all its glory.
La Gioconda by Amilcare Ponchielli will inaugurate the season with a new stage design assigned to Pier Luigi Pizzi who will be the director of the production as well as the stage and costume designer. The opera will be conducted by Donato Renzetti and among the artists there will be Andrea Gruber, Marco Berti, Ildiko Komlosi, Carlo Colombara, Elisabetta Fiorillo and the great 'étoile' of dance Roberto Bolle. La Gioconda (which hasn't been performed in the Arena since 1988) will be performed a total of 7 times between June 17th and July 30th.
The 18th of June is the time of Nabucco by Giuseppe Verdi which, after Aida and Carmen, is the opera which has been performed the most in the Arena with 15 editions and 130 performances. This year it will be staged in the Arena until August 26th with many performances conducted by Vjekoslav Sutej, and the stage design will, once again, be by Graziano Gregori (director and stage designer) and the costumes will be by Carla Teti. The part of Nabucco this year will be played by Leo Nucci, one of the greatest artists in the world who is loved by the audience in the Arena. He will be performing alongside Susan Neves who will interpret the role of Abigaille and Giacomo Prestia who will play the part of Zaccaria.
Once again by Verdi, the Aida will be staged with the famous stage design of Franco Zeffirelli and with costumes by Anna Anni. Daniel Oren. Another great name in the Arena is Micaela Carosi, triumphant performer in last year's addition, who will perform alongside the legendary José Cura in the part of Radames (for the performances on June 23rd and 26th) while the important role of Amneris will be assigned to Tichina Vaughn.
The last two operas of the Festival will be amongst the most famous and loved by Giacomo Puccini: on July 9th the première of La Bohème will be staged and will be the second opera of the 2005 summer season to have a new stage design which will be directed by Arnaud Bernard with William Orlandi as both the stage and costume designer. This opera will also be conducted by Daniel Oren and will have as performing artists the two great singers Fiorenza Cedolins (Mimì) and Marcelo Alvarez (Rodolfo). The opera will have 6 repeat performances, the last one being on August 20th.
The last opera scheduled is Turandot with 5 performances in total between August 13th and 20th. This opera by Puccini is his opera which has been performed the most times in the Arena with a total of 13 editions and 103 performances and the stage design will be the successful one from 2003, directed by Yuri Alexandrov (with stage design and costumes by Vjacheslav Okunev). Alongside Andrea Gruber in the role of the ice princess, José Cura will return to play Calaf.
For information on the purchase of tickets in the Arena, please contact the ticket office of the Arena di Verona Foundation, via Dietro Anfiteatro 6/b, telephone: + 39 045 8005151; or visit www.arena.it (also for August program).
If you visit Verona don’t miss wander the street of the city. Verona gives the visitor unforgettable sighs like Piazza delle Erbe, Juliet’s House, Piazza dei Signori, the big Cathedral, the Ponte Scaligero (Scaligero Bridge) and the Roman Theatre.
