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In what is still universally recognised as the biggest opera hall in the world, the Arena di Verona is staging five marvellous and majestic productions for the 2010 Opera Festival, all directed by Franco Zeffirelli: Turandot by Giacomo Puccini, Aida by Giuseppe Verdi, Madama Butterfly by Giacomo Puccini, Carmen by Georges Bizet and Il Trovatore by Giuseppe Verdi.
The Fil rouge, which links these titles, as Quirino Principe explains in the programme, is the theme of the exotic, characterising the titles and linking together three of the most important authors in the history of melodrama: Georges Bizet (1838 - 1875), Giuseppe Verdi (1813 - 1901), Giacomo Puccini (1858 - 1924).
Exceptional casts have been chosen for the 48 performances, including artists of international fame, reasserting their presence at the Arena, and singers whose debuts are eagerly awaited in Verona: over 80 performers are involved, of whom 30 will be performing for the Arenia's audience for the first time, in a theatrical environment, which every year requires tremendous effort in terms of organisation, together with the Orchestra, the Chorus, the Ballet, the extras and the Technicians of the Arena di Verona.
The season opens on Friday 18 June, at 21.15, with the first performance of Turandot by Giacomo Puccini. A completely new setting, conceived specially for this edition of the Festival by the great Florentine director, with costumes by the Oscar-winning Emi Wada. Taking on Puccini's last masterpiece will be Maria Guleghina, the princess Turandot (alternating with Giovanna Casolla and Elena Popovskaja) and Marco Berti, as Calaf (alternating with Salvatore Licitra), while Tamar Iveri will play Liù (alternating with Fiorenza Cedolins), directed by Giuliano Carella and Plácido Domingo.
Repeat performances 1-16-24-30 July and 13 and 20 August.
The second opera billed is Aida by Giuseppe Verdi, on June 19th, again at 21.15, in a setting which Franco Zeffirelli himself, spectator at the Arena in the '50s of an Aida with Maria Callas, directed by Georg Wilhelm Pabst, has defined one of the greatest Aida's ever performed. Directed and orchestrated by Daniel Oren, costumes by Anna Anni. Main performers: Amarilli Nizza (Aida), alternating with Hui He, Kristin Lewis, Lucrezia Garcia; Piero Giuliacci (Radamès), alternating with Carlo Ventre, Marco Berti, Walter Fraccaro; Dolora Zajick (Amneris), together with Marianne Cornetti, Ildiko Komlosi, Tichina Vaughn, Giovanna Casolla; Ambrogio Maestri (Amonasro), alternating with Alberto Mastromarino and Sergey Murzaev.
Repeat performances 25 June, 3-8-13-18-22-25-27-31 July and 8-10-15-17-22-26-29 August.
The third opera, Madama Butterfly by Giacomo Puccini, will open on Saturday 26 June, at 21.15, directed by Antonio Pirolli, with costumes by Emi Wada. Main performers: Hui He, Oksana Dyka and Svetla Vassileva (Cio-Cio-San), Carlo Ventre and Massimiliano Pisapia (F.B.Pinkerton), Gabriele Viviani, Ivan Inverardi and Leonardo Lopez Linares (Sharpless).
Repeat performances 2-9-14-17-21-28 July and 6 August.
On the 10 July the first performance of Carmen by Georges Bizet will be staged, with costumes by Anna Anni. Julian Kovatchev will be on the podium directing the very young Anita Rachvelishvili (Carmen), alternating with Geraldine Chauvet, Kirstin Chavez, Kate Aldrich; Marcelo Álvarez (Don José), succeeded by Andrew Richards, Carlo Ventre, Mario Malagnini, Jorge de León; Mark S. Doss (Escamillo) with Deyan Vatchkov and Alexander Vinogradov.
Repeat performances 15-20-23-29 July and 12-18-21-24-27 August.
The last opera to be staged, from 7 August at 21.00pm will be Il Trovatore by Giuseppe Verdi, directed by Marco Armiliato with an exceptional cast: Marcelo Álvarez (Manrico); Sondra Radvanvosky (Leonora), substituted in some performances by Anda- Louise Bogza; Dmitri Hvorostovsky (Il Conte di Luna), Marianne Cornetti (Azucena), alternating with Mariana Pentcheva and Andrea Ulbrich.
Repeat performances 11-14-19-25-28 August.
We have once again enjoyed the long-standing support of UNICREDIT GROUP, leading banking group in Italy and Major Partner of the Opera Festival.
The Official Sponsors of the Festival are INTIMISSIMI, the Calzedonia Group brand and leading company in the lingerie sector, and VOLKSWAGEN, the leading company in Italy and Europe in the car trade.
Further information on the 2010 Opera Festival is available from the website www.arena.it or call centre 045 8005151.
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