Anna Netrebko stars as Abigaille in Verdi’s Nabucco, one of opera’s most demanding roles, in a spectacular new production set in the ancient amphitheatre of Verona. Featuring futuristic scenery and striking special effects, this modern staging transforms Verdi’s beloved choral drama into a powerful, immersive experience. Directed and designed by Stefano Poda, the production reimagines the story beyond history, presenting a timeless vision of conflict, unity and hope. “Netrebko manages to shape every sound with intention. A performance that combines charisma and discipline, pathos and control” (Rivista Musica)
Arena di Verona Festival 2024: La Bohème
Nearly 22,000 spectators fill the amphitheater to watch the spectacle unfold on the world’s largest opera stage. Director Alfonso Signorini’s production of Puccini’s beloved La Bohème transports the summery Arena to a snow-covered Paris of the 19th century. The tragic love story at the centre of the work is convincingly portrayed by audience favourite Vittorio Grigòlo and rising star Juliana Grigoryan, who is making her debut in the Arena. Grigòlo’s “‘full throttle’ Rodolfo shows energy and charisma, winning the audience over from the first notes” and Grigoryan moves the crowd as Mimì: “Her voice is rich, flowing with phrasing and precision, conveying emotions of love, hope and suffering without being victimized” (Artes News). The rest of the ensemble gives remarkable performances, toeing the line between light-heartedness and heartbreak perfectly. Especially outstanding: Eleonora Bellocci as Musetta “steals the show…her vocal agility and dynamism remain steadfast from her charming and flawless Waltz onwards” (Artes News). The orchestra, in the capable hands of Daniel Oren, “creates expressive and effective musical fabric” (Corriere dello Spettacolo).
Arena di Verona Festival 2023: Tosca
It is an event that attracts thousands of music lovers to Verona every summer: the opera season in the ancient Roman Arena. Nearly 22,000 spectators regularly fill the mphitheater for the performances. The dream couple of opera, Sonya Yoncheva and Vittorio Grigòlo, returns to the breathtaking open-air stage, to perform Giacomo Puccini’s Tosca. Bulgarian soprano Sonya Yoncheva is “one of the best Toscas currently singing” and Vittorio Grigòlo “the most Italian Cavaradossi we know. With lots of wonderful melting, elegant and nonchalant full of triumphant greatness a triumph all along the line” (Online Merker). The captivating staging by Argentine director Hugo de Ana, who masterfully exploits the amphitheatre’s vast space by placing huge elements on the stage that are reminiscent of or borrowed from the locations of the action, makes the opera a “spectacle of monumental opulence” (Online Merker). “A Tosca to relish!” Artesnews.it
Arena di Verona Festival 2022: Carmen
After many worldwide successes as Carmen, Elina Garanca now makes her long-awaited debut on the world’s largest opera stage, the nearly 2,000-year-old Arena di Verona. “With perfect diction, [Elina Garanca’s] bohemian is a true stage beast who makes a mockery of life with panache, taunting her lover just out of prison with sarcastic ‘taratata’ and then daring to face an adverse fate with implausible aplomb.” (Crescendo-Magazine.be). Italian film and stage director Franco Zeffirelli also made his debut at the Arena back then with Carmen. On the occasion of his 100th birthday, his three versions were put together for the first time in a “best of” version. The side set painted for the first edition and the large number of people and wide movements that characterized the original production are set back on stage. Highlights of the 2003 and 2009 stagings are skillfully combined with this. The 2022 production is hence something never seen before, which even proposes scenography’s elements that haven’t been realized in the previous stagings, but were originally planned by Zeffirelli.
Les Vêpres siciliennes
“The Teatro Massimo succeeds in creating a masterpiece. This is also due to music director Omer Meir Wellber.” (Neue Zürcher Zeitung) Giuseppe Verdi composed Les Vêpres siciliennes (The Sicilian Vespers) – a story of oppression and revolt against the French rulers – in French. Palermo-born writer and director Emma Dante links the opera to present-day Palermo with the city’s mafia past and the tragic deaths of judges Giovanni Falcone and Paolo Borsellino. This was the catalyst for a series of uprisings and social actions that led to the reopening of the Teatro Massimo and the re-appropriation of urban spaces, which are reflected in Dante’s production. While Emma Dante’s imagery creates a richness and intensity feast for the eyes, musical director Omer Meir Wellber ties the knot to make this production from the Teatro Massimo a true gem.
Arena di Verona Festival 2021: La Traviata
With a spectacular new production, the Arena di Verona is celebrating its restart after the forced Corona break. La Traviata is a story of great emotions in the unique setting of the ancient amphitheatre of the Arena di Verona and with a star cast: Sonya Yoncheva, Vittorio Grigolo and George Petean offer a feast for the ears – and the new production is great theatre for the eyes. The action takes place in the golden Parisian era, the time of the world exhibition of 1889. On the huge stage, an LED wall measuring over 400 square meters unleashes impressive virtual imagery with a selection of paintings. These images from the Uffizi in Florence add additional perspectives to the concept of the mise-en-scene by creating a synergy between the arts of opera and painting.
Jonas Kaufmann: Dolce Vita – Live at Waldbühne Berlin
Italy! Like nowhere else on earth – the sunshine and sea salt, the smell of citrus and coffee, a flirtatious glance, an incomparable song drawn deep from… the heart. Italy and ist immortal music have a magical pull on people like no other culture – and Jonas Kaufmann feels this particularly keenly. In his “Dolce Vita” concert at Berlin’s Waldbühne he pays tribute to this culture, this way of life that has conceived one immortal melody after the other for the tenor voice and influenced him so much. This is a heartfelt tribute to Italian music including Caruso, Mattinata, Parla più piano (‘The Godfather’ theme), Core ‘ngrato, Volare and famous arias by Verdi, Puccini and more!
Trifonov plays Chopin
Daniil Trifonov, the current Gramophone Artist of the Year and today’s top young classical pianist, offers Chopin’s two piano concertos in collaboration with his fellow pianist-composer Mikhail Pletnev, who conducts the Mahler Chamber Orchestra in his freshly re-orchestrated editions of Chopin’s piano concertos.
Jonas Kaufmann – My Italy
With this recording Jonas Kaufmann, Italy’s ‘adopted tenor-son’, pays tribute to a culture that has inspired countless immortal melodies for the tenor voice. This recording spans Italian pop, traditional and Neapolitan songs, a heartfelt tribute to Italian music including Caruso, Mattinata, Parla più piano (‘The Godfather’ theme), Core ‘ngrato, Volare & more! “Italian music has this unbelievable way of producing such immortal melodies – full of sun and warmth – that all day long you can’t get them out of your head!” JONAS KAUFMANN
Claudio Abbado’s inaugural concert from 1989
It was only logical that Claudio Abbado should start his tenure with the Berliner Philharmoniker in December 1989 conducting Mahler’s First Symphony. Firstly, because Abbado was even then considered one of the great Mahler conductors of his time, and secondly because this symphony by the still young composer is infused with an irresistible expression of freshness and new beginnings. Even today we can feel the special magic of this new beginning in this video document. The election of Claudio Abbado came as a surprise to the music world – not least to the conductor himself. In many ways he embodied a contrast to Herbert von Karajan who, particularly in his later years, had became ever more remote from his musicians. Claudio Abbado, however, made it clear from the outset that he was simply “Claudio” to everyone. Furthermore, he followed new musical directions; he aimed at a more transparent sound, and put an emphasis on new music – and also on Mahler who had only occasionally appeared in Philharmoniker concerts under Karajan.