Vincent Dumestre and his ensemble Le Poeme Harmonique take us on a musical journey through the music of the Italian Renaissance to the beautiful Palazzo Farnese in Rome. On the occasion of its 20th anniversary, the baroque ensemble together with French mezzo-soprano Eva Zaicik pays homage to the unique musicality and sensitivity of Bellerofonte Castaldi and his contemporaries Monteverdi and Frescobaldi, as well as Rossi, Buonamente and Uccellini.
Raphaël Pichon conducts Bach’s Mass in B Minor
Young French conductor Raphaël Pichon is the founder of Pygmalion, one of today’s most fascinating and ambitious ensembles for Early Music. Hailed by critics as “currently the best conductor for Bach” (Süddeutsche), Pichon performs an absolutely breathtaking Mass in B Minor in the beautiful Royal Chapel of Versailles.
Vespro della beata Vergine (Vespers for the Blessed Virgin)
Raphaël Pichon and his ensemble Pygmalion join forces with a brilliant group of soloists to present Monteverdi’s monumental Vespro della beata Vergine in a setting as resplendent as the music they are performing: Versailles’s Chapelle Royale. “A masterful interpreter of early music” (BR Klassik)
Plácido Domingo Gala – 50 Years at the Arena di Verona
What a pompous and exquisite gala to celebrate opera legend Plácido Domingo in the breathtaking Arena di Verona! 50 years ago the young Madrilenian singer Plácido Domingo gave his debut at the ancient open-air theatre: the beginning of a lasting and exceptional relationship. To mark the anniversary, Domingo presents a programme entirely dedicated to Verdi, performing three of his most complex and majestic baritone roles. No effort was spared to create an unforgettable evening in a unique atmosphere in the completely sold-out amphitheatre, which has been at the heart of Italian entertainment for almost 2,000 years. Whether as Babylonian king Nabucco, Scottish general Macbeth or as Doge Simon Boccanegra: Domingo’s versatility and aura is more than impressive, with “top phrasing and articulation, his baritone with full and sonorous intonation and a unique timbre – all this substantiates his exceptional position” (Das Opernglas). At the side of Domingo shines an excellent cast including Anna Pirozzi and Arturo Chacón-Cruz, supported by a perfectly rehearsed ballet under the baton of conductor Jordi Bernàcer who sovereignly leads the Orchestra of the Arena di Verona from scene to scene. A triumphal, almost historic moment for Domingo and the Arena di Verona!
Rossini Opera Gala
The Rossini Festival celebrates its 40th anniversary and its prominent name-giver with a top-class gala concert. The quality of singing is unmatched, bringing together renowned and frequent artists of the Festival with a new generation of promising Rossini voices. With the passionate direction of Carlo Rizzi and the Orchestra Sinfonica Nazionale della RAI one can enjoy a firework of scenes and arias, starring star tenor Juan Diego Flórez, American tenor Lawrence Brownlee, Italian baritone Nicola Alaimo, Russian mezzo-soprano Anna Goryachova or American soprano Angela Meade, to name only a few. The reviews were full of praise for this All Star Game: Viva Rossini!
David Garrett – Unlimited
Star violinist David Garrett celebrates his ten-year spectacular crossover programme with thousands of fans in the extraordinary atmosphere of the Arena di Verona. Thanks to his passion for music, he has succeeded in creating a completely new audience not only for crossover but also for classical music. With his brilliant interpretations of rock hits like “Purple Rain” or “Smells Like Teen Spirit” and world-famous pop songs like “Viva la vida” or “Hey Jude” and his arrangements of classical melodies like Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony or “Clair de Lune” by Debussy, Garrett knows how to literally sweep his audience off their seats like no other.
Rossini Opera Festival 2019: Semiramide
Der fliegende Holländer (The Flying Dutchman)
At Maggio Musicale Fiorentino, maestro Fabio Luisi gives “a superb performance” (Operawire) of Der Fliegende Holländer, the forerunner of grand Wagnerian dramas. His Italian Richard Wagner debut is infused with energy and drive, under his direction the orchestra and chorus of Maggio Musicale Fiorentino, together with Coro Ars Lyrica, sparkle “in
what was a five star performance” (Operawire). Thomas Gazheli stars as the Dutchman, who has been condemned to endlessly wander the seas until the day of Judgement. Marjorie Owens shines as his saviour Senta.
Il Trovatore
A monumental staging by late legendary director Franco Zeffirelli brings superstar Anna Netrebko to the Arena of Verona where she is giving her much-anticipated debut in one of Giuseppe Verdi’s most popular operas, Il Trovatore. Zeffirelli created a legendary scenery within the Arena, one of the most spectacular open-air venues of the world. Next to Anna Netrebko as Leonora perform Verdi accomplished baritone Luca Salsi as Count di Luna. Yusif Eyvazov returns to the Arena as his powerful-voiced opponent Manrico. MET star Dolora Zajick as Azucena and young rising Italian bass Riccardo Fassi as Ferrando join the prestigious ensemble. The revered master of opera Franco Zeffirelli, who died shortly before the premiere of Il Trovatore, created a legendary scenery with groups of giant sized armoured knights, a fortress turning into a luminous cathedral, an enormous choir, horses, breathtaking fights: “his perhaps best arena production” (Opernglas).
L’equivoco stravagante
The directing duo Moshe Leiser and Patrice Caurier create a superb and witty realization of L’equivoco stravagante (The Bizarre Misunderstanding), one of the less-known operas of Gioachino Rossini. In addition to the amusing ironic staging, conductor Carlo Rizzi together with the Orchestra Sinfonica Nazionale della RAI and his excellent singer ensemble including Teresa Iervolino and Davide Luciano offer an absolute musical highlight of the Rossini Festival. “The evening is simply stunning” (Neue Musik Zeitung).