Opera Season 2014-2015
LE NOZZE DI FIGARO
The greatest voices to interpret the masterpiece of Mozart, in a new
staging by Elena Barbalich conducted by Yutaka Sado
Teatro Regio, Thursday, 12th February 2015 at 20:00
Thursday, 12th February Teatro Regio Torino presents a new production of Le nozze
di Figaro by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. After Cosi fan tutte in 2012 and Don Giovanni in
2013, the Teatro Regio now completes the Mozart trilogy. Da Ponte, with humorous music,
wrote the libretto adapted from Beaumarchais in 1786. Yutaka Sado conducts the Orchestra
and Chorus of the Teatro Regio, the director is Elena Barbalich.
This new production is made possible with the contribution of the Società Reale
Mutua di Assicurazioni, whose President, Iti Mihalich, said: «Our company has always
been close to the cultural activities of the territory and we are pleased to once again support
the Teatro Regio in the occasion of Le Nozze di Figaro by Mozart, one of the most famous
operas of this great Austrian composer».
The new production features a cast of international level. The Count Almaviva is the
baritone Vito Priante who replaces Ildebrando d'Arcangelo, forced to give up the
production. With timbre and powerful stage presence of great importance, Priante - already
at the Regio for Elisir d'amore and the Barber of Seville - is recognized as a valuable interpreter
of Mozart’s operatic repertoire. Critics hailed Priante, star of a recent production of The
Marriage at Glyndebourne, as a memorable interpreter, capable of superb musical skills and
performance. The soprano Carmela Remigio, will give voice to the Countess, the character
to which Mozart has entrusted the most sublime moments of the opera. Equipped with a
clear and bright timbre, Remigio has worked with leading conductors such as Abbado,
Maazel, Harding, Tate and is now one of the most popular sopranos for the bel canto
repertoire. The bass Mirco Palazzi, that the public has seen in many previous productions
among which the William Tell of last season, will be the smart and wily Figaro. Palazzi has a
superb vocal technique that has led him to be recognized as one of the best bass of the Italian
school. Susanna will have the voice of Ekaterina Bakanova, a young Russian soprano with
strong lyrical qualities, with a singing tone and a sparkling stage presence. The delicacy of
Cherubino will instead have the voice of Paola Gardina, mezzo soprano with an important
career who has played a leading role in international theatres such as La Scala, La Fenice in
Venice and the Teatro Real in Madrid.
The cast is completed by the mezzo soprano Alexandra Zabala in the role of
Marcellina. The bass, Abramo Rosalen in the role of Bartolo. The tenor Bruno Lazzaretti as
Basilio, and the tenor Luca Casalin as Don Curzio. The bass Matteo Peirone as Antonio.
Arianna Vendittelli will be Barbarina and Sabrina Amè and Daniela Valdenassi,
respectively, in the roles of first and second girl, alternating with Manuela Giacomini and
Raffaella Riello. During the eleven performances, from 12th to 24th February the title roles
will alternate with: Dionisyos Sourbis (Count Almaviva), Erika Grimaldi (Countess
Almaviva), Guido Loconsolo (Figaro), Grazia Doronzio (Susanna), Fabrizio Beggi (Bartolo)
and Samantha Korbey (Cherubino).
The new production directed by Elena Barbalich, boasts the sets and costumes of
Tommaso Lagattolla and lighting by Giuseppe Ruggiero. The Orchestra of the Teatro
Regio is directed by Yutaka Sado and the Chorus of the Teatro Regio is prepared by
Claudio Fenoglio.
Da Ponte’s libretto, based on the play by Beaumarchais La folle journée, ou le mariage
de Figaro - which caused uproar and scandals as it hinted being against the aristocracy and
the clergy - sublimates the political aspects giving therefore the opera, a psychological
depth of an exciting human comedy. The opera has experienced a tremendous success since
its first executions in 1786 when Mozart wrote: «Everybody is talking about Figaro,
everybody is playing, singing, whistling Figaro, you do not hear about any other opera but
Figaro. Eternally Figaro!». A triggering reason is the pursuit of love and happiness shared by
all characters albeit in different ways and different paths. Susanna and Figaro try to dispel
any hindrance to their impending marriage, while the Countess wants to recover the
attention of her husband, who is, much more interested in courting Susanna, his young and
flirty waitress while the pageboy Cherubino is the paradigm of the adolescent that
overflows with love but do not yet know to whom direct it.
Yutaka Sado, a former pupil of Leonard Bernstein and regular guest at the Regio,
said: «I think the most fascinating aspect to be transmitted to the musicians is how to
maintain a solid musical structure within a discourse that must always be fluid and natural,
as a conversation between two people. I try to feel the vitality and energy that music
expresses, and what could be more vital than the Overture of the Marriage?». Elena
Barbalich, an active director in the major Italian theatres, will propose in her new director of
The Marriage of Figaro the spirit of the French Revolution, which broke out in fact three years
after the opera’s Premiere. Barbalich says: «In my direction I wanted the eighteenth century.
I have not felt the need to change the setting. The opera is tied to the particular historical
moment in which it was written. We are at a crucial point of the European culture, a time
where you can imagine a sort of utopia. Thus giving birth to a naturalist idea: a house maze;
and as the story progresses the idea is dismantled, becoming more and more abstract».
The opera will be presented to the public by the musicologist Ernesto Napolitano,
within the cycle of the Regio conferences at the Piccolo Regio Puccini on Wednesday, 11th
February at 17:30. Admission is free. The opera’s Premiere will be broadcast live by RaiRadio3 on Thursday, 12th February at 20:00, this broadcast is part of the Euroradio circuit.
The opera will be broadcast on Rai 5 on Thursday, 19th February at 21:15. In addition, Prima
della Prima, a program now being broadcast on Saturday at 22.45 on Rai 5, will devote an
entire episode to this new production.
As usual you can follow the backstage and discover entertaining curiosity about
interpreters and fitting, watching the “Sketches of Passion” (Pillole di Passione) by Paola
Giunti on our website www.teatroregio.torino.it and on our YouTube channel on
youtube.com/TeatroRegioTorino.
Tickets sale at the Teatro Regio Office. Piazza Castello 215 - Tel. 011.8815.241 / 242.
Or at Infopiemonte-TorinoCultura. The Office of the Teatro Stabile, online and on
www.vivaticket.it by phone (with a credit card) at 011.8815.270. for more information, please
call: 011.8815.557.
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Turin, 27th January 2015
PRESS OFFICE
Teatro Regio, Communication and Public Relations Department
Paola Giunti (Director) - Sara Zago, Paolo Cascio (Media Relation)
Phone: +39 011 8815233 – 8815239
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