The inauguration of the 2008-2009 Opera Season
MEDEA
Cherubini’s masterpiece opens the new Season
Evelino Pidò conducts the opera with staging by Hugo de Ana,
protagonist Anna Caterina Antonacci
Teatro Regio, Sunday 5 October 2008 at 7 pm
A rapidly-growing Teatro Regio, which with great satisfaction has achieved many of its preestablished objectives, inaugurates the new Season with Medea on Sunday 5 October at 7 pm. The
Torinese Maestro Evelino Pidò conducts Luigi Cherubini’s masterpiece, to be presented for the first
time at the Teatro Regio, in a new staging by Hugo de Ana. On stage, an extraordinary cast, with
Anna Caterina Antonacci in the title role, which she confronts for the first time in Italy; with her,
Giuseppe Filianoti, Cinzia Forte, Sara Mingardo and Giovanni Battista Parodi. There will also be
the debut of Maestro Roberto Gabbiani as the new Chorus Master, beginning in this way his
collaboration with the Theatre.
The Gruppo Fondiaria Sai will once again, for the fifth consecutive year, sponsor the inaugural
evening, strengthening even further its ties with the Regio and its city.
The public, which has awarded the Theatre in recent years with growing attendance and has
demonstrated great openness and curiosity towards more innovative works, will undoubtedly enjoy
this Medea, a fascinating opera, loved by musicians like Brahms – who defined it « the height of
dramatic music» – Schumann and Beethoven, who wrote to Cherubini: «Vous resterez toujours celui
de mes contemporains, que je l’estime le plus». Evelino Pidò, who has already conducted the opera at
the Capitole de Toulouse and the Châtelet de Paris, recognises in Cherubini a rare mastery of
orchestration. The synthetic judgement of Guido Pannain expresses the essential: «In Medea, a
musical tragedy from beginning to end, we see for the first time how music outlines the drama
through to the conclusion without trying to finish in the academic apotheosis of the ballet finale. The
tragedy of Medea is sculpted in hard stone, gaunt, concise, on a steel-coloured horizon, in an
atmosphere of merciless fatality ». In Torino, the Italian version will be staged, edited from original
sources by Flavio Testi for Casa Ricordi; it revives the libretto by Carlo Zangarini, realised in 1909 for
the Teatro alla Scala.
The story takes place in Corinth, in Creon’s palace. Glauce (the king’s daughter) is making
preparations for her wedding with Jason; the hero has repudiated Medea, his wife – with whom he
had two children – who once helped him to recover the Golden Fleece. The Argonauts arrive to pay
homage to the bride, who cannot hide her fear of Medea. Medea manages to enter the king’s palace
and begs for Jason’s return; when he refuses, the sorceress curses him and swears vengeance; then,
Press Office Teatro Regio Torino - Tel. +39.011.8815.229/239/252 – [email protected]
alone with him, she recalls the happy moments of their love. Creon orders Medea to leave Corinth
and she pretends to agree, obtaining permission to spend one more day with her children;
meanwhile, she orders Neris, her maidservant, to take to Glauce her wedding present: the diadem
and mantle given to her by Apollo. The vendetta is carried out: Glauce dies because the gifts are
poisoned, Jason is desperate and tries to arrest Medea, who instead flees to the temple where Neris
has taken the children; there, the tragedy is consumed: Medea kills her children, the temple burns
and she promises Jason that she will wait for him in the after-life.
It is impossible to narrate the story of Medea without having before one’s eyes the striking face
of Maria Callas and in one’s ears her legendary interpretation. In Torino, we will see the fascinating
and charismatic Anna Caterina Antonacci in this extremely difficult and absorbing role. Promising
excellent performances are also Giuseppe Filianoti (Jason), who sang the role of Tito last season at
the Regio, the soprano Cinzia Forte (Glauce), Sara Mingardo (Neris) and Giovanni Battista Parodi
(Creon). During the ten performances from 5 to 22 October, alternating in the leading roles will be
Chiara Taigi (as Medea), Stefano Secco, Daria Masiero, Annunziata Vestri and Rafal Siwek
Hugo de Ana, responsible for the stage direction, sets and costumes, says he is captivated by the
structure of this decidedly modern opera, and has chosen costumes and scenes that respect the
absolute timelessness of the context; it will be a Medea that respects the music, capable, for De Ana,
of describing atmosphere and situations without spending a word.
For this season, there will be a change of venue for Incontri con l’Opera: thus, the appointment is
at the Piccolo Regio Puccini, where Medea will be presented to the public by Vittorio Della Croce on
Tuesday 30 September at 5 pm.
For information and ticket sales: the Box Office of the Teatro Regio, piazza Castello 215 - Tel.
011.8815.241/242 - e-mail: [email protected] - www.teatroregio.torino.it
Torino, 28 July 2008
Paola Giunti
Head of the Press Office
Press Office Teatro Regio Torino - Tel. +39.011.8815.229/239/252 – [email protected]