Opera Season 2014-2015
I PURITANI
Michele Mariotti directs the masterpiece of Bellini
A sublime cast at Regio for this opera symbol of Italian bel canto
Teatro Regio, Tuesday, 14th April 2015 at 20:00
Tuesday, 14th April the Teatro Regio presents a new production of I Puritani, the last masterpiece of
Vincenzo Bellini. After nearly two decades the most romantic score is back to our theatre, created by
the Sicilian composer. Michele Mariotti, acclaimed conductor present in all the major international
theatres and a specialist of the bel canto repertoire, returns to conduct the Orchestra and Chorus of the
Teatro Regio. The director is the young Fabio Ceresa; this new production is realized in co-production
with the Maggio Musicale Fiorentino.
This production features an ideal cast ideal to restore the purity of the Bellini melodies. Olga
Peretyatko, a young Russian soprano of international fame, will be the protagonist of the opera: Elvira.
With bright timbre and acclaimed in the audience of the most important opera houses, Peretyatko
made Elvira her stylistic role. With this role she won wide acclaim from critics and audiences at the
Metropolitan Opera in New York. She now makes her debut at the Teatro Regio under the direction of
her husband: Michele Mariotti. The tenor Dmitry Korchak will be Arturo, a knight and a partisan of
the Stuarts. Korchak is today recognized as one of the best bel canto tenors on the international scene.
He has worked with conductors such as: Muti, Minkowski, Barenboim and Chailly who had insisted on
having him to interpret the main tenor roles of the nineteenth-century repertoire. Korchak with his
silvery tone and supported by a perfect technique, is one of the few tenors capable of holding the
acrobatic part of Arturo, written by a highly inspired Bellini. Nicola Ulivieri, one of the most famous
bass of the Italian school, who has performed in many important stages, from Salzburg to New York, is
back at the Teatro Regio in the role, this time, of Sir George Valton, the antagonist. The interpretive
work of Ulivieri, combined with his formidable vocal talents, was awarded the prestigious “Abbiati
Prize” by the Italian critics. Nicola Alaimo, a successful Italian baritone, will be Riccardo Forth. Called
around the world to support the major baritone roles of the Italian and French repertoire, Alaimo
boasts a powerful and homogeneous timbre, capable of making any interpretation a masterpiece of
great expression subtlety. Completing the cast: the bass Fabrizio Beggi in the role of Gualtiero Valton,
Samantha Korbey in the role of Enrichetta di Francia, and the tenor Saverio Fiore in the role of Bruno
Roberton.
During the eight performances, from 14th to 26th April, the tile roles will alternate with the
additional cast formed by famous and popular artists such as: Désirée Rancatore (Elvira), Enea Scala
(Arturo), Mirco Palazzi (Giorgio Valton) and Simone Del Savio (Riccardo Forth), to create an
interpretation full of lyricism and musical nuances.
The new production, directed by Fabio Ceresa, will have scenes by Tiziano Santi, costumes by
Giuseppe Palella and lighting by Marco Filibeck. The movers Fattoria Vittadini will perform
coreoghraphy by Riccardo Olivier. The Orchestra of the Teatro Regio is directed by Michele Mariotti;
Chorus of the Teatro Regio is led by Claudio Fenoglio.
This opera production of Bellini counts a total of ten titles that have revolutionized the history
of opera; I Puritani, is the last opera of Bellini, composed in 1834 with a libretto by Carlo Pepoli. Both
song and score are extremely difficult regarding the balance between stage and orchestra. I Puritani are
the quintessence of bel canto, made of tension and relaxation, ecstasy and torment, lyricism and
virtuosity.
Arturo and Elvira are linked by sincere love however, they belong to opposing factions: the
Stuarts and the Puritans. Driven by a surge of patriotism, Arturo rescues the Queen Enrichetta of
France, a prisoner of the Puritans, on the day of his marriage to Elvira, who upon returning to the scene
in the frenzy of the final preparations for the wedding, sees her beloved escaping with the mysterious
woman. Elvira falls into a state of madness due to the trauma suffered until the last act, when Arturo in
secret, comes back and explains why he had rescued the lady. In the final stages of the opera, the
Puritans surround Arturo who had been, unlawfully, sentenced to death. Meanwhile, Elvira, shaken by
that fatal announcement, is back to sanity. In extremis the news of the amnesty proclaimed by General
Cromwell reaches them and Arturo is free and can finally get married to Elvira.
The two casts will be conducted by Michele Mariotti, the young director came from Pesaro
who has had a solid career that saw him triumphant in the most important international opera houses:
La Scala, the Metropolitan in New York, the Paris Opera, and Covent Garden in London. Mariotti is
now considered the heir to the tradition of Italian conductors, thanks to his solid technique, combined
with excellent musical skills that allow him to control and make the Italian bel canto repertoire shine.
The new production features the direction of Fabio Ceresa, born in 1981; he was former
assistant of renowned directors such as Pizzi, Stein and Ronconi. In this new production of I Puritani,
Ceresa plays his direction on two aspects. One more theatrical: the looks of the protagonists and their
loneliness; and a more conceptual one: time and its perception. During the three acts of the opera the
signs of time passing are evident: the set design, in particular, is crumbling into ruins by the romantic
flavour and the costumes are worn.
The opera will be presented to the public by Alessandro Mormile, within the cycle of Regio
conferences, at the Piccolo Regio Puccini on Wednesday 1st April at 17:30. Admission is free. The opera
premiere will be broadcast live by Rai-Radio3 on Tuesday, 14th April at 20:00, transmission which is
also inserted in the Euroradio circuit.
As usual, you can follow the backstage and discover entertaining curiosity about interpreters
and fitting, by watching the ‘Sketches of Passion’ (Pillole di Passione) of Paola Giunti, on our website
on www.teatroregio.torino.it or on YouTube.com/ TeatroRegioTorino.
Tickets Sale: Office of the Teatro Regio, Piazza Castello 215 - Tel. 011.8815.241 / 242. Or at
Infopiemonte-TorinoCultura, the Office of the Teatro Stabile, online on www.vivaticket. by phone with
a credit card at 011.8815.270. For more information, call us on 011.8815.557.
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Turin, 2nd March 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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