Festival della Valle D’Itria 2017 Review – Orlando Furioso: Imaginative Production & Vocal Artistry Make Case for Vivaldi’s Operatic Talents

During his lifetime Vivaldi was a prolific composer of operas, responsible for setting at least 45 libretti, linked to at least 67 stage works, although Vivaldi claimed it to be 94. Yet, today his operatic output has been largely forgotten, being at best, of marginal interest to the opera-going public, restricted to recordings, rare concerts, and even rarer staged performances. {…}

Aug 1, 2017

Festival della Valle D’Itria 2017 Review – Un Giorno di Regno: Great Musicians Elevate Verdi’s Undercooked Early Comedy

In 1840 Verdi’s second opera, and his first attempt at comedy, “Un Giorno di Regno,” was premiered at La Scala in Milan to widespread criticism, criticism that the composer took to heart to the point that it took more than 50 years before he would write another comedy. Of course, we know how that second comedic experiment turned out as {…}

Jul 31, 2017

Festival della Valle d’Itria Review 2017 – Margherita d’Anjou: Director Shifts Plot From 15th Century to Reality TV Setting… And It Works

Martina Franca, situated in Puglia in south east Italy, is home to the annual Festival della Valle d’Itria, which is largely, although not exclusively, devoted to the presentation of obscure, neglected, and rarely-performed operas. Its stated mission is “dedicated to researching and deepening our knowledge of Italian bel canto,” and it is in this light that it selects operas and {…}

Festival della Valle d'Itria

Festival della Valle D’Itria 2017 Review – Orlando Furioso: Imaginative Production & Vocal Artistry Make Case for Vivaldi’s Operatic Talents

Festival della Valle D’Itria 2017 Review – Un Giorno di Regno: Great Musicians Elevate Verdi’s Undercooked Early Comedy

Festival della Valle d’Itria Review 2017 – Margherita d’Anjou: Director Shifts Plot From 15th Century to Reality TV Setting… And It Works