(Photo: Amati Bacciardi) This summer’s Rossini Opera Festival’s imaginative and fast-moving production of the composer’s 1813 comic opera, “L’Italiana in Algeri,” hit the mark in so many ways: it was funny, colorful and energetic; the cast were fully engaged with their characters, which they hammed up brilliantly for laughs; the underlying dynamics of the narrative were expertly handled by the {…}
(Photo credit: Derek Speirs) For the first time, Wexford Festival Opera is inviting audience members to vote for the opera they would like to be performed at the upcoming 75th anniversary Festival. Artistic Director Rosetta Cucchi has announced that the public can vote between Rossini’s “L’equivoco stravagante,” which was last staged at Wexford Festival Opera in 1968; Paisiello’s “Il barbiere {…}
(Photo: Armati Bacciardi) Over the next few months, OperaWire will be reviewing a number of productions at a variety of festivals across the globe. One name that keeps cropping up, at least in Europe, is that of Rosetta Cucchi. Blessed with a never-ending supply of energy and ideas, she always has one project on the go with others in the {…}
(Photo credit: Curtis Brown Photography) For the first time in Columbus, Ohio, Opera Columbus and the Columbus Symphony Orchestra put on Tchaikovsky’s “Eugene Onegin.” Soprano Lydia Grindatto leads the cast as Tatyana, with baritone Morgan Smith in the title role. Tenor Dane Suarez sings Vladimir Lensky and mezzo-soprano Hilary Ginther takes on the role of Olga Larina. They are joined {…}
(Photo: Clive Barda) In 1943, Italy was a country wracked by the turmoil of war. Not only had the allied armies invaded, but internecine conflict had broken out amongst the Italian people. Communities and families were against each other as the patriots and fascists fought for control. The situation was depicted in Alberto Moravia’s 1957 novel “La Ciociara,” which later {…}
One of the headline operas for this year’s Wexford Festival Opera is Marco Tutino’s 2015 work “La Ciociara,” written for San Francisco Opera. The opera is based on Alberto Moravia’s 1957 novel, which was later turned into a film directed by Vittorio De Sica and starring Sophia Loren, for which she won an Oscar for best actress. The film now {…}
(Photo: Armati Bacciardi) It is that time of year again when the temperatures start to drop and the nights start to draw in, which also means it is time to head off to Wexford for its annual opera festival, which will run from October 21st to November 6th. After two years of disruption caused by the measures aimed at controlling {…}
Rosetta Cucchi is a successful international stage director and the artistic director of Wexford Opera Festival. OperaWire: What was the first opera you attended? Rosetta Cucchi: “Il Barbiere di Siviglia” by Rossini OW: What was the first opera you directed? RC: “La Scala di Seta” by Rossini OW: What is the next opera you are scheduled to direct? RC: “Adriana {…}
(Photo: ROF/Amati Bacciardi) Without memories we are nothing but an empty shell. They define our sense of self. It is only through memory that we can make any sense of what is around us. It allows us to rationalize and contextualize tragic events, to enjoy the present, and to project the consequence of our actions into the future. Yet, memory {…}
It has been two years, but the Wexford Festival Opera is back. If anything, the town seems more lively and colorful than I remember, and there is a definite buzz in the air. Although this is artistic director Rosetta Cucchi’s second year in charge, this will be the first opportunity for audiences to see her ideas at work, her inaugural {…}
In 1995, a young Rosetta Cucchi first walked through the door of the Theatre Royal in Wexford, home of the Wexford Festival Opera, beginning an association, which almost 25 years later, is still going strong, having just been been appointed as the company’s Artistic Director. Cucchi will take over the running of the festival from 2020, replacing David Agler, who {…}