Damiano Michieletto's youthful Barbiere returns to Florence

By Renato Verga, 24 October 2020

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Reviewed at Teatro del Maggio Musicale Fiorentino, Florence on 23 October 2020

Rossini, Il barbiere di Siviglia

Maggio Musicale Fiorentino

Michele Gamba, Conductor

Damiano Michieletto, Director, Set Designer

Carla Teti, Costume Designer

Alessandro Tutini, Lighting Designer

Vasilisa Berzhanskaya, Rosina

Ruzil Gatin, Count Almaviva

Massimo Cavalletti, Figaro

Fabio Capitanucci, Dr Bartolo

Evgeny Stavinsky, Don Basilio

Carmen Buendía, Berta

Matteo Guerzé, Officer, Fiorello

Coro del Maggio Musicale Fiorentino

Orchestra del Maggio Musicale Fiorentino

Jessica Pratt triumphs in a new Lucrezia Borgia in Florence

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Despite the Maggio Musicale stage being dominated by clerical garb and daring papal parallels, the true revelation is Jessica Pratt's breathtaking role debut as Lucrezia.

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Maggio Musicale Fiorentino's Don Giovanni falls at the final hurdle

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The Maggio postpones Pountney’s expected new production of Don Giovanni, presenting Ferrara’s production from Spoleto instead, with a good cast in the hands of Zubin Mehta.

**111

Florence's finest: Teatro del Maggio's compelling new Don Carlo

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A Florentine Comedy: a lively Barbiere di Siviglia in Tuscany

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A lively and amusing Barbiere at the Teatro del Maggio Musicale Fiorentino, with Daniele Gatti expertly marshalling the talents of Ruzil Gatin, Vasilisa Berzhanskaya, Nicola Alaimo and Fabio Capitanucci in Damiano Michieletto's colourfully minimalist staging.

****1

Juan Diego Flórez charms as Roméo in Florence

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For the 84th edition of its summer festival, the Teatro del Maggio Musicale Fiorentino presents its first ever production of Gounod's Roméo et Juliette.

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Linda di Chamounix a bittersweet tale at the Maggio Musicale

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Jessica Pratt shines in this Donizetti coloratura role, with the support of Teresa Iervolino as a luxury Pierotto, and a solid cast of Italian singers.

***11

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Renato Verga

Renato graduated from Turin University in Physics. He has always had a particular passion for music and the stage. A former member of a choir, he was raised in the musical milieu influenced by the eminent Italian musicologist Massimo Mila. In 2014, Renato started his own blog, which now has 1000 posts.