Jessica Pratt triumphs in a new Lucrezia Borgia in Florence

Jessica Pratt (Lucrezia) and René Barbera (Gennaro)

Jessica Pratt (Lucrezia) and Mirco Palazzi (Alfonso)

Coro del Maggio Musicale Fiorentino

Laura Verrecchia (Orsini)

Jessica Pratt (Lucrezia)

By Laura Servidei, 11 November 2025

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“an intensely emotional and compelling portrayal”

Reviewed at Teatro del Maggio Musicale Fiorentino, Florence on 9 November 2025

Donizetti, Lucrezia Borgia

Maggio Musicale Fiorentino

Giampaolo Bisanti, Conductor

Andrea Bernard, Director

Alberto Beltrame, Set Designer

Elena Beccaro, Costume Designer

Marco Alba, Lighting Designer

Orchestra del Maggio Musicale Fiorentino

Coro del Maggio Musicale Fiorentino

Mirco Palazzi, Duke Alfonso

Jessica Pratt, Lucrezia Borgia

René Barbera, Gennaro

Laura Verrecchia, Maffio Orsini

Davide Sodini, Ascanio Petrucci

Daniele Falcone, Jeppo Liverotto

Yaozhou Hou, Oloferno Vitellozzo

Antonio Mandrillo, Rustighello

Huigang Liu, Astolfo

Gonzalo Godoy Sepúlveda, Don Apostolo Gazella

Mattia Denti, Gubetta

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

Laura Servidei, 6th May

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

Roy Westbrook, 27th December

Five highly dissatisfied lead characters find only disastrous or ambiguous outcomes. Yet there are few greater operas than this.

*****

A Florentine Comedy: a lively Barbiere di Siviglia in Tuscany

David Larkin, 14th September

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

Elena Luporini, 3rd May

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.

***11

Linda di Chamounix a bittersweet tale at the Maggio Musicale

Laura Servidei, 3rd October

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

Science goes screwball in Maggio Musicale's new Così fan tutte

Elena Luporini, 30th August

Sven-Eric Bechtolf's staging holds a balance between philosophy and humour, but Adam Fischer's vivacious conducting is the real star of the evening.

****1

More reviews...

Laura Servidei

Mathematician, science nerd, translator of popular science books, obsessed opera fan since the teen years. Day job: business analyst in a software house developing systems for the financial industry. Amateur choral singer. Main musical interests: baroque music and Italian opera. Originally from Italy, currently based in Sweden. I make a mean eggplant parmesan.

Jessica Pratt triumphs in a concept-driven Lucrezia Borgia in Florence