On the 10 October 2013, the world celebrates the 200th year since the birth of Giuseppe Verdi.
Opera houses worldwide will stage works by the Italian composer during the year. In the USA, the Metropolitan Opera in New York is staging Verdi’s ‘Il Trovatore’, ‘Rigoletto’, ‘Don Carlo’, ‘La Traviata’ and ‘Otello’ (Othello). To mark the bicentennial, the opera house is offering the Met Titles in Italian for Italian operas, in collaboration with Italian fashion house Dolce & Gabbana. The subtitles appear in screens on the back of the seats, and previously were only available in English, German and Spanish.
From 30 March, London’s Royal Opera House is staging Italian director Daniele Abbado’s new production set in the second half of the 20th century of Verdi’s biblical epic ‘Nabucco’, for which Spanish tenor Plácido Domingo and Italian baritone Leo Nucci will share the title role. The Hebrew Slaves’ triumphant hymn of thanksgiving and song of exile, ‘Va, pensiero’ (Fly, thought), is considered by many to be Italy’s unofficial national anthem. The Royal Opera House is presenting revivals of ‘Don Carlo’ and ‘Simon Boccanegra’ for the bicentenary year. The Italian Ambassador to the UK recently hosted the launch of the opera house’s 2012/13 Verdi production syndicate at the Italian Embassy, which is supporting the three productions as part of the celebrations of Verdi’s anniversary.
Australia’s Sydney Opera House’s season includes productions of several Verdi operas, including a bold new production of ‘Un ballo in maschera’ (A Masked Ball) by the cutting-edge Catalan company La Fura dels Baus.
Italy’s premiere opera houses will also feature works by their famous son. The Arena Verona opens it season on 14 June with ‘Aida’. The season continues with ‘Nabucco’, ‘La Traviata’, ‘Il Trovatore’, ‘Rigoletto’, ‘Messa da Requiem’ (Requiem Mass) and a gala evening featuring selections from various Verdi operas. On 4 July and 18 August, Domingo will sing in the title role in ‘Nabucco’. On 18 January, Venice’s Teatro La Fenice will stage ‘I masnadieri’ (The Bandits), and the season includes productions of ‘Otello’, and ‘La Traviata’.
On 15 January, La Scala will kick off a series of performances of Giuseppe Verdi’s operas with ‘Falstaff’. The decision by the Milanese opera house to inaugurate its season in early December with ‘Lohengrin’ by German composer Richard Wagner, rather than one by Verdi, caused an outcry. However, La Scala honoured its relationship with the composer by announcing that two of its corporate sponsors had purchased Verdi documents that will be donated formally on the eve of the ‘Falstaff’ opening. The documents include a telegram Verdi sent to conductor Arturo Toscanini after the ‘Falstaff’ premiere, saying: “Thanks, thanks, thanks!”
