A high-calibre concert of Italian opera, classical songs and operettas will be held on Saturday 4 June at 7.30pm at the Manoel Theatre, Valletta, to mark the 150th anniversary of the Unification of Italy (1861-2011)
The main artistic attraction will be world renowned baritone from Cremona,Italy, Orazio MOri, who has dominated all the prestigious world opera houses, performing famous arias from Un ballo in maschera (Eri tu che macchiavi) and Il Trovatore (duetto: Udiste…. Mira di acerbe lacrime) by Giuseppe Verdi, and L’Elisir d’Amore (Udite o rustici) by Gaetano Donizetti. Orazio Mori has distinguished himself in the world leading opera meccas including La Scala of Milan, Covent Garden Royal Opera House, Metropolitan of New York, Arena of Verona, Teatro Regio of Turin, La Fenice of Venice, Stadtheater of Berne, Gran Teatre de Liceu of Barcellona, Torre del Lago, Massimo Bellini of Catania,Opera National de Paris also in international tournees with La Scala of Milan and Covent Garden and productions in Japan, China, India,Albania, Britain and Russia. He has performed under the baton of world-famous conductors like Zubin Mehta, Claudio Abbado, Georges Pretre, Gianandrea Gavazzeni, Carlos Kleiber, Riccardo Muti, Zoltan Pesko, Riccardo Chailly.
His repertoire ranges from Renaissance music to Italian opera to contemporary music, and has performed various roles like those of Marcello in Boheme, Renato in Un ballo in maschera, Don Carlo in La forza del destino, Amonasro in Aida, Count of Luna in Il Trovatore, Marullo in Rigoletto, Werther, Boris Godunov, Bartolo in Il barbiere di Siviglia, Montano in Otello, “sagrestano” in Tosca; Dulcamara in Elisir d’amore, Baron Douphol and Giorgio Germont in La Traviata, Don Pasquale, Sicario in Macbeth and lately Falstaff. Orazio Mori is the winner of the Voci verdiane Festival in Busseto and is a graduate from the Conservatorio Arrigo Boito of Parma.
He will be joined by a cast of Italian opera singers. Popular tenor Enrico Giovagnoli, graduate from Conservatorio Gioacchino Rossini of Pesaro,and very well known on Italian RAI 1 television in programs I Raccomandati (winner of this talent show), Festa Italiana, La vita in diretta and Mettiamoci all’Opera
Soprano Tiziana Scaciga della Silva enjoys an established international career who will be performing for the four time in Malta. By general request, there will also be the traditional operetta comedian (Cantattore) - Walter Rubboli , who is very active in the most popular operettas as capo comico.
The opera selections include also the prelude, addio del passato and Brindisi from La Traviata and Rigoletto (La donna e’ mobile), all by Giuseppe Verdi, L’Elisir d’amore (Una furtive lagrima) by Gaetano Donizetti and Pietro Mascagni’s Le Maschere (Aria di Tartaglia).
The lighter part of this celebration programme is characterised by lively selections from the Italian operettas Scugnizza (Salome’,una rondine non fa primavera) Il paese dei campanelli (La Giavanese and Luna tu); La Duchessa del Bal Tabarin (Ah, come si sta ben); L’Acqua Cheta (Com’e’ bello guidare i cavalli) and by acclamation selections from Cin ci La’ (Box e amore and Oh Cin ci La’). The famous song Roma non fa la stupida stasera from the musical Rugantino (Armando Trovajoli/Garinei-Giovannini) will be interpreted by the soprano and cantattore (singer-actor).
Italy’s contemporary composer Ennio Morricone will also receive a special tribute with the performance of his most beautiful compositions and film scores including the classical “spaghetti” westerns. The solo piano (Traviata’s Preludio and Tribute to Ennio Morricone) will be performed by pianist Debora Mori, an excellent musician and musical director.
The classical Italian songs will be: Mattinata; La Spagnola; Vivere; I’ te vurria vasa’; Mamma; Marechiare; Musica Proibita; Scettico blues; Chitarra romana; La campana di San Giusto; La mia canzone al vento; Torna a Surriento, the risorgimento song Addio mia bella Addio, a selection of traditional songs as a tribute to Italy’s rich cultural heritage.
The climax of this concert of Italian music will be reached with all the singers performing Italy’s national anthem - Fratelli d’Italia. The event is organized by Fiesole Artistic Productions together with the Italian Embassy and the Italian Cultural Institute. The evening will be compered by leading music critic Albert G. Storace.
Booking is open from:
The Manoel Theatre Booking Office, Old Theatre Street, Valletta;
Telephone: 21246389;
Website: www.teatrumanoel.com.mt
Email : [email protected]