Roberto Frontali

Mario Martone signs direction and scenes of this new film-work of Verdi's masterpiece. On the podium of the Orchestra of the Teatro dell'opera in Rome its musical director, maestro Daniele Gatti. the new set-up of the opera to a libretto by Francesco Maria Piave is embellished with costumes by Anna Biagiotti and photography by Pasquale Mari.

In Germany, at the castle of the Count of Stankar, on the banks of the Salzbach and in the vicinity of Salzburg, in the early 19th century. Upon his return from his travels, Pastor Stiffelio recounts his adventures: a boatman had handed him the wallet of a man who, fleeing from a woman’s bedroom, had thrown himself into the river. In the spirit of forgiveness, Stiffelio destroys the piece of evidence, unaware that it is proof that his wife, Lina, is guilty of adultery. ‘Stiffelio’ is an opera in three acts by Giuseppe Verdi, with a libretto by Francesco Maria Piave, based on ‘Le Pasteur ou l’évangile au foyer’ by Émile Souvestre and Eugène Bourgeois. Premiered in its original version on 26 December 1968 at the Teatro Regio in Parma. From the box set of 27 Verdi operas, “Tutto Verdi”. Recorded live at the Teatro Regio in Parma on 18 and 24 April 2012.

Relatives of a recently deceased wealthy man enlist the help of a wise man to help them inherit the dead man's properties.

At first it came as a delightful surprise to see this Simon Boccanegra (libretto: Francesco Maria Piave) from the Teatro Comunale di Bologna available on DVD. In November, 2007, thirteen opera lovers from Michael Tisma’s Ovations International opera tour travelled to Teatro Municipale Valli in Emiglia Romana to see Bologna’s production of Boccanegra. Without exception, everyone considered it an emotionally gripping performance of Verdi’s pessimistic tale of spiritual disturbance and foreboding. What is evident while watching the DVD is the difference between the confident execution and polish of the Teatro Valli performance and the unfinished, yet promising rendition caught at the opera’s prima in Bologna.

Inspired by the life of the poet André Chénier at the time of the French Revolution, Giordano’s opera with libretto by Luigi Illica, faithfully portrays in detail the story of the protagonist, his love for Maddalena di Coigny, his arrest as a counter-revolutionary and their final hours. Teatro Comunale di Bologna’s 2022 production is conducted by resident Ukrainian music director Oksana Lyniv with an authentic staging by Pier Francesco Maestrini and a distinguished cast.

The acclaimed Italian director, Emma Dante, presents a powerful, barbaric and at time frenzied Macbeth with great attention to detail. Staged and filmed in Italy's largest theatre, the Teatro Massimo in Palermo, Sicily, this production captures remarkable performances by the Italian soprano Anna Pirozzi as Lady Macbeth, the renowned Verdi specialist, baritone Roberto Frontali, in one of his signature roles, and the rising star, Croatian bass-baritone Marko Mimica as Banco (Banquo). The conductor, Gabriele Ferro, has opted to use the 1865 Paris version of the score, sung in Italian and without the ballets, for a production that received generous praise in Palermo and on tour.

A collaboration between award-winning American filmmaker Sofia Coppola and Italia haute couture king Valentino comes in the form of a revival of Giuseppe Verdi's classic opera, La Traviata. Captured live from the Teatro dell'Opera di Roma.