Elena Barbalich

Lorenzo, a handsome first-year professor in an isolated Italian village, falls under the spell of his most beguiling pupil, a dark-haired, starry-eyed 12-year-old named Duilio. As Lorenzo's relationship with his heartless girlfriend deteriorates, he finds himself walking the fields with his loving student. When their idyllic friendship is questioned by Duilio's suspicious stepmother, Lorenzo is brought to a crisis of conscience.

When two goddesses vie for his allegiance, a Roman general is faced with a thorny dilemma. But then his dead forefathers arrive to help make up his mind. Based on a book by Cicero, Mozart’s dramatic serenade was written at age 15 and neglected for the next two hundred years. With this subversive, dreamlike production, Teatro La Fenice’s offers a rare opportunity to discover one of Mozart’s lesser-known works.