A small town in Italy reopens its 18th century opera house
mainLugo, a stopover between Bologna and Ravenna, has a gorgeous little theatre built by Antonio Galli Bibiena.
The town has just hired Rinaldo Alessandrini to put on a music festival, and he has teamed up with former La Monnaie exec Valerio Tura to trawl in some talent.
The pair have some fascinating chamber operas in mind for next December.
Just look at this little gem of a Teatro Rossini.
una buona notizia per la bellissima Romagna!
The theatre reopened in 1986, as yesterday’s announcement of this news on its own website makes clear. And the Lugo Opera Festival has been flourishing for some years already. I’ve worked there twice myself, including the Italian stage premiere of Thomas Adès’ Powder Her Face in 2010. But you’re right, it is a gem.
I saw Powder Her Face there. Good piece. Lovely theater — which, incidentally, is called “Teatro Rossini” because its history related to the composer is even more complete than that of the house in Pesaro!
This looks very much like the Historic Asolo Theater which is lodged inside the John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art in Sarasota, Florida. The theater was disassembled and brought to the U.S. and ultimately wound up, lovingly restored, here where it hosts many music and drama performances.