Name: Oberto, Conte di San Bonifacio
Start: 2007-10-23T00:00:00.000Z
End: 2007-10-23T00:00:00.000Z
Location: Teatro Giuseppe Verdi

Organization

Conductor

Antonello Allemandi

Stage director

Lorella Pieralli

Set designer

Costume designer

Singer

Bass

Giovanni Battista Parodi

Oberto

Paolo Battaglia

Soprano

Francesca Sassu

Leonora

Mezzo-soprano

Mariana Pentcheva

Cuniza

Tenor

Fabio Sartori

Riccardo

Giorgia Bertagni

Imelda

Others

Coro del Teatro Regio di Parma

Orchestra

Orchestra del Teatro Regio di Parma

Teatro Verdi di Busseto

Oberto, Conte di San Bonifacio

Busseto

Italy

Teatro Giuseppe Verdi

November 1839: Giuseppe Verdi's first opera premieres at La Scala in Milan. The young soprano Giuseppina Strepponi, at the age of 23 - as the artistic director's favorite - already the prima donna of La Scala, has taken a liking to Verdi's music and his opera plans and supports the young, up-and-coming composer. They agree on a love story set in the Middle Ages against the background of family hatred and jealousy. Giuseppina Strepponi can't sing the premiere due to lack of time, but "Oberto" is still a success. At this point in time, nobody suspects two things:

Riccardo, Count of Salinguerra, wants to marry Cuniza, the sister of Ezzelino da Romano, because he expects it to increase his power. Before that, he exiled Oberto, the Count of Bonifacio, and seduced Oberto's daughter Leonora, but then turned to Cuniza. Oberto has come to the wedding party to take revenge. Leonora tells Cuniza the backstory. Cuniza is outraged and decides that Riccardo should return to Leonora. Oberto dies in a duel with Riccardo. Riccardo now recognizes his guilt, prays and flees. Finally he asks Leonora for forgiveness in a letter and leaves his goods to her. Leonora goes to the convent, Cuniza stays behind alone.

No other composer has gone through such a great artistic development as Giuseppe Verdi. The operatic history of the 19th century can be traced in an exemplary way by looking at the immense creative breadth from "Oberto" to "Falstaff". The name Verdi became synonymous with Italian opera. He could represent all human feelings in the melody, relaxed the rigid alternation between scene and aria, used the singing voice effectively and had a feeling for gripping drama. His work fascinates the tourists in the Arena of Verona as well as the modern musical theater directors, whose updates prove how much work of interpretation a good work of art can take.
The musician Verdi set new standards in opera, the politician Verdi was committed to the unity and independence of his homeland; the prisoner's chorus from "Nabucco" is considered the secret Italian national anthem. The financier Verdi knew how to capitalize on his talent, the patron Verdi founded the famous retirement home for musicians in Milan. And yet, as he said himself, he remained a farmer who felt most at home on his estate. No wonder that for a time almost no composer could get past Verdi when venturing into the field of opera

Oberto, Conte di San Bonifacio Verdi

Public

Approved

Production booklet

Further reading