| Contents |
Northern Italy. Bergamo: Teatro Donizetti -- Brescia: Teatro Grande -- Como: Teatro Sociale -- Cremona: Teatro Comunale Amilcare Ponchielli -- Genoa: Teatro Carlo Felice -- Mantua: Condominio Teatro Sociale -- Milan: Teatro alla Scala and Teatro Arcimboldi -- Novarra: Teatro Coccia -- Padua: Teatro Comunale "Giuseppe Verdi" -- Pavia: Teatro Fraschini -- Rovigo: Teatro Sociale -- Savona: Teatro Comunale Chiabrera and Teatro dell'Opera Giocosa -- Treviso: Teatro Comunale -- Trieste: Teatro Lirico Giuseppe Verdi -- Turin: Teatro Regio -- Venice: Teatro La Fenice and Teatro Malibran -- Verona: Arena di Verona and Teatro Filarmonico -- Vittorio Veneto: Teatro Da Ponte -- Part 2: Central Italy. Ancona: Teatro delle Muse -- Ascoli Piceno: Teatro Comunale Ventidio Basso -- Barga: Opera Barga Festival -- Bologna: Teatro Comunale -- Busseto: Teatro Verdi -- Chieti: Teatro Marrucino -- Fermo: Teatro dell'Aquila -- Ferrara: Teatro Comunale -- Fidenza: Teatro Magnani -- Florence: Teatro del Maggio Musicale Fiorentino and Teatro Comunale -- Jesi: Teatro Comunale G. B. Pergolesi -- Livorno: Comitato Estate Livornese and Teatro di Livorno -- Lucca: Teatro del Giglio -- Lugo: Teatro Rossini -- Macerata: Macerata Opera: Sferisterio and Teatro Lauro Rossi -- Modena: Teatro Comunale -- Montepulciano: Cantiere Internazionale d'Arte -- Narni, Amelia, and Terni: Associazione in Canto -- Parma: Teatro Regio -- Pesaro: Rossini Opera Festival and Teatro Rossini -- Piacenza: Teatro Municipale -- Pisa: Teatro Verdi -- Ravenna: Teatro Comunale Alighieri and Ravenna Festival -- Reggio Emilia: Teatro Municipale Valli -- Rome: Teatro dell'Opera -- San Gimignano: Festival Internazionale -- San Severo: Teatro Verdi Musica Festival -- Spoleto: Festival dei Due Mondi -- Torre del Lago: Puccini Festival -- Part 3: Southern Italy. Bari: Teatro Petruzzelli and Teatro Piccinni -- Cosenza: Teatro Alfonso Rendano -- Lecce: Teatro Politeama Greco -- Martina Franca: Festival della Valle d'Itria -- Naples: Teatro di San Carlo -- Salerno: Teatro Municipale G. Verdi -- Part 4: The islands. Cagliari, Sardinia: Teatro Lirico -- Catania, Sicily: Teatro Massimo Bellini -- Messina, Sicily: Teatro Vittorio Emanuel -- Palermo, Sicily: Teatro Massimo -- Taormina, Sicily: Taormina Arte Festival -- Glossary. |
| Abstract |
Italian opera in the 18th and 19th centuries was an experience unequaled anywhere else in the world. The unique emotion, flavor, and passion that existed have yet to be attained in any other country. Opera houses in Italy are the birthplace of this great art form. They represent its beauty and richness. More than just concrete, stone, glass, and wood, they are alive, each with a character and history of its own. This work recreates the social, political, architectural, and performance histories of each house by including eyewitness accounts from Italian newspapers, journals, and books of the time. It covers more than 50 Italian opera houses and festivals, organized by their city of origin and geographic region. Each chapter is a journey back in time, beginning with the first theaters and performances in the city and concluding with an architectural description of the principal theater and a practical information guide for visitors (including hotel recommendations). The operatic activities of the main theater, including inaugurations, important performances, and world premieres, are also covered. A photospread, along with brief descriptions of opera-related sites, including the birthplaces, dwellings, and museums of Italy's greatest composers, give an even more complete portrait of the art. |
