Italian Opera Houses and Festivals

This work recreates the social, political, architectural, and performance histories of each Italian opera 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.

Karyl Charna Lynn

Part 1 Foreword Part 2 Preface Part 3 Acknowledgments Part 4 PART 1: NORTHERN ITALY Chapter 5 1. Bergamo: Teatro Donizetti Chapter 6 2. Brescia: Teatro Grande Chapter 7 3. Como: Teatro Sociale Chapter 8 4. Cremona: Teatro Comunale Amilcare Ponchielli Chapter 9 5. Genoa: Teatro Carlo Felice Chapter 10 6. Mantua: Condominio Teatro Sociale Chapter 11 7. Milan: Teatro alla Scala and Teatro Arcimboldi Chapter 12 8. Novara: Teatro Coccia Chapter 13 9. Padua: Teatro Comunale "Giuseppe Verdi" Chapter 14 10. Pavia: Teatro Fraschini Chapter 15 11. Rovigo: Teatro Sociale Chapter 16 12. Savona: Teatro Comunale Chiabrera and Teatro dell'Opera Giocosa Chapter 17 13. Treviso: Teatro Comunale Chapter 18 14. Trieste: Teatro Lirico Giuseppe Verdi Chapter 19 15. Turin: Teatro Regio Chapter 20 16. Venice: Teatro La Fenice and Teatro Malibran Chapter 21 17. Verona: Arena di Verona and Teatro Filarmonico Chapter 22 18. Vittorio Veneto: Teatro Da Ponte Part 23 PART 2: CENTRAL ITALY Chapter 24 19. Ancona: Teatro delle Muse Chapter 25 20. Ascoli Piceno: Teatro Comunale Ventidio Basso Chapter 26 21. Barga: Opera Barga Festival Chapter 27 22. Bologna: Teatro Comunale Chapter 28 23. Busseto: Teatro Verdi Chapter 29 24. Chieti: Teatro Marrucino Chapter 30 25. Fermo: Teatro dell'Aquila Chapter 31 26. Ferrara: Teatro Comunale Chapter 32 27. Fidenza: Teatro Magnani Chapter 33 28. Florence: Teatro del Maggio Musicale Fiorentino and Teatro Comunale Chapter 34 29. Jesi: Teatro Comunale G. B. Pergolesi Chapter 35 30. Livorno: Comitato Estate Livornese and Teatro di Livorno Chapter 36 31. Lucca: Teatro del Giglio Chapter 37 32. Lugo: Teatro Rossini Chapter 38 33. Macerata: Macerata Opera-Sferisterio and Teatro Lauro Rossi Chapter 39 34. Modena: Teatro Comunale Chapter 40 35. Montepulciano: Cantiere Internazionale d'Arte Chapter 41 36. Narni, Amelia, and Terni: Associazione in Canto Chapter 42 37. Parma: Teatro Regio Chapter 43 38. Pesaro: Rossini Opera Festival and Teatro Rossini Chapter 44 39. Piacenza: Teatro Municipale Chapter 45 40. Pisa: Teatro Verdi Chapter 46 41. Ravenna: Teatro Comunale Alighieri and Ravenna Festival Chapter 47 42. Reggio Emilia: Teatro Municipale Valli Chapter 48 43. Rome: Teatro dell'Opera Chapter 49 44. San Gimignano: Festival Internazionale Chapter 50 45. San Severo: Teatro Verdi Musica Festival Chapter 51 46. Spoleto: Festival dei Due Mondi Chapter 52 47. Torroe del Lago: Puccini Festival Part 53 PART 3: SOUTHERN ITALY Chapter 54 48. Bari: Teatro Petruzzelli and Teatro Piccinni Chapter 55 49. Cosenza: Teatro Alfonso Rendano Chapter 56 50. Lecce: Teatro Politeama Greco Chapter 57 51. Martina Franca: Festival della Valle d'Itria Chapter 58 52. Naples: Teatro di San Carlo Chapter 59 53. Salerno: Teatro Municipale G. Verdi Part 60 PART 4: THE ISLANDS Chapter 61 54. Cagliari, Sardinia: Teatro Lirico Chapter 62 55. Catania, Sicily: Teatro Massimo Bellini Chapter 63 56. Messina, Sicily: Teatro Vittorio Emanuele Chapter 64 57. Palermo, Sicily: Teatro Massimo Chapter 65 58. Taormina, Sicily: Taormina Arte Festival Part 66 Glossary Part 67 Selected Bibliography Part 68 Index of Artists, Architects, Conductors, Directors, and Rulers Part 69 Index of Theaters Part 70 About the Author