PRESS RELEASEVenice, September 2016
The world première ofAquagrandaby Filippo Perocco
will open the 2016-2017 Opera and Ballet Seasonof Teatro La Fenice
commemorating the tragic floods of 1966
A host of initiatives for the fiftieth anniversary
On the fiftieth anniversary of the 1966 floods, Teatro La Fenice is dedicating the opening of its 2016-2017 Opera and Ballet Season to that tragic event in Venetian history; it will be staging the world première of Aquagranda, an opera the Veneto composer Filippo Percocco was commissionedwith to a libretto by Roberto Bianchin and Luigi Cerantola, based on the book Acqua Granda. Il romanzo dell’alluvione by Roberto Bianchin. The musical direction of this new production includes Marco Angius conducting the Orchestra and Choir of Teatro La Fenice while Damiano Michieletto is in charge of the direction of the production with scenes by Paolo Fantin, costumes by Carla Teti, lights by Alessandro Carletti and choreography by Chiara Vecchi. The date of the première – 4 November – coincides with the date when, fifty years ago, the highest floods ever recorded since systematic records of the phenomenon began took place in Venice: at 18.00 the mareograph at Punta della Dogana registered 194 cm.During the same period the entire North-East and Central Italy were afflicted by this violent weather, also bringing Florence to its knees. The première on 4 November 2016 will be followed by eight repeat performances: 5, 6, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12 and 13 November 2016. With both Italian and English overtitles, the production of Aquagranda has been supported by the Freundeskreis des Teatro La Fenice, which has supported all the openings of the Venetian Opera House since 2012.
Set in Pellestrina, one of the areas that was the most severely affected and damaged by the floods, the protagonist of Perocco’s opera is Ernesto Ballarin; twenty-five years at the time, together with his family and three thousand other people he was forced to leave his home and island, which was submerged by the pounding waves that had broken through the Murazzi. Two singing companies will alternate with Andrea Mastroni and Francesco Milanese as Fortunato, Ernesto’s father; Mirko Guadagnini andPaolo Antognetti as Ernesto; Giulia Bolcato and Livia Rado as his wife Lilli;Silvia Regazzo and Valeria Girardello as Leda; Armando Gabba andVincenzo Nizzardo as Nane; William Corrò andTommaso Barea as Luciano;finally, Cester will be played by Marcello Nardis and Christian Collia.
The city of Venice is getting ready to mark the fiftieth anniversary of the floods in 1966, using images, words and music to commemorate the dramatic floods. One of the initiatives by La Fenice and coordinated by a Special Committee that was founded for this very occasion is an exhibition in the Foyer and Sale Apollinee in November, showing the front pages of the Venice local paper the Gazzettino during those days; La Fenice will also host the presentation of the book Aquagranda, published by Marsilio; a “Meeting with the Opera”, promoted together with Fondazione Amici della Fenice, during which Paolo Petazzi and Filippo Perocco will present Aquagranda; there will also be four conferences and a Social Contest with those who experienced the floods personally.
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