Columns linked to Veronica Simeoni

Outstanding Cast Delivers in La forza del destino at the Royal...

Sam Smith

Set in eighteenth century Spain, Verdi’s La forza del destino sees the Marquis of Calatrava oppose his daughter Leonora’s South American lover Don Alvaro, believing he is not good enough for her. When, however, Don Alvaro surrenders himself to prove that he never violated her, he throws down his pistol and accidentally kills the Marquis when it goes off. Leonora’s brother Don Carlo sets out to avenge his father’s death but he and Don Alvaro end up fighting side by...


Norma at the Teatro la Fenice

Helmut Pitsch

It is a special Premiere and therefore there is a prestigous mixture of VIPs in the audience of the Teatro la Fenice : politics, people from arts, fashion and design. The Venice Art Biennale, one of the biggest international art events and the Teatro la Fenice have established a joint project, selecting at every exhibition of the Biennale a young artist to direct a new opera production at La Fenice. This year, it is Vincenzo Bellini's tragic masterpiece Norma, and Kara Walker, an...


Carmen (Georges Bizet), Teatro La Fenice

Helmut Pitsch

Seville on visit to Venice. This new production of Carmen at the Teatro la Fenice has a lot of spanish blood transplanted to Italy by Catalan director Calixto Beito. It is emotional, erotic, brutal and realistic. We have very intimate scenes as well as big mass demonstrations. The action is moving and the listener or spectator becomes a witness of the tragical romanze of love and crime. Beito puts it in a modern frame, colourful, lasziv, capitalistic. But the roots, the tradition is not...