29July

Festival 2023
Tosca
«E lucevan le stelle»… e splenderanno sull’Arena dal 29 luglio al 1° settembre, in occasione delle quattro recite dell’amata Tosca di Giacomo Puccini, proposta nella spettacolare versione ideata da Hugo de Ana.
DiscoverTenore
Italia/Francia
In his over 30-year career, French-Sicilian tenor Roberto Alagna has added over sixty roles to his repertoire: Alfredo, Calaf, Canio, Cavaradossi, Don Carlo(s), Don Jose, Faust, Lohengrin, Manrico, Maurizio, Nemorino, Otello, Pinkerton, Radames, Rodolfo, Romeo, Ruggero, Samson, Turiddu, Werther..., all in performances which have made him the most famous French tenor in the world. Also, his taste for exploration has shown his love for lesser-known repertory, via productions, concerts and recordings he championed such as Massenet's Le jongleur de Notre-Dame, Le Cid or La Navarraise, Lalo's Fiesque, Zandonai's Francesca da Rimini, Puccini's Gianni Schicchi, Chausson's Le roi Arthus or L’enfant prodigue by Debussy. He sang as well in Meyerbeer's Vasco da Gama, a very rarely staged critical edition of L'Africaine and a flamboyant Cyrano de Bergerac by Alfano in its original version of 1935, recently revived at the Met Opera (2017). Even two contemporary operas have been composed especially for him, Vladimir Cosma's Marius et Fanny, after Marcel Pagnol, and Le dernier jour d'un condamné, after Victor Hugo, which was composed by David Alagna and staged for the first time in France in 2014.
Exclusive artist with EMI (1993–2004) then Deutsche Grammophon (2005-2017), he has signed in 2017 with Sony Classical. With recordings for Erato, Sony, EMI, Warner or Deutsche Grammophon, his discography covers a wide range, one of the richest that exists: complete sets, duets, oratorios, operas, anthologies of great works, religious and popular songs. Credo, Viva Opéra, Airs de Berlioz, Bel canto, Robertissimo, Luis Mariano, Sicilian, Pasión are some of his numerous albums, reflecting the eclecticism of his career. He was praised for his album released in late 2014, My life is an Opera, a moving recital of arias and duets illustrating his career and his life. In fall 2016, he brought out a songs' album, Malèna, offering original creations as well as reinterpreted great Neapolitan classics. In October 2018, Warner released a full recording of La Navarraise by Massenet and Sony released his first duets album fully dedicated to Puccini, recorded with soprano Aleksandra Kurzak. His most recent albums released on Sony Classical are Caruso 1873 - a tribute to tenor Caruso and Le Chanteur – a record fully dedicated to the great French Chanson.
Alagna appears widely on DVD as well. Films have also solicited him, for director Benoît Jacquot's Tosca or for Barbara Willis Sweete’s Romeo et Juliette. Going off the beaten path, constantly exploring new grounds and ideas - on disc, on stage and on tour, Alagna clearly revealed his desire to give his audience more and to feed his appetite for permanent search and creation. He more than once reiterated the experience of creating brand-new concert programs across the world, blending various genres and showcasing his unique ability to keep his tenor instrument true to the style of what he is singing. He also appeared regularly on French TV, in special programs or dedicated musical shows, in the preparation of which he is involved. He even picked up his own pen in 2018 to write his « Personal Dictionary » and is preparing to embody the famous AL CAPONE in a musical composed for him by Jean-Félix Lalanne.
On the operatic stage, over the last 4 years, he further expands his repertoire with several new roles, e.g. Des Grieux (Manon Lescaut), Azaël, Eleazar or Rodolfo in Luisa Miller in concert in Monte-Carlo. He made his debut as Samson in Saint-Saëns‘s Samson et Dalila in Vienna in 2018, opened the Metropolitan Opera’s following season with it and took it again at the Chorégies d’Orange in 2021. After having sung his 100th performance at the Opera de Paris as Otello, Roberto Alagna sang as well his 100th performance at the Royal Opera House as Andrea Chenier in May 2019. In early 2020, he stepped back into an acclaimed revival of La Bohème at the Metropolitan Opera – 24 years later and 30 years after his debut as Rodolfo. In late 2020 in Berlin, he made great debuts in the Wagnerian repertoire, as the title role in Lohengrin, which he will sing again in April 2022 in Berlin. In August 2021 he appeared for the first time at the Arena di Verona for two double performances as Turiddu and Canio. Late 2021/early 2022, he performed in Paris in solo recitals at the Salle Gaveau and for the opening of the UNESCO Week of Sound 2022 of which he was the patron, then in duo recitals with Aleksandra Kurzak at the Bozar Brussels and at the Philharmonie de Paris. At the same time, he was called by the Opéra National de Paris for a replacement in Massenet's Manon and took up the challenge of returning to the role of the Chevalier, which he had not performed for 11 years. He continues in New York with 4 performances of Tosca in March 2022. Next seasons, further role debuts are expected such as Loris Ipanov in Giordano’s Fedora, which will mark his return to Teatro Alla Scala.
«E lucevan le stelle»… e splenderanno sull’Arena dal 29 luglio al 1° settembre, in occasione delle quattro recite dell’amata Tosca di Giacomo Puccini, proposta nella spettacolare versione ideata da Hugo de Ana.
Discover«Un bel dì, vedremo» Madama Butterfly (la celebre “tragedia giapponese” di Giacomo Puccini) tornare in Arena nell’evocativo allestimento di Franco Zeffirelli, impreziosito dai costumi del Premio Oscar Emi Wada. O meglio, potremo ammirarla per quattro serate, dal 12 agosto al 7 settembre. Preparate il kimono… e i fazzoletti.
Discover«Celeste Aida, forma divina» (Heavenly Aida, goddess of Beauty), and absolute Queen of the Arena. Undisputed symbol of the Opera Festival since 1913, this opera by Giuseppe Verdi will be staged at the Arena on 14 dates, between 16 June and 8 September, in a new production, waiting to be discovered.
Discover«Près des remparts de Séville» and in the heart of Verona, Franco Zeffirelli’s historical Carmen makes its comeback (23 June - 6 September), with costumes by Anna Anni and sets by El Camborio. Five shows to be captivated by the allure of a breathtaking Seville, and by Carmen, the rebel gypsy who chases freedom.
Discover«Largo al factotum della città» (Make way for the city's jack of all trades) and to the most famous comic opera by Gioachino Rossini: Il Barbiere di Siviglia, dedicated to cunning Figaro, Count Almaviva, vivacious Rosina, and surly Don Bartolo. Between 24 June and 22 July, four nights of guaranteed fun, thanks to Hugo de Ana’s pyrotechnic and floral set-up.
Discover«Sì, vendetta, tremenda vendetta!» (Yes, vendetta, a terrible vendetta!) The first opera of the so-called “popular trilogy” by Giuseppe Verdi, Rigoletto will be staged at the Arena from 1 July to 4 July. Four dates to (re)discover an absolute masterpiece of Italian melodrama, with airs such as «Caro nome», «Cortigiani, vil razza dannata» and «La donna è mobile»
Discover«Libiamo, libiamo ne’ lieti calici» (Let’s drink, let’s drink from this chalice of joy) in hour of Giuseppe Verdi’s La Traviata, the most performed opera in the world, which, for six nights (between 8 July and 9 September) will captivate the Arena, with the sumptuous 19th century production by Franco Zeffirelli, with costumes by Maurizio Millenotti and sets by Giuseppe Picone.
Discover«Va, pensiero, sull’ali dorate» (Take flight, thought, on golden wings) and rekindle the fire of Giuseppe Verdi’s first masterpiece, which will be back at the Arena on four nights (between 15 July and 17 August), with the set-up created in 1991 by Gianfranco de Bosio, and the massive set imagined by Rinaldo Olivieri, dominated by a giant Tower of Babel.
DiscoverCreated in 2008, to bring ballet in unusual places, the Roberto Bolle & Friends Gala was first staged at the Arena in 2012, and, since then, it has remained a regular, beloved event to admire the stars of international ballet perform together with the Master of Ceremonies, Roberto Bolle.
DiscoverIn the current galaxy of the Arena’s opera superstars, just one name was missing - tenor Juan Diego Flórez, the greatest contemporary interpreter of Rossini and bel canto’s repertoire. On 23 July, the Peruvian artist will finally be on the Arena’s stage, as the absolute star of an unmissable Gala in scenic form.
Discover«E lucevan le stelle»… (The stars were bright) and they will shine on the Arena from 29 July to 1 September, during the four stagings of the beloved Tosca by Giacomo Puccini, set in 19th century Rome, in the spectacular version created by Hugo de Ana.
Discover«Un bel dì, vedremo» (One fine day, we shall see) Madama Butterfly (the famous “Japanese tragedy” by Giacomo Puccini) come back to the Arena, in the suggestive set-up by Franco Zeffirelli, embellished by Oscar-winner Emi Wada’s costumes. Or rather, we will admire it on four nights, from 12 August to 7 September. Get your kimono... and your tissues ready.
DiscoverAfter the success of the Jonas Kaufmann Gala Event (2020) and Aida, which, in 2022, saw him in the role of Radamés, the German star (dubbed “the King of tenors”) will be back at the Arena on 20 August, for a new event night, during which he will interpret three different characters is as many opera acts, all in scenic form.
DiscoverIf, in the second half of the 20th century, the Arena was called “Summer La Scala”, on the night of 31 August 2023, the Verona amphitheatre will host, for the first time ever, the Orchestra of the Teatro alla Scala, directed by Maestro Riccardo Chailly. A unique event combining the history of the two theatres, in the name of great classical music.
Discover