The last 26 June at Como there has been the first of three evenings in the name of sharing between citizens and artists. There has been Cavalleria Rusticana of Pietro Mascagni, opera libretto of Targioni-Tozzetti and Menasci, based on Giovanni Verga’s novel. The opera has opened the “Festival Como Città della Musica”.
On stage there were 350 people, but the extraordinariness of this event was that the 210 chorists, 6 mimes, 40 children and 30 orchestrals out of 80 were no professionals. It’s the community of Como that makes theater and becomes theater itself. A “partecipatory opera” as Barbara Minghetti said; since 2009 she’s the President of the “Teatro Sociale di Como”.
The long preparation began in October with a meeting at week : housewives, plumbers, doctors, pensioners and students next to professional musicians worked hard together. A great human and constructive experience.
With the musical direction of Josè Luis Gomez-Rios, directed by Serena Sinigaglia, set design by Maria Spazzi, Cavalleria Rusticana has been acclaimed by an enthusiastic audience. An audience that has toasted with « compare Turiddu » singing « Viva il vino spumeggiante ».
In conclusion, a work made of real life, of everyone’s daily life, actors and spectators.
International Commitee Viva Toscanini 