The Puccini Festival was conceived in 1930 in accordance with the composer’s wishes “… I always come out here and take a boat to go and shoot snipes … but once I would like to come here and listen to one of my operas in the open air…” (Puccini in a letter to Giovacchino Forzano in 1924).

After Puccini’s death, Forzano (ibrettist of Suor Angelica and Gianni Schicchi) committed himself to realising this dream. In 1930, together with Pietro Mascagni, who had been fellow-student and room-mate to Puccini, Forzano began to carry out the first performances of Puccini’s operas on the lakeshore, in front of the maestro’s house. Here, in a provisional theatre with the stage built on piles stuck in the lake, a travelling opera company performed La Bohème directed by Forzano and conducted by Mascagni. In 1966 the Festival moved to the site of the current theatre, adjacent to the small lake harbour. Over the years the stage of Torre del Lago has hosted some of the most acclaimed voices in the world of opera, including Tito Gobbi, Giuseppe Di Stefano, Luciano Pavarotti, Placido Domingo, José Carreras, Franco Corelli, José Cura, Renata Scotto, Eva Marton, Katia Ricciarelli and Olivia Stapp.

Designer Igor Mitoraj’s magnificent set made imaginative use of the vast stage. The church of Sant’Andrea della Valle was decorated with ornate banners bearing religious icons interwoven with colourful paintings and candles resting atop pillars. Scarpia’s room at the Palazzo Farnese was sumptuously furnished with a lavish four-poster bed and an oversized desk, to the backdrop of an elaborate period mural overlooking a decadent red carpet. Such grandeur provided a bleak contrast to the simple, coldly lit stone site of execution at Castel Sant’Angelo.

Mario Corradi’s direction was straightforward and the principals filled the large outdoor space effectively, only occasionally lapsing into moments of melodramatic gesticulation. The chorus scenes were simple and uncluttered, yet choreographed impeccably to maximise the musical impact, notably of the Te Deum and Scarpia’s oath of vengeance at the conclusion of the first act.

Vocally, the principal soloists were outstanding. The effortlessness with which native speakers inherently interpret Italian repertoire appears to be attributed to two factors. The first is the way in which the text is used intrinsically to shape the phrasing of the vocal line. The second is the squillo or ‘ring’ that is an innate characteristic of Italianate singing. These features are particularly significant in Puccini, as they create the elasticity of phrasing that is paramount to the verismo style.

As Tosca, Antonia Cifrone gave an exquisite performance both vocally and dramatically, and her “Vissi d’arte” completely captured the audience. Marcello Giordani’s Cavaradossi shone in the top register and displayed an impressive dynamic range, particularly evident his fearless pianissimos in “E lucevan le stelle”. As Scarpia, Giorgio Surian began the role cautiously but flourished in the second act, where his incredible stamina and unrelenting tone dominated the stage. Other notable performances were from bass Riccardo Ferrari as Angelotti and Massimo La Guardia as Spoletta. The orchestra under Valerio Galli played sensitively and supportively. Despite the lack of amplification, the balance was excellent and the singers were always able to penetrate the orchestral wall. This was a thoroughly enjoyable evening.

Lyndall Dawson

For enquiries about the 2008 season: ^{www.puccinifestival.it}

For more information  about the region: ^{www.landofpuccini.com}