by InTrieste
In a dazzling celebration of the centenary of Giacomo Puccini’s passing, the Piccolo Opera Festival kicks off 2024 with the spectacular concert, “Gala Puccini: I Will Win.” The free-admission event takes place on Thursday, January 4th, at 8:30 PM, hosted at the Municipal Auditorium Mons. Pigani in Reana del Rojale (Via Jacopo Tomadini). The program showcases duets and iconic Puccinian arias from masterpieces like Turandot, La Bohème, Tosca, Gianni Schicchi, and other renowned operas.
Titled “Gala Puccini: I Will Win,” the concert, set for January 4th at 8:30 PM at the Municipal Auditorium Mons. Pigani in Reana del Rojale (UD), pays homage to the centenary of the great Tuscan composer’s death. The evening will feature timeless melodies from Puccini’s most celebrated works, including Turandot, La Bohème, Tosca, and Gianni Schicchi.
This tribute to Italian opera comes at a poignant moment, just weeks after the announcement of the recognition of Italian lyrical singing as UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage. The concert is supported by PromoTurismo FVG – Io sono Friuli Venezia Giulia, with the endorsement of the Municipality of Reana del Rojale, and in collaboration with La Compagnia dei Guitti, Circolo ACLI di Rizzolo APS, and Club per l’Unesco di Udine.
The operatic pages of Puccini have inscribed themselves in the annals of musical history, becoming an integral part of the collective musical memory worldwide. Long revered as one of the greatest opera composers of all time, Puccini’s works continue to be among the most performed in theaters across the globe, embodying the genius and passionate musical sensibility of Italian heritage.
An obligatory homage unfolds, traversing the notes of Tosca (featuring the monumental melodies of “Vissi d’arte” and “E lucevan le stelle”), transitioning to the sweetness of “O mio babbino caro” from Gianni Schicchi, and culminating in the celebrated arias from La Bohème, “Che gelida manina” and “Sì. Mi chiamano Mimì,” to name a few.
Interpreting these marvelous compositions are three international soloists: soprano Daniela Esposito, a graduate in lyrical singing from the Conservatory “J. Tomadini” in Udine and winner of numerous international competitions; tenor Zi-Zhao Guo, a graduate of the Shanghai Conservatory of Music and acclaimed performer at the Teatro Filarmonico in Verona and the Teatro Massimo Bellini in Catania; and baritone Jure Počkaj, active in theaters across Italy, Croatia, Austria, Germany, Hungary, and France. Accompanying the soloists on the piano for this emotional musical journey is Maestro Ferdinando Mussutto, with over two decades of a career that has seen him perform in Europe, Asia, and South America. The concert will be punctuated by narrative interventions by Samuele Cattarossi.
Furthermore, the concert “Gala Puccini: I Will Win” marks the beginning of the collaboration between the Piccolo Opera Festival and the Municipality of Reana del Rojale, fostering a shared cultural vision that will translate into future collaborative projects.
Program Giacomo Puccini (1858-1924)
- from Edgar: “Questo amor, vergogna mia”
- from Le Villi: “Se come voi piccina io fossi”
- from La Bohème: “Che gelida manina”
- from La Bohème: “Sì. Mi chiamano Mimì”
- from La Bohème: “In un coupé?… O Mimì, tu più non torni”
- from Tosca: “Mario! Mario!… Son qui!”
- from La fanciulla del West: “Minnie, dalla mia casa son partito”
- from Tosca: “E lucevan le stelle”
- from Tosca: “Vissi d’arte”
- from La Bohème: “Mimì! – Speravo di trovarvi qui”
- from La Bohème: “O soave fanciulla”
- from Gianni Schicchi: “Ah!… Che zucconi!”
- from Gianni Schicchi: “O mio babbino caro”
- from Turandot: “Nessun dorma”
