by InTrieste
A rarely performed opera by Austrian composer Karl Weigl will be presented in full for the first time at the Politeama Rossetti in Trieste on January 30 and 31, 2025. The Pied Piper of Hamelin, written in 1933, will be staged as part of the Viktor Ullmann Festival, in collaboration with the Municipality of Trieste, the Friuli Venezia Giulia Region, and the city’s Jewish Community.
Weigl, a Jewish composer forced to flee Austria in the 1930s due to Nazi persecution, wrote The Pied Piper of Hamelinfor children’s choir, actors, and orchestra. Based on the classic German folktale, the opera conveys a message of unity and cooperation, themes that resonate against the backdrop of Weigl’s own displacement and the broader tragedy of the Holocaust.
The upcoming production seeks to highlight Weigl’s artistic legacy and foster reflection on history’s impact on contemporary society. The performance will feature the Abimà Orchestra alongside the Civic Wind Orchestra “G. Verdi,” conducted by Davide Casali, with the children’s choir Voci in Volo directed by Lucia Follador. Actors from L’Armonia, a local theater association, and tenor Alessio Colautti will also take part in the production.
The first performance, on January 30 at 8:30 p.m., is open to the public with free admission, subject to availability. A second performance, on January 31 at 11:30 a.m., is reserved for school groups.
