Received this morning : programme book for Perocco's 'Aquagranda' in Venezia

This Monday morning, I have received in the mail the programme book published by Teatro La Fenice di Venezia for the world première of Filippo Perocco's Aquagranda.

It is a 152 pages book. It contains :

- color photos of rehearsals ;
- complete cast and crew ;
- Per una riflessione, cinquanta anni dopo, by Paolo Petazzi ;
- In breve, a short introduction to the opera ;
- the complete libretto by Roberto Bianchin and Luigi Cerantola ;
- Una conversazione con Damiano Michieletto, by Valerio Cappelli. Dialogue with the director ;
- Acqua granda, il romanzo dell'alluvione, by Roberto Bianchin, with lots of black & white photos of the 1966 flood.

There is a separate 10 pages leaflet with the cast and the biographies of the artists.

It is the 439th programme book for contemporary opera in my collection.

Today : world première of Filippo Perocco's 'Aquagranda' in Venezia

Today, the Teatro La Fenice in Venezia presents the world première performance of Filippo Perocco's new opera, Aquagranda, with a libretto by Roberto Bianchin and Luigi Cerantola.

It is the composer's first opera.

On 4 November 1966 Venice was struck by terrible floods. That day saw the highest high water ever recorded since the systematic recordings of the phenomenon had begun: at 18.00 the mareograph at Punta della Salute showed 194 cm. The consequences of the flood were terrible. The worst hit area was Pellestrina, the island where the new opera by Filippo Perocco is set. At that time the protagonist, Ernesto Ballarin was twenty-five years old when the sea broke through the Murazzi and flooded his house up to the roof so that he had no choice but to leave his house and island, together with another three thousand people.(reproduced from the opera house's website).

The cast includes bass Andrea Mastroni (Fortunato), tenor Mirko Guadagnini (Ernesto), soprano Giulia Bolcato (Lilli) and mezzo Silvia Regazzo (Leda). Marco Angius conducts the Chorus and Orchestra of the Teatro La Fenice. Damiano Michieletto directs.

The performance should last about 80 minutes. A recording of the first performance will be broadcast later on the same evening by Rai Radio 3. Culturebox will have a video recording of the opera available for viewers starting on November 12.