That surreal unexpected event on the wedding day, the prologue to an unexpected series of misunderstandings narrated in the language of opera: this is " Il cappello di paglia di Firenze ," a musical farce by Nino Rota and the sixth work on stage for the current opera season in Cagliari , which debuts on Wednesday the 23rd at the Teatro Lirico, its first performance in the capital. After this grand debut, five more performances will follow until September 27th , including a performance conceived for the " Oltre Insieme " project, dedicated to audiences with disabilities.

With the premiere scheduled for 8 pm tomorrow, the farce in four acts and five scenes was created by Rota from the libretto written by the composer himself and his mother, Ernesta Rinaldi . The libretto is in turn based on the comedy " Un chapeau de paille d'Italie " by French composers Eugène Labiche and Marc-Michel . It centers on the story of young Fadinard, who on his eagerly awaited wedding day discovers his straw hat devoured by a horse . With wedding preparations interrupted, he sets out in search of an identical hat , encountering a long and absurd chain of misunderstandings. Written in 1945 and first performed ten years later at the Teatro Massimo in Palermo, the opera is one of Rota's most famous theatrical compositions , already known for his music for "The Godfather" and for maestro Fellini.

Conducting the Orchestra and Chorus of the Lirico on the podium is Valerio Galli , already acclaimed by the Cagliari audience for having conducted "Cavalleria rusticana" and Fauré's Requiem in 2020, while the chorus master is Massimo Fiocchi Malaspina , making his debut in this role. Under the direction of Paola Ornati and with sets, costumes and lighting designed respectively by Paolo Fantin, Silvia Aymonino and Luciano Novelli, the production curated by Damiano Micheletto comes from the Teatro Carlo Felice in Genoa , in a collaboration with the Opéra Royal de Wallonie-Liège which two years ago entirely revived and revised the original creation for its return to the stage. With a running time of about two hours and then ten minutes , the performers on stage are Marco Ciaponi and César Cortés – who alternate in the role of the protagonist – together with Roberto Lorenzi , Marco Filippo Romano and Matteo Loi , Paolo Nevi , Antonino Giacobbe , Lavinia Bini and Giulia Bolcato , Anna Maria Sarra , Ana Victória Pitts and Alessandra Della Croce and finally Maria Rita Combattelli .

The schedule of repeat performances will instead follow this order: Thursday 24th will be dedicated to "Oltre Insieme", for people with visual, hearing, cognitive or intellectual disabilities and with curtains open at 7pm , while the other shows will be open to the general public and will start at 8pm on Friday 25th , at 7pm on Saturday 26th , and close at 5pm on Sunday 27th . Furthermore, last Sunday the public was able to meet the writer and playwright Luca Scarlini , during the presentation of the work at the Carmen Melis Theatre .

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