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 comes from the , in a collaboration with the which two years ago entirely revived and revised the original creation for its return to the stage. With a running time of about , the performers on stage are and – who alternate in the role of the protagonist – together with , and , , , and , , and and finally .
