A concert of Italian opera, classical songs and operetta will be held at the Manoel Theatre, Valletta, on June 4 to mark the 150th anni- versary of the unification of Italy.
Baritone Orazio Mori from Cremona will sing arias from Verdi’s Un Ballo in Maschera (Eri tu) and Il Trovatore (the duet Udiste… Mira di acerbe lacrime) and Donizetti’s L’Elisir d’Amore (Udite o rustici).
Mori has performed at prestigious venues such as La Scala of Milan, Covent Garden Royal Opera House and the Metropolitan of New York.
His repertoire ranges from Renaissance music to Italian opera and contemporary music, and he has performed various operatic roles. He is the winner of the Voci verdiane festival of Busseto and is a graduate of the Conservatorio Arrigo Boito of Parma.
Mori will be joined by tenor Enrico Giovagnoli, a graduate of the Conservatorio Gioacchino Rossini of Pesaro and known to viewers of Rai Uno in such programmes as I Raccomandati (he was the winner of this talent show) and Festa Italiana. He will also be joined by soprano Tiziana Scaciga della Silva and the traditional operetta comedian (cantattore) Walter Rubboli.
The opera selections include the prelude Addio del passato and the Brindisi from La Traviata and La donna è mobile from Rigoletto; Una furtive lagrima from L’Elisir d’Amore, and Aria di Tartaglia from Mascagni’s Le Maschere.
The lighter part of this celebration programme consists of selections from the Italian operettas Scugnizza, Il paese dei campanelli, La Duchessa del Bal Tabarin, Acqua Cheta and Cin ci là. The famous song Roma non fa la stupida stasera from the musical Rugantino will be interpreted by the soprano and cantattore.
In a tribute to Italy’s foremost contemporary composer Ennio Morricone, some of his most beautiful compositions and film scores will be played by pianist Debora Mori.
The progamme also includes the classical Italian songs Mattinata, La spagnola, Vivere, I’ te vurria vasa’, Mamma, Marechiare, Musica proibita, Scettico blues, Chitarra romana, La campana di San Giusto, La mia canzone al vento, Torna a Surriento, and the Risorgimento song Addio mia bella addio, as a tribute to Italy’s rich cultural heritage.
The event, which will be compered by music critic Albert Storace, is being organised by Fiesole Artistic Productions together with the Embassy of Italy and the Italian Cultural Institute.
Booking is open from the Manoel Theatre, Valletta (tel. 2124 6389; website: www.teatrumanoel.com.mt; e-mail: bookings@teatrumanoel.com.mt).