“Figaro su, Figaro giù” and… La Notte della Taranta

news-figaro-su-figaro-giu-notte-della-taranta

Rossini and the Barber: another story entirely

A free revisitation of the Barber of Seville by Gioachino Rossini (21 and 23 July in Martina Franca, 3 August in Otranto) courtesy of Francesco and Elio Micheli, marks the first collaboration between three major Puglia cultural associations, the  Fondazione “La Notte della Taranta”, the Fondazione “Carnevale di Putignano”  and naturally the Festival della Valle d’Itria. Rosina will be saved from the legendary bite of the tarantula by the demiurgic character of Figaro, chosen by the “higher” power of an unprecedented Rossini/Dionysus, and not forgetting Stendhal.

The sound of traditional and classical instruments and techniques will merge under the guidance of conductor Giuseppe Grazioli. Direction is by Gianmaria Aliverta, set design by Benito Leonori  and costumes by Sara Marcucci and Francesco Bondi. The cast includes Daniele Terenzi as Figaro and Maria Aleida as Rosina; then there’s Marco Filippo Romano (Don Bartolo), David Ferri Durà (the Count of Almaviva), Peter Kellner (Don Basilio) and Davide Gasparro (Ambrogio, aka “lo svegliato”).