“A spontaneous and modern theatre that is fun to perform.”
Soprano Eleonora Bellocci on Theresia’s latest album release

By Emilia Campagna - April 30, 2024

Another gem has been added to Theresia's already rich discography: CPO has recently released a two-CD box set featuring the recording of our performance of Domenico Cimarosa's opera "Le Astuzie Femminili", conducted by Alessandro De Marchi at the 2022 Reate Festival. To highlight this release, we caught up with the female protagonist, soprano Eleonora Bellocci.
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Another gem has been added to Theresia’s already rich discography: CPO has recently released a two-CD box set featuring the recording of our performance of Domenico Cimarosa’s opera “Le Astuzie Femminili”, conducted by Alessandro De Marchi at the 2022 Reate Festival. To highlight this release, we caught up with the female protagonist, soprano Eleonora Bellocci.

Read the Italian version – Leggi la versione italiana

Eleonora Bellocci, tell us about Bellina, the role you sang in “Le Astuzie Femminili”: what are her characteristics from both a theatrical and vocal perspective?

Bellina is the classic example of a soprano whose character is inspired by the Commedia dell’Arte. It is easy to draw parallels with Goldoni’s character Mirandolina in “La Locandiera”: there’s a spontaneity, immediacy, and modern theatricality that makes it very fun to perform this character. The vocal line leans towards declamation and directness, lacking the virtuosic passages or grand melodies found in more serious or later repertoire.

Had you worked with Alessandro De Marchi before? What did you particularly appreciate about his artistic choices and way of working?

I’ve had the privilege of working with Maestro De Marchi before, and each time has been incredibly rewarding. What I appreciate most about his approach is his utmost respect for the score. He also pays meticulous attention to meeting the needs of each singer in terms of vocality, expressiveness and musical timing.

The vocal cast and Theresia Orchestra during the performance of “Le Astuzie Femminili”

What did you enjoy most about working with our orchestra?

I found great joy in collaborating with Theresia orchestra, particularly in the context of performing works from the 18th-century repertoire like “Le Astuzie Femminili.” Having both young artists in the orchestra and on stage injects the performance and this repertoire with a fresh vitality, as their enthusiasm and curiosity breathe new life into a language that may feel outdated to contemporary audiences. This aspect not only revitalizes the text, but also infuses the score with energy. Another element of richness of Theresia Orchestra lies in its diverse array of musicians, hailing from different origins and backgrounds, and each bringing a different cultural background converging into a kaleidoscopic performance.

What is your take on recordings versus live performances? Do you prefer one over the other?

I absolutely prefer live recordings: they may capture some inevitable imperfections due to their live nature, they preserve the genuine interpretation that only a performance in the theatre can offer. Take for instance Pavarotti, even recording in the studio, he insisted on performing in front of a small audience to evoke the best from himself. Basically, it is the human energy and warmth of a live performance that really make a difference!

What are the most important milestones in your career so far?

The most important moments of my career have been marked by debuts in the great operatic repertoire. These experiences always come with significant challenges and confrontations to engage with a long and rich tradition. From the Queen of the Night in Mozart’s “The Magic Flute” at the Teatro di Catania conducted by Maestro Gianluigi Gelmetti, whom I remember with affection, and Maestro Pierluigi Pizzi, to taking on the role of Gilda in Verdi’s “Rigoletto” at the Teatro Filarmonico in Verona, where I’ve been fortunate to establish a rewarding collaboration in recent years. Also, singing the role of Susanna in “Le Nozze di Figaro” at the Teatro Comunale di Bologna was another key moment. However, my career is still in its early stages and who knows what the future holds for me!

Your repertoire ranges from Baroque to Verdi: what kind of soprano are you?

I do not like to categorize artistically as I believe it can be limiting. However, I consider myself as a lyric-light soprano, which means I can’t think of singing the role of Verdi’s Aida as beyond my vocal range! Nevertheless, I believe that one must keep the door of possibilities open, respect one’s instrument and proceed calmly and patiently allowing for a natural maturation, vocal and interpretive growth over time. I love different range of repertoires, from the baroque – rich in vocal virtuosity – to the perfect musical balance of classical bel canto, and more romantic works for expressive intensity and dramatic momentum. I believe they all come together to make a complete artist.

What are your musical dreams? And tell us about your upcoming projects?

Definitely to debut many more roles from the tradition and beyond, the list is long and the space devoted to it would not be enough! But above all, I would like to maintain the curiosity and ingenuity that I put into the study of a new score, and to continue singing what is right for me for many years to come, observing how the result achieved changes and matures each time. Upcoming engagements include: my debut in the role of Zerlina in Mozart’s “Don Giovanni” at the Teatro Comunale di Bologna, soprano soloist in Petrassi’s “Magnificat” at the 86th Maggio Musicale Fiorentino Festival conducted by M° Daniele Gatti, and a my second upcoming debut as Musetta in Puccini’s “La Boheme” at the Arena di Verona conducted by M° Daniel Oren.

“Le astuzie Femminili” performed by Theresia under the baton of Alessandro De Marchi and a vocal cast composed of Eleonora Bellocci, Martina Licari, Rocco Cavalluzzi, Matteo Loi, Angela Schisano, can be purchased online or streamed on the major platforms.

Listen to “Le Astuzie Femminili” on Spotify

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“Una teatralità spontanea, immediata e moderna”. Eleonora Bellocci parla dell’ultima uscita discografica di Theresia

Eleonora Bellocci

Un’altra gemma si aggiunge al già ricco tesoretto discografico di Theresia: è stato recentemente pubblicato da CPO il cofanetto di due cd con la registrazione della nostra esecuzione dell’opera “Le Astuzie Femminili” di Domenico Cimarosa, andata in scena per il Reate Festival nell’ottobre 2022 sotto la direzione di Alessandro De Marchi. Per celebrare questa prestigiosa uscita discografica, abbiamo incontrato la protagonista femminile, il soprano Eleonora Bellocci.

Eleonora Bellocci, ci parli di Bellina, il personaggio delle “Astuzie femminili” da lei interpretato: che caratteristiche presenta da un punto di vista teatrale e della tecnica vocale?

Bellina è il classico esempio di soprano il cui carattere si ispira alla Commedia dell’Arte, e non è difficile trovare dei parallelismi con il personaggio di Mirandolina de La Locandiera di Goldoni: quindi una teatralità spontanea, immediata e moderna, molto divertente da interpretare. Proprio per questa ragione la vocalità è messa al servizio della parola, quindi la linea vocale si fa più declamata e schietta e non sono presenti virtuosismi o grandi melodie che invece fanno parte del repertorio serio o più tardo.

Aveva già lavorato con Alessandro de Marchi? Cosa ha apprezzato in particolare delle sue scelte artistiche e del suo modo di lavorare?

Avevo già avuto occasione di lavorare con il Maestro de Marchi ed è sempre stata una collaborazione proficua nel massimo rispetto della partitura da eseguire: esattamente questo è uno degli aspetti che apprezzo del metodo di lavoro del Maestro, oltre all’andare incontro alle esigenze del singolo cantante in termini di vocalità, espressività e tempi musicali.

Cosa le è piaciuto di più nel lavorare con la nostra orchestra?

Credo che le opere del repertorio del ‘700 come “Le Astuzie femminili” traggano beneficio dalla presenza sia in orchestra che sul palco di artisti giovani che possano infondere tutto il loro entusiasmo e curiosità nell’esecuzione. Essendo un linguaggio per noi ormai desueto c’è bisogno di una fresca vitalità per renderlo meno “polveroso” e coinvolgere appieno il pubblico. Questo aspetto è interessante non solo per il testo ma anche per la partitura musicale, e con la Theresia orchestra questo è stato possibile. Elemento di ricchezza poi è che questa orchestra raccoglie musicisti di diversa origine e provenienza ed ognuno di loro porta con sé un diverso bagaglio culturale che contribuisce ad una esecuzione caleidoscopica.

Che rapporto ha con le incisioni discografiche? Le ama o preferisce l’esibizione dal vivo?

Preferisco assolutamente le registrazioni dal vivo: magari riportano qualche inevitabile imperfezione dovuta alla presa diretta ma restituiscono la genuinità dell’interpretazione che solo un’esecuzione in teatro può dare. Non dimentichiamo che quando Pavarotti incideva in studio voleva sempre un piccolo pubblico per rendere al meglio. Sostanzialmente è una questione di energia e calore umani che possono fare davvero la differenza!

Quali sono state finora le tappe più importanti della sua carriera?

Le tappe più importanti della mia carriera corrispondono a debutti nel grande repertorio operistico perché costituiscono sempre grandi sfide e confronti con una lunga e importante tradizione del passato: dal ruolo della Regina della Notte nel “Die Zauberflöte” di Mozart al Teatro di Catania diretta dal Maestro Gianluigi Gelmetti che ricordo con affetto e dal Maestro Pierluigi Pizzi, a quello di Gilda nel “Rigoletto” di Verdi al Teatro Filarmonico di Verona, con il quale ho instaurato in questi anni una graditissima collaborazione, o ancora quello di Susanna ne “Le Nozze di Figaro” al Teatro Comunale di Bologna. Tuttavia la mia carriera è agli inizi e chissà cosa mi riserverà il futuro.

Il suo repertorio spazia dal Barocco a Verdi: lei che tipo di soprano è?

Non amo le catalogazioni e trovo difficile applicarle in ambito artistico, tuttavia essendo un soprano lirico-leggero non potrò mai pensare di eseguire il ruolo di Aida di Verdi! Ma credo che si debba lasciare aperta la porta delle possibilità, rispettare il proprio strumento e procedere con calma e pazienza affinché avvenga una naturale maturazione da un punto di vista vocale e interpretativo. Amo i diversi tipi di repertorio, dal Barocco ricco di virtuosismi vocali al più classico belcantistico per il gusto ed il perfetto equilibrio musicale fino al più romantico per l’intensità espressiva e lo slancio drammatico; credo confluiscano tutti a rendere un Artista completo.

Quali sono i suoi sogni nel cassetto musicalmente parlando? E i suoi progetti più imminenti?

Sicuramente debuttare ancora tanti ruoli della tradizione e non, la lista è lunga e non basterebbe lo spazio dedicato! Ma sopratutto vorrei continuare a mantenere nel tempo la curiosità e l’intraprendenza che metto nello studio di un nuovo spartito e cantare sempre ciò che è giusto per me per tanti anni ancora, osservando come cambia e matura il risultato raggiunto ogni volta. Tra i prossimi impegni figurano tappe importanti: debutto nel ruolo di Zerlina nel “Don Giovanni” di Mozart al Teatro Comunale di Bologna, soprano solista nel “Magnificat” di Petrassi nell’86° Festival del Maggio Musicale Fiorentino sotto la guida del M° Daniele Gatti e il doppio debutto in Musetta ne “La Boheme” di Puccini all’Arena di Verona diretta dal M° Daniel Oren.

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Theresia’s plans for 2024: ongoing projects and new collaborations

By Emilia Campagna - January 18, 2024

It is time to take a glance at the new projects and programmes in the upcoming year. We've sought insights from Mario Martinoli, Artistic Director of Theresia and the visionary Founder and Co-chair of Fondazione ICONS, to give us a preview of Theresia's plans for 2024.
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What lies ahead in 2024? After retracing the most important initiatives that shaped the past year, our gaze naturally turns to the new projects and programmes in the upcoming year. We’ve sought insights from Mario Martinoli, Artistic Director of Theresia and the visionary Founder and Co-chair of Fondazione ICONS, to give us a preview of Theresia’s plans for 2024.

“After the whirlwind of activities last year, when we played so much, we’ve made a conscious decision to take things a bit slower in 2024. Our aim is to return to a pace that is more like our pre-pandemic activities! This decision is couple with the notable development of EUBO joining ICONS, which has increased our organisational efforts significantly. Moreover, the outlook for 2025 is already promising to be an exhilarating and particularly busy year when we have engagements lined up in Germany and Poland as significant highlights on our calendar.

The first residency of 2024 will be taking place in Lodi, the hometown of our Foundation: the musical programme is focusing on Haydn’s “Seven Last Words of Christ on the Cross”, conducted by Alfredo Bernardini. After the first concert in Lodi, we are happy to return to the two friendly cities of Rovereto and Ravenna for further concerts.

Another nice return, I would even call it a tradition, is our July residency in Geneva. This time we are set to perform Beethoven’s Second Symphony in a chamber music transcription, conducted by Chiara Banchini. This venture is part of a wide-ranging project: extending our performances of the Sixth and Seventh Symphonies. Our goal is to study and perform all transcriptions of Beethoven’s symphonies, an artistic endeauvour of which our host festival, Les Concerts d’été à St-Germain, is exceptionally supportive.

Theresia has consistently provided a blend of ongoing projects and never-ending innovation: will there be new collaborations in 2024?

Absolutely! The brilliant and accomplished conductor Enrico Onofri will conduct our orchestra for the first time in a project we entitled “Mozart Alpha and Omega”: the musical programme includes various works by Mozart, featuring Symphony No. 1 and Symphony No. 41 among others. The residency is planned for October in Ravenna, with concerts scheduled both in Ravenna and Nova Gorica, Slovenia.

On a different note, a consistent highlight in recent years has been the annual opera production with the Reate Festival: will this collaboration continue in 2024?

Yes, it will. In October, we will return to Rieti and Rome for a new production of Giuseppe Gazzaniga’s “Don Giovanni” under the direction of Alessandro De Marchi. While everyone knows the title very well, the composer is relatively unknown today. It is intriguing to rediscover this opera, written in early 1787, only a few months before Mozart’s “Don Giovanni” which dates from the same year. Interestingly, it seems that Da Ponte, the librettist for Mozart’s opera, attended the successful premiere of Gazzaniga’s opera in Venice, drawing inspiration for the libretto he would later be invited to write for Mozart’s acclaimed opera.

I believe you’re not only working on music productions but on other projects that will enrich Theresia’s activities too. The latest is Fondazione ICONS joining Mozart Ways – could you tell us more about that?

Mozart Ways is the network of cities associated with Mozart, – those where Mozart resided or visited during his travels. Although Lodi holds its own place as a Mozart city, it has not been part of this network until now. As a Foundation, we are very happy that this is now happening, and anticipate that our inclusion will expand and strengthen our collaborations. Mozart Ways is not the only network we’ve become part of: Fondazione ICONS is now also an official partner in the New European Bauhaus, a network supported by the European Commission, dedicated to fostering initiatives that are both “enriching, sustainable, and inclusive.” For us, this represents a challenge to amplify our creativity, aligning with the musicians’ desire to experiment, which we have seen and proven to be a key motivator for those who join us.

Stay tuned to the blog for upcoming insights into these two significant new collaborations, and keep following us: 2024 is evolving into another year of satisfaction and musical excitement of the highest order!

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Alessandro De Marchi: “Rossini is a matter of balance between historical research and tradition”

By Emilia Campagna - October 20, 2023

Only a few days away from our next performances, we caught up with conductor Alessandro De Marchi who conducts Theresia in our annual opera project just like last year. We will make our return to the Reate Festival for belcanto opera to accompany a talented cast of emerging singers. And this time we'll be challenged by adding something entirely new to our repertoire: Gioacchino Rossini and one of the first opera's he wrote "L'inganno felice".
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Only a few days away from our next performances, we caught up with conductor Alessandro De Marchi who conducts Theresia in our annual opera project just like last year. We will make our return to the Reate Festival for belcanto opera to accompany a talented cast of emerging singers. And this time we’ll be challenged by adding something entirely new to our repertoire: Gioacchino Rossini and one of the first opera’s he wrote “L’inganno felice”.

Find out the details in this interview with conductor Alessandro de Marchi.

Maestro De Marchi, tell us about this Rossini opera “L’inganno felice”: where does it fit within the composer’s body of work?

It is a so-called “opera farsa” which Rossini composed in 1812 for the Teatro San Moise in Venice to a libretto by Giuseppe Maria Foppa. The term ‘farce’ is misleading, because the plot is anything but comic as it tells about the misfortune of a young bride who is sent to her death by her husband, who unjustly accuses her of infidelity. This characterisation only refers to the one-act structure and some of the typical formal characteristics of the work. The only ‘buffo’ element is the duet of the two basses, which is full of cynicism and irony. The opera was written by a young Rossini at the young age of 19 and clearly shows that he had already mastered the expressive skills typical for his style; above all, the work shows the composer’s mastery of instrumentation (learnt by studying the scores of Haydn and Mozart) that had already earned him the nickname “tedeschino” during his conservatory years.

Can you tell us about the vocal cast involved in this production? Are they singers you have worked with before?

I always enjoy working with talented young singers, and some of the discoveries of recent years have come from the prestigious Cesti Competition in Innsbruck, which I created in the Tyrolean capital in 2010. These artists include Miriam Albano and Matteo Loi, who are now established soloists on the international stage. A long collaboration connects me with the bass Luigi De Donato, who in recent years has given memorable interpretations alongside me of many baroque and bel canto roles. Tenor Antonio Gares and baritone Giuseppe Toia are excellent artists who have more recently been discovered through auditions and with whom I am happy to work with for the first time.

What is your relationship to Gioacchino Rossini?

Rossini has been with me throughout my professional life and even before then. In fact, I come from a family whose female side, the Neapolitan side, was made up of melomaniacs. My mother, aunts and my grandmother listened to opera records at home, and although in the best Italian tradition Verdi and Puccini topped the bill, Rossini also had his place. Even as a child, I loved to accompany singers on the piano, so I often played the most famous arias of the Pesaro composer to great pleasure. However, my affinity with the composer on a conducting level, was three decades ago, at the beginning of my contract as pianist at the Staatsoper Unter den Linden in Berlin. There, I was asked to conduct the Barber of Seville for the first time, “jumping” in the orchestra pit at the last minute without any previous rehearsal. It went very well, and after that fortunate occasion, Rossini engagements became more and more frequent, and so this composer has kept me company for more than 30 years now.

How does the approach to this composer change when performing according to historically informed practice?

My approach is similar with both modern and historical instruments. However, the result changes a lot when you change the instruments as well as the mind-set of the instrumentalists. Certainly, authentic instruments give us completely different sonorities, very fascinating sound mixtures, soft, but also scratchy when needed; also, as in the striking case of the horns, a fusion in the woodwind group that is unthinkable in a modern orchestra. There are many techniques and many aesthetic principles of Rossini’s time that have been lost and that can be reconstructed by studying the sources. On the other hand, there are just as many that have remained in the tradition and are still present today in performances with modern instruments, and which must be preserved as witnesses to practices that have never become extinct. I would say that creating a balanced and historically acceptable interpretation of this music means finding a balance between historical research and tradition.

The historically informed approach originates from the performance of Baroque repertoire, and was then extended to the Classical repertoire, as is the case with Theresia Orchestra. This Rossini project shows that one can go further: what sort of historical limits (if any) are there to perform his music?

Personally, I went as far as Bellini’s Sonnambula, an opera from 1831. And actually there are no time limits: in Germany they already play Wagner with historical instruments, in France they perform Ravel and Debussy on period instruments…

Theresia is performing Rossini for the first time: what can audiences and former collaborators who are familiar with the orchestra’s path and approach expect from this “encounter”?

The usual quality and energy of these young musicians, and above all the joy of making music together.

Theresia performs “L’inganno felice” by Gioacchino Rossini under the direction of Alessandro De Marchi on 21 and 22 October in Rieti (Auditorium di Santa Scolastica) and on 24 and 25 October in Rome (Teatro Palladium).

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How was your year? Theresia’s remarkable things of 2022

By Emilia Campagna - December 27, 2022

How was your 2022? We hope it was stunning, surprising, and full of new and exciting projects. Like Theresia’s! We are very proud and happy about the year that’s about to end: and now that only a handful of days stand between us and the new year, we want to run through the remarkable things of 2022 together.
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How was your 2022? We hope it was stunning, surprising, and full of new and exciting projects. Like Theresia’s!

Yes, we are very proud and happy about the year that’s about to end: and now that only a handful of days stand between us and the new year, we want to run through the remarkable things of 2022 together.

A year at full speed

With eight residencies (five devoted to chamber music, three to orchestral projects), we really got back to normal after the restrictions due to the Covid pandemic. Eight residencies mean an average of one every month and a half, and even if a residency lasts about a week between rehearsals and concerts, it takes a lot of preparation work, all done behind the scenes by our valuable staff led by artistic director Mario Martinoli and project manager Susanna Bucher. Congratulations on your excellent work!

New places, new friends

In 2022, we’ve been in familiar places, such as Ossiach and Geneva, but we happened also to land in new places, like Mondovì and Montecastelli, and also countries where Theresia had never performed before: like Spain! Being in Totana as part of Ecos Festival was a great experience, especially for the peculiarities of the event. Ecos Festival is devoted to music but also to sustainability and to finding new approaches to the audience, and we couldn’t help but love it

Find more in the interview with Ecos Festival’s artistic director

Performing opera in a fairy tale place

Not only opera is an exceptional event, as Theresia is devoted mainly to orchestral repertoire, but doing it in a place such as Teatro Torlonia in Rome is breathtaking! We had the chance to being part in the production of “Le astuzie femminili” by Domenico Cimarosa, organized by Reate Festival. Teatro Torlonia is a stunning little theater in the heart of a neoclassical villa set in Rome. A few people were among the privileged to attend the event: have a glimpse of it in this beautiful photogallery.

Find more about the opera production in this interview with conductor Alessandro De Marchi

Find more about Teatro Torlonia in this “Our places” series post

Not only rehearsals and concerts: the Ambassadorship project

Some may think we are never satisfied and always want to go further: that’s right! As a matter of fact, one of the remarkable things of 2022 was not a musical project – not strictly speaking, at least. Last July, we involved three Theresia’s musicians in an Ambassadorship project as part of the EU-funded project EMPOWER. Over the course of three years, the Ambassadorship project is going to involve a total of nine young musicians, representing nine different European countries, to be Ambassadors and Ambassadresses, embodying and transmitting the core values of classical music and its importance to their countries. First to participate in the initiative were Anna Krzyżak from Poland, Léna Ruisz from Hungary, and Irina Fârtat from Romania, with the task of promoting HIP in their own countries and engaging new audiences through their own and/or Theresia’s activity.

The task is not easy, and it is our job to help them, so in July we organized a co-creation workshop, involving our expert in communication and social media management: it was incredibly stimulating and inspiring. Here are some shots from the workshop:

Find more about the Ambassadorship project here.

New voices on the blog

As part of their activity, the Ambassadresses were suggested to contribute to the blog. That was a welcome breath of fresh air, with very interesting posts, from well-being to some hidden viola repertoire.

You can find all them here!

An old friend back on track

For more than 30 years, students of baroque music had looked to Eubo, the European Union Baroque Orchestra, as a reference point. But, first because of Brexit, then Covid, Eubo had ceased its activities in 2019. Now, thanks to ICONS foundations, Eubo starts its activity again: the new phase started with a concert in Ravenna, and auditions are to be announced soon! That’s great news that adds happiness to all baroque music lovers. Well done, ICONS!

Find more in this interview with President of ICONS and Founder and Artistic Director of Theresia Orchestra Mario Martinoli

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Our places: Teatro di Villa Torlonia

By Emilia Campagna - October 12, 2022

It seems like we can’t help but perform in beautiful and fairytale places. And our next destination is no less. Follow us in Teatro di Villa Torlonia.
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It seems like we can’t help but perform in beautiful and fairytale places. It is not that we are looking deliberately for them: maybe we are especially lucky, or we are good at seeing the beauty that surrounds us, but if you pore over the “Our places” series of blog posts, you’ll see it’s just like that. And the next destination is no less.

Thanks to Reate Festival, who invited Theresia Orchestra to stage Cimarosa’s “Le astuzie femminili” under the baton of Alessandro De Marchi (click here if you lost the interview), we will perform in a real jewel in the heart of Rome, the Villa Torlonia Theatre.

Villa Torlonia, with its magnificent neoclassical building and the surrounding gardens, was designed by the renowned architect Giuseppe Valadier on behalf of the banker Giovanni Torlonia, who lived between 1756 and 1829. The construction began in 1806 and was finished by the owner’s son Alessandro (1800–1880). It was Alessandro who decided to add a theater to the complex, starting its construction in 1847.

Not proudly, it is mainly known as having been for sixteen years the residency of the Italian dictator Benito Mussolini, who rented it for only one lira a year – a symbolic prize that spared him the accusation of appropriating it by force. After the fall of the dictator, Villa Torlonia became the headquarters of the Anglo-American command and returned to Torlonia familiy’s possession in 1947.

Sadly, a long time of decay followed, until the entire property was bought by Rome’s Municipality in 1978. The first thing to happen was that the garden was made public and open free of charge to all. In 1991, big renovation works started: they made it possible to retrieve various buildings (besides the main one, among them you have some fascinating ones, like the “Casina delle Civette”, the “Casino dei Principi”, the “Serra Moresca”) and turn them into museum venues.

The Theater was one of the last buildings to be renovated: it was opened in 2013 after decades of abandonment.

A crumbling beauty… a glimpse to the Theater before the renovation – credit Patrick Denker – Flickr, CC BY 2.0

After the war, furniture and furnishings were subject to theft, but nobody could remove the beautiful loggias and the magnificent frescos by Costantino Brumidi, an Italian painter renowned in the US as the author of Whashington’s Capitol Palace frescos. The theater is quite small, though, as it was meant to serve a villa, so only few people will be among the lucky ones who share this special occasion of seeing a performance in such a historical place. We hope you’ll be among them! If you won’t, stay in touch on our social media channel for pictures to come.

Theresia Orchestra is performing Cimarosa’s “Le Astuzie Femminili” in Villa Torlonia’s theater on Friday 14 and Saturday 15 October (8 p.m.) More info on Reate Festival‘s website

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Alessandro De Marchi, Theresia and “Le Astuzie Femminili”

By Emilia Campagna - October 4, 2022

"Cimarosa’s style is something in between Mozart and Rossini: as a matter of fact, his style is very personal, and, as though it is mostly comical, it has some very lyrical moments. This is an opera you can’t help but fall in love with, and this is what is happening to us right us."
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In a few days, Theresia is going to take part to the performance of the opera “Le astuzie femminili” (Female Shrewdness) by Domenico Cimarosa as part of Reate Festival: a great chance of experiencing the staging of an opera under the baton of one of the major expert of this repertoire, Alessandro De Marchi. We met him and asked him to share with the blog some details of the project.

Maestro De Marchi, you are going to conduct Theresia in the staging of “Le astuzie femminili” by Domenico Cimarosa: what can you tell us about this opera?

When we come to Cimarosa, we are dealing with one of the best opera composers of the XVII century: he was a major exponent of the Neapolitan school, and his career was divided between more than one city: precisely he worked in Naples, Vienna and Saint Petersburg. He was an international composer, and it is very interesting that while composing this very opera, he used part of works written in Saint Petersburg and Vienna, in that giving us a summa of his international activity.

Le Astuzie Femminili is a comic opera, written for the Teatro dei Fiorentini just after his most famous opera, Il Matrimonio Segreto. Speaking of which, I like to remember that Il Matrimonio Segreto is the only opera in the history of classical music that was performed again, as an “encore” at the end of the first performance in Vienna: this was the grade of Cimarosa’s success! Le Astuzie Femminili and Il Matrimonio Segreto have a lot of things in common, as it normally happens when it comes to comic opera. And, the cast that performed the “prima” was the same, formed by professionals, specialized in this sort of roles.

Which are the peculiarities of the libretto?

The original libretto had been written in Vienna by a renowned poet, Giovanni Bertati. It was then adapted and partly translated into Neapolitan by Palomba. As a matter of fact, Italian is not the only language of this opera: we have one of the characters (Giampaolo Lasagna) singing in the Neapolitan dialect, and we can also hear a macaronic German when the two main characters disguise themselves as soldiers and pretend to speak German: it is a botched gibberish, totally funny especially when the Neapolitan character tries to answer as he can. And we enjoy enormously the fact that Bellina and Filandro, the two amorous roles, get to be comical.

How is Cimarosa’s style, and how does he deal with a series of long-established comical situations?

Cimarosa’s style is something in between Mozart and Rossini: as a matter of fact, his style is very personal, and, as though it is mostly comical, it has some very lyrical moments. This is an opera you can’t help but fall in love with, and this is what is happening to us right us. The plot indeed follows a series of comical stereotypes, but Cimarosa had unique ease in transforming the text into music and his best peculiarity is a vein of melancholy that pops out also in the most comical situation: it is the authentic Neapolitan sense of comic that in the XX century the theatre companies of Scarpetta and De Filippo have entirely inherited.

Have you already worked with the singers involved? How is the cast?

I have worked several times with Eleonora Bellocci, who will be Bellina, the main female character, and I know very well Rocco Cavalluzzi, the bass performing Don Giovanni Lasagna. The other members of the cast are young singers that won the competition organized by Reate Festival: the level is very high and this is going to be an unforgettable experience for Theresia’s musicians, as always is the making of an opera.

Working with the youth is essential in your musical activity: you have also founded an International Vocal competition, the Cesti Competition, set in Innsbruck.

Starting the vocal competition was one of the first thing I did when I was nominated artistic director of the Innsbruck Festival For Early Music: I wanted to fill a gap, because at the time there were a series of baroque singing competitions, but not even one devoted to the opera. It was a winning formula, and in very little time has become a point of reference, with hundreds of applications. They are so many that we must select the candidates on the basis of a video, and we have a really high level in the final stage of the competition.

One of the strength of the Cesti Competition is that the Jury is made of professionals working in the world of opera production: artistic directors, stage managers, casting directors… so that taking part in the competition is like having multiple auditions in some of the main theatres around the world, and this represents a great chance for young talented singers. And, in fact, we have seen bright careers that were born among us.

Theresia was at Cesti a couple of years ago: what do you like of this orchestra and of its philosophy?

Theresia was the orchestra accompanying the finalists of the 2020 edition and came back for the staging of the Boris Goudenow the year after. I really admire this orchestra and I like the project, especially the idea of offering training paths that bring to a truly professional experience. And, most importantly, this project is in very competent and capable hands, so I see a bright future.

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Theresia’s autumn concert season

By Emilia Campagna - September 27, 2022

After an intense summer, our musicians are ready to start rehearsing again and diving into new exciting musical adventures
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For a lot of people, September is synonymous with a fresh start: it’s probably because of our school memories, or because after the summer we are full of energy, ready to start a new project with enthusiasm. And so we are, too, ready to start rehearsing again and diving into new exciting adventures during our autumn concert season. Yet, our summer was pretty intense, but being part of an orchestra like Theresia means being always ready for new projects.

Staging an opera

Definitely, the first project represents a whole new experience: the staging of an opera, “Le astuzie femminili” (Female Shrewdness) by Domenico Cimarosa. Being an ensemble devoted to symphonic (and sometimes chamber music) repertoire, working with voices is not usual for Theresia: it happened to us three times, when we joined the film-concert production “Zoroastro”, and then, more recently, on two different occasions in Innsbruck as part of the opera production “Boris Goudenow” by Johann Mattheson and as the orchestra of the international singing competition for baroque opera “Pietro Antonio Cesti”.

But, staging an opera is much more than just performing vocal music. It is a complex process that needs a lot of rehearsals and many different professionals: a director, a set designer, a stage manager and various technicians in addition to the musicians involved. So, the next project promises to be an exciting experience both for its musical meaning (“Le astuzie femminili” is a stunning comic opera among the best works by Cimarosa) and the thing that we can professionally learn about the world of musical production.

“Le astuzie femminili” is scheduled on 8th and 9th October in Rieti (Teatro Flavio Vespasiano) and 14th and 15th October in Rome (Teatro di Villa Torlonia) as part of Reate Festival (more info here). Theresia will be conducted by Alessandro De Marchi: coming soon an interview with him!

A warm-up residency

Speaking of professional growth, we know that precisely this is at the very heart of Theresia’s mission. Recently, new members were selected to join the orchestra: a “warm-up” chamber music academy now awaits them, the perfect occasion to know each other better and blend in, looking for the ideal ensemble sound while rehearsing and performing chamber music for strings and woodwinds.

The Academy will take place in an exclusive and amazing location, the Tuscan village Montecastelli, in collaboration with the organization Sience and Music, and tutor will be Paolo Beschi, cellist of the renowned ensemble Giardino Armonico. Stay tuned for more info about the musical program and the concerts to come!

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