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Verona,
a night at the opera
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The
Verona Arena gets a face-lift for its Verdi Festival.
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 This
year you've one extra excuse to treat yourself to
a night at the opera. Or rather three extra
excuses, because this year the Verona Arena
opens its summer season with three important innovations:
new flooring, new seats and above all, a great new
stage, which, according to its designers, will guarantee
an even greater quality of sound. One thing is for
sure, opera fans from all over the world have already
booked
their tickets and are ready to ring in the changes
in what promises to be one of the Arena's most important
seasons ever.
One word of warning: if you're not a fan of Giuseppe
Verdi you'll not be impressed by the Arena's
programme
for the 2001 summer season. Indeed, on this the
centenary of Verdi's death, the Arena treats itself
to a face-lift and dedicates the whole summer to
the composer from Busseto, in the province of Parma.
There are changes in the orchestra pit which loses
9 metres in length but gains 2 in depth thereby
highlighting the importance of the conductor.
What about the weather? They can't guarantee
against showers but this year the Arena does guarantee
the musicians will continue singing in the rain
thanks to a new rain shelter which will automatically
cover the stage and orchestra in the case of bad
weather.
There are changes too in seating
arrangements: 600 of the 2nd sector
stalls have been upgraded to 1st sector
ones with a corresponding change in price (from
LIT 200/220 - LIT 270/300). And there's good
news for the 'hottest' seats in the Arena - from
this year seating on the steps will be wider and
there'll be an extra few rows of stalls - at 'discount'
(if there is such a concept for opera) prices.
 Last
but not least let's take at look at the operas in
programme for Verdi 2001: Requiem Mass, Il
Trovatore, Aida, Nabucco, Rigolettoand
La Traviata. Some of the world's most important
directors, conductors, singers, musicians and choreographers
will make the festival one of Verona's most memorable
yet. Our pick of the season is Il
Trovatore directed by Franco
Zeffirelli with Daniel
Oren from Israel conducting. Il Trovatore
with its stirring mix of resentment, enchantment,
hate, vengeance, murder and intrigue has always
been one of Verdi's most popular operas.
Taste some of the magic for yourselves this summer
in the world's most beautiful open-air opera
house.
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MARCELLO
PARMEGGIANI |
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June
2001
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THE SURVIVOR'S 
