Highly Original
Alessandro Scarlatti's 'Il trionfo dell'onore' is to be performed for the first time in Venice
Enrico Onofri will conduct the Orchestra of Teatro La Fenice at the Teatro Malibran in Venice, Italy, in the highly-awaited Il trionfo dell'onore (The Triumph of Honour) by Alessandro Scarlatti, in celebration of the three hundredth anniversary of the composer's death. This small but essential comic masterpiece – the only opera buffa among the nearly thirty works written by Scarlatti – will be performed for the first time in Venice in a new production by Stefano Vizioli, with sets and costumes by Ugo Nespolo and lighting design by Nevio Cavina. The cast includes Giulia Bolcato, Rosa Bove and Raffaele Pe. The score is the result of a careful revision of the original manuscript by Aaron Carpenè.
Rehearsals for Il trionfo dell'onore. Photo credit: Teatro La Fenice
Conductor Enrico Onofri explains:
Abiding by the rules and using a language that is idiosyncratic, highly original yet rigorously crafted, Scarlatti once again showcases his greatness with the only comic opera he composed to a Tuscan libretto, infused with a distinctly Neapolitan spirit. The characters are treated as voices for his famous counterpoints, theatrical fugato in which subject and countersubject are the very soul of the actors, whose constant fluctuation between the comic and the tragic inexorably exposes their true nature, caught between supposed virtues and obvious vices, vividly brought to life through the music: an overpowering work. With rare taste and intelligence, stage director Maestro Vizioli, along with an exceptional cast and the Teatro La Fenice orchestra will bring this masterpiece to life on the stage of the legendary Teatro San Giovanni Grisostomo, now known as Teatro Malibran. An iconic venue in the history of Baroque opera.
Enrico Onofri. Photo © 2023 Florian Ganslmeier
Performances, after the premiere on 7 March, which will also be broadcast later on Rai Radio3, will continue on 9, 11, 13 and 15 March 2025.
Posted 6 March 2025 by Keith Bramich
