Rossini in Wildbad: Gazza ladra - The Thieving Magpie

Written immediately after "La Cenerentola", this opera belongs to the unusual semiseria genre, where the colouring in "Gazza" is at times extremely dark, and the happy ending arrives abruptly, making it highly effective. The unfortunate Ninetta is quickly condemned to death for the alleged theft of a spoon (!). This is not operatic kitsch, but reflects the legal reality of the period in which the action takes place. For a homeless servant and her father, who had to enlist in the military, even small mistakes could be fatal. Until the very last scene, it seems as though the entire family will be wiped out, against which even the well-meaning are powerless. The appalling barbarity of "justice", which the podestà as an official abuses for sexual harassment, is made starkly clear by the plot. Rossini composed the music for this opera entirely anew. The overture with its drum rolls is famous. We perform the little-known Neapolitan version with three alternative arias. The new production, directed by festival director Jochen Schönleber, is conducted by José Miguel Pérez-Sierra.

The purchase of the programme booklet counts as admission to the opera introduction, held 1 hour before the performance in the Forum König-Karls-Bad.
Cast information and details about the performances can always be found on the website www.rossini-in-wildbad.de