Rossini in Bad Wildbad: Gazza ladra - The Thieving Magpie 2

Rossini composed this opera immediately after La Cenerentola. It belongs to the unusual genre of semiseria, where the tone in Gazza is at times extremely dark, and the happy ending arrives suddenly and very effectively. 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. For a destitute servant girl and her father, forced to enlist in the military, even small mistakes could be fatal. Until the very last scene, it seems the family will be completely destroyed, leaving even the well-meaning powerless. The appalling barbarism of "justice", which the podestà as an official abuses for sexual harassment, is clearly highlighted in 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, conducted by José Miguel Pérez-Sierra, was prepared by festival director Jochen Schönleber.

The purchase of the programme booklet counts as admission to the opera introduction one hour before the start in the Forum König-Karls-Bad. For cast information and details about the performances, visit www.rossini-in-wildbad.de