Rossini in Wildbad: Gazza ladra - The Thieving Magpie 3

Written immediately after "Cinderella", this opera belongs to the unusual genre of semiseria, with the tone of "La Gazza" ranging from extremely dark to a sudden and highly effective happy ending. The unfortunate Ninetta is condemned to death for the alleged theft of a spoon (!). This is not operatic convention but reflects the legal reality of the period. For a destitute servant girl and her father, forced to enlist in the military, even minor mistakes could be fatal. Until the final scene, it seems the entire family will be destroyed, leaving even the well-intentioned powerless. The shocking brutality of "justice", which the podestà abuses as an official to commit 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 1 hour before the start in the Forum König-Karls-Bad. Cast information and performance details are always available at www.rossini-in-wildbad.de