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PEOPLE & ARTS Monday 13 august 2018

Soprano Gasdia reboots troubled Verona Arena opera festival

By COLLEEN BARRY the budget.
Associated Press With short notice, Gasdia
VERONA, Italy (AP) — The booked Russian mezzo-so-
colossal Roman-era Ve- prano Anna Goryachova
rona Arena amphitheater as Carmen opposite Arena
remains an imposing pres- newcomer American tenor
ence in the northern Italian Brian Jagde as Don Jose,
city’s main piazza, but its sharing the role with Italian
place in the opera world tenor Francesco Meli.
has waned in recent years. Gasdia also coaxed back
The popular Verona Arena Leo Nucci, one of Italy’s
summer festival has lost most renowned baritones,
both audience and pres- who had announced last
tige and nearly closed year at 75 he had sung
two seasons ago under a his last aria in the Verona
mountain of debt. Arena, reprising one of his
Now the artists and public signature roles, “Il Barbiere
who have sustained it are di Siviglia (The Barber of Se-
putting their hopes for a ville).”
relaunch in the hands of a “We singers are a bit like
former opera singer who sailors, we make worthless
this year became the first to promises! But the reality is,
run an Italian lyric theater. that if it weren’t for Cecilia
Soprano Cecilia Gasdia, a Italian baritone Leo Nucci, waves at the crowd after singing the title role in Rossini’s ‘’Barbiere di Gasdia, with whom I sang ‘Il
57-year-old Verona native Siviglia’’ at Verona Arena, in Verona, Northern Italy, Saturday, Aug. 4, 2018. Barbiere di Siviglia’ in 1996,
who has appeared on the Associated Press I wouldn’t be here,” Nucci
Arena stage as an extra, a For her inaugural season as top voices with the aim of theater in the world, which said backstage at the Aug.
chorus member and a star, general manager, Gasdia boosting ticket sales in the in recent years has seen 4 season premiere of that
inherited a troubled festival has used her connections in 13,500-seat amphitheater, audiences plunge. opera. “I did it because
that has struggled for years. the singing world to secure the biggest open-air opera Her next goal: balancing Cecilia convinced me.”q