Monteverdi Il Ritorno d’Ulisse in Patria

For a theatre that is more than 300 years old, the Teatro Comunale di Bologna has a remarkedly peaceful past. Neither fires nor wars, neither political nor artistic revolutions have upset the long history of this opera house, constructed between 1756 and 1763 by Antonio Galli Bibiena. From its inauguration, with Gluck's II TRIONFO DI CLELIA, to the present day, the house's fortunate audience, which most often fills the 1000-seat hall, has simply witnessed some of the most brilliant performances in opera history, and has heard the essential lyrical repertoire. Rossini came to produce TANCREDI, L'ITALIANA IN ALGERI, LA CENERENTOLA, LA GAZZA LADRA, and THE BARBER OF SEVILLE; Merendante premiered his MARIA STUARDA REGINA DI SCOZIA here. Later on, Verdi came to premiere the first Italian version of his DON CARLO in 1867, and Boito his final version of MEFISTOFELE in 1875. Much to its honour, the theatre didn't content itself with presenting only top-notch Italian artists: it was the first Italian opera house to produce one of Wagner's operas, LOHENGRIN, in 1871. The next year TANNHAUSER was performed, followed, before the end of the century, by THE FLYING DUTCHMAN and TRISTAN UND ISOLDE. For this reason, Bologna is still known today as one of Italy's few Wagnerian centres.

Since the beginning of the twentieth century, seated in the same hall, the audience has applauded the house orchestra conducted by artists such as Toscanini, Furtwangler, Karajan, Abbado, and Sinopoli, without forgetting Riccardo Chailly, who left his position as Bologna's principal conductor to conduct the Concertgebouw Orchestra in Amsterdam. And the list of stars who have sung on the Bologna stage is impressive, including Schipa, Gigli. Di Stefano, Christoff, Renata Tebaldi, Del Monaco, Pavarotti, Mirella Freni, Marilyn Home, Christa Ludwig, June Anderson, Ghiaurov, and Raina Kabaivanska, to name a few.

The Institution also takes part in pedagogical programmes for children as well as for the retired throughout the Emilia-Romagna region. Besides producing the lyrical Performances that have established Bologna's reputation, the house orchestra also proposes a Symphonie series, as well as a chamber music season that has become a rendez-vous for the world's leading artists. A peaceful history, and a happy one...