Verdi Ernani

The history of the construction of the Teatro Massimo is almost as complicated as its reopening. As early as the end of the 18th century, Marquis Domenico Caracciolo lamented that Palermo did not have a lyrical theater befitting the hometown of Alessandro Scarlatti, the man who composed more than one hundred operas. Although the Teatro Carolino was built in 1801, it soon became too cramped and outdated, never suitable for the increasingly lavish productions of the Romantic era.

In 1844, the repertoire was still limited to Cimarosa, Mayr, Rossini, Donizetti, and Bellini. The "Carolino" was even renamed after the latter composer. While the "Bellini," thus named, continued to become outdated, it wasn't until 1851 that the construction of a new building was discussed, 1860 that the authorization appeared in the official journal of Sicily, and 1864 that an architectural competition was launched. Giovanni Battista Filippo Basile's project was chosen: at the architect's death in 1891, the Opera House was still not finished! Expropriating clergymen, solving technical problems, considering changing the project, and in the meantime, even building the Politeama for current performances all caused delays. It wasn't until 1897 that the "Massimo" finally opened its doors...

One could then applaud Enrico Caruso, a young and little-known tenor, on the theatre's stage, as well as singers such as Gigli, Stabile, and Gino Bechi, among the pride and joy of the Italian school. But it was only after the Second World War that the Massimo lived its heyday: conductors such as the young Giulini, Klemperer, and Scherchen came to lead the orchestra, Callas came to sing Brunnhilde and Norma, Sutherland was a revelation in the role of Lucia, while Szymanowski, Honegger, Dallapiccola and Stravinsky, amongst others, were performed....