Ravenna Festival 2013 confirms the turning point began last year, proposing a program divided into several times during the year. The XXIV edition, launched in February with the world premiere of Momix new show, continued with the 'traditional' summer program, will finish in November, from 8 to 17, with a new "Autumn Trilogy" dedicated to Giuseppe Verdi & William Shakespeare. To close the celebrations for the Verdi’s birth, an event that has mark out the whole Festival 2013, it will be performed the three masterpieces of Verdi's maturity, where the theatrical genius of the Italian musician is enhanced by the encounter with the greatest playwright in history, William Shakespeare: Macbeth (8, 12 and 15 November), Otello (9, 13 and 16 November) and Falstaff (10 ,14 and 17 November). As before, it will be repeated the formula, already highly appreciated by the public last year, to represent all 3 titles in three consecutive days, on the same stage of Teatro Alighieri, enabling the audience to focus the vision of all three works in a short and intense period.

Shakespeare’s plays still sit on his bedside table near the scores of his beloved quartets: Haydn, Mozart and Beethoven. Verdi’s estate in Sant’Agata is unchanged: the composer’s steps still echo in the rooms, and the worn out pages of his beloved books tell the story of his deep affinity for another great stage man. The villa, Roncole and Busseto will provide the scenery for Falstaff in the shots by the young artists of 2012 VerdiWeb project. The contrast between Othello’s black skin and the pallor of innocent Desdemona will blend into a similar contrast of darkness and light, while Macbeth’s mad lust for power will be consumed between vision and reality. This unmissable trilogy will close the bicentenary of Verdi’s birth with a celebration of the “study of the soul” and a sample of great theatre.

The strengthen artistic team (light design: Vincent Longuemare, set design: Ezio Antonelli, costumes: Alessandro Lai, image processing: Studio Visual Technology) will be coordinated by Cristina Muti , who signs direction and stage design of the three works , entrusted to the usual "workshop" technique and to the most original and dynamic resource: the young. They take on this new challenge involving young singers , many of them already successfully launched by the Festival. The Luigi Cherubini Youth Orchestra will be conducted by Nicola Paszkowski , while the chorus of Teatro Municipale di Piacenza is trained by Corrado Casati.

A new trilogy dedicated to the young, couldn’t be imagined without repeating, renewing and expanding the VerdiWeb project which has enhanced and emphasized the first edition, thanks to the young whom put themselves on the line having the opportunity to experience the opera from the inside, and then give their own personal vision through photography, video and writing. In the wake of the last year’ success, the Macbeth, Othello and Falstaff’ rehearsal at the Teatro Alighieri - will be open to VerdiWeb 2.013 guys, a new laboratory-test bench dedicated to photos, video and writing.

For more information:
www.verdiweb.it
www.ravennafestival.org