Set Designer

Christmas Eve, 1871. In Cairo’s newly built opera house, the curtain rises on the premiere of Giuseppe Verdi’s Aida. This is a turning point in cultural history, when an occidental passion for exoticism and an oriental interest in European high culture come together to create great art. Very few works of opera have achieved such widespread popularity. And rightly so: with its thrilling musical effects, exotic sounds and tableaux, the colourful instrumentation and monumental scenes alternating with moments of great intimacy, Aida is a true musical and dramatic treasure trove. And that’s not all. Through the tragic love affair between the Ethiopian princess Aida and the Egyptian army commander Radamès, torn between the interests of state, church and family, Giuseppe Verdi reflects on the crisis-ridden plight of the modern individual, ending with a highly moving plea for the utopian power of love.

Aida

Semperoper Dresden

In the fairytale forest, we encounter the familiar figures of the poor siblings who have lost their way as well as the Gingerbread Witch. The story comes to a head in the famous edible house, which is sweet on the outside but a death trap within. In 1893 Engelbert Humperdinck transformed the tale by the Brothers Grimm into a work which is probably the most famous fairy-tale opera in the repertoire.

Hansel and Gretel

The opera "Aida" by Giuseppe Verdi is not only set in Egypt and premiered in Cairo, but throughout the history of its origin it is closely linked to the country on the Nile and its viceroy, the Khedive Ismael Pasha. How Verdi initially reacted to the request to compose the opera and how strongly the contemporary developments in Europe and Egypt influenced the work in addition to the interest in archeology, Johann Casimir Eule tells in the opera guide online.

As the court jester to the Duke of Mantua, Rigoletto is no less scrupulous than his absolutist master, who seduces women at will and has men killed on a whim. Rigoletto seeks to protect his daughter Gilda from this world, but the Duke has already set his sights on the innocent young woman. When Gilda gives herself to the seducer driven by love and idealism, Rigoletto's carefully constructed wall of protection collapses, and he himself is made a fool: his belief that he could strictly separate the corruption of court society from his private happiness proves to be a fatal illusion.

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Rigoletto

Cologne Opera

Garance, Baptiste, Frédérick Lemaître: names that remain unforgettable for every generation that has seen Marcel Carné’s 1945 film Les Enfants du paradis. In 2008, Étoile dancer and choreographer José Martinez adapted Jacques Prévert's poetic screenplay into a ballet created at the Paris Opera.

Set Designer

Ezio Toffolutti

Events

Upcoming events

Oct 3 - Nov 15, 2026

Rigoletto · Oper Köln

9 - 27 Mar, 2027

Les Enfants du paradis · Opéra national de Paris

Past events

11 - 28 Jun, 2026

Aida · Semperoper Dresden

19 - 28 Dec, 2025

Hansel and Gretel · Semperoper Dresden

About

Ezio Toffolutti hasn't added a bio