Cavalleria rusticana

Teatro Massimo di Palermo

Composed in just 17 days in the spring of 1868, the Second Piano Concerto is certainly Saint-Saëns's most famous work in this genre, having been commissioned by Anton Rubinstein. At the time, the great Russian pianist and conductor was in Paris for a series of eight concerts in which he was to perform as pianist with Saint-Saëns on the podium. Wanting to make his debut in the French capital as a conductor as well, he asked the French composer to compose a Piano Concerto . Given the extremely tight schedule, Saint-Saëns wanted to include his First Piano Concerto in the program , but ultimately decided to perform the Second Piano Concerto , which he had composed in the meantime in a very short time. His solo performance, however, at the premiere on May 13, 1868, in Paris, was not among his finest, as the French composer had not had much time to study the piano part thoroughly. Despite this setback, the Concerto was appreciated by Liszt who, after receiving a copy, wrote to Saint-Saëns in a letter dated 19 July 1869: « The form is new and very happy. The interest in the three pieces is growing ». Liszt had understood the novelty of the Concerto which, according to a famous statement by the Polish pianist Zygmunt Stojowski , begins with the name of Bach and ends with that of Offenbach .

Saint-Saëns/Bartók/Enescu

Teatro Politeama Garibaldi

Le nozze di Figaro (The Marriage of Figaro)

Semperoper Dresden

Gaul has been entirely conquered by the Romans. The Gauls would have revolted against their occupiers long ago if it weren’t for the priestess Norma, who, evoking Irminsul, the god of war, continually demands that the uprising be postponed. In fact, Norma wishes to prevent war because she is the secret lover of the Roman proconsul Pollione, to whom she has borne two children. But Pollione’s imminent recall forces action, and when Norma discovers that the Roman has long since fallen in love with the young Druid priestess Adalgisa, she declares war against Rome. Then she reveals her own treachery to the Gauls. But what is Norma’s plan? – First performed in Milan in 1831, »Norma« is the most famous opera by Italian composer Vincenzo Bellini. In his Dresden production, stage director Peter Konwitschny exposes the political core of this story of a woman who shakes the very foundations of her state.

Norma

The wedding of the servant couple Figaro and Susanna is imminent, and everything could be so wonderful, if it weren’t for the lecherous Count Almaviva, who has been stalking Susanna for some time, as well as the vengeful Doctor Bartolo and his housekeeper Marcellina, who all wish to prevent the wedding. After numerous twists and turns, Figaro and Susanna, with the help of the Countess and thanks to an ingenious plan of revenge, finally succeed in thwarting Almaviva using his own art of seduction so that, in the end, all couples are reunited. Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s „The Marriage of Figaro“, which premiered at Vienna’s Hoftheater in 1786, is the first of the three Mozart-da Ponte operas. Despite its quick-fire comedic action, the work foreshadows some of the radical ideas of the French Revolution. In his staging, director Johannes Erath takes the audience on a journey through the different epochs of theatrical history from Commedia dell’arte to the modern age.

Gaetano d'Espinosa

Events

Past events

12 - 20 Sep, 2026

Cavalleria rusticana · Teatro Massimo

24 - 26 Apr, 2026

Saint-Saëns/Bartók/Enescu · Orchestra Sinfonica Siciliana

Future and recently performed repertoire

Conductor in Piano Concerto No. 2 by Saint-Saëns

Orchestra Sinfonica Siciliana

Conductor in Norma by Bellini

Semperoper Dresden

Conductor in Romanian Rhapsody No. 1 by Enescu

Orchestra Sinfonica Siciliana

Conductor in The Miraculous Mandarin by Bartók

Orchestra Sinfonica Siciliana

Conductor in Le nozze di Figaro by Mozart

Semperoper Dresden

Conductor in Cavalleria rusticana by Mascagni

Teatro Massimo

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