Editorial We are planning the 27th edition of ROSSINI IN WILDBAD. It is our most extensive festival ever: five operas, three of which are modern or German premieres and some of which are practically unknown. There are new soloists, the faces of the future, for each year we look for outstanding talented singers from all countries, who will be singing with some of the finest bel canto artists of our time. There will also be a cyclic offering of Rossini’s virtuoso “Sonate a quattro,” the string sonatas in the critical edition. Rossini himself discovered new talent during his stay at the spa of Wildbad (such as Friedrich Hermann, who became one of the most famous violinists of his time), and it was during or after his stay in Wildbad that he began again to compose his “Sins of My Old Age.” We invite you to share in this experience of discovery and excellence during the three exciting weeks of ROSSINI IN WILDBAD! Hors d’oeuvres - Getting Ready for Rossini Saturday, June 20, 19:40 Königliches Kurtheater SonARTrio This unusual trio (bayan accordion, violin, cello) performs mostly modern music by Wolf- gang Rihm, Karlheinz Stockhausen, Tilo Medek and others. The concert will include se- lections from the young artists of the German Music Council (Deutscher Musikrat). Saturday, June 27, 19:40 Königliches Kurtheater Chopin Cycle VIII, Eugène Mursky The eighth and last concert of all the piano works of Fréderic Chopin with Berlin-based Russian pianist Eugène Mursky. This popular series offers one work by Rossini in each concert. Prelude: a Weekend in the Royal Kurtheater Friday, July 10, 19:40 Königliches Kurtheater Margarita Gritskova, Lieder Recital Margarita Gritskova is a rising star of the international opera stage. She made her out- standing Wildbad debut in 2014 as Ottone in Adelaide di Borgogna and was hailed by both critics and the public when she sang Idamante last October in a new production of Idomeneo at the Vienna Staatsoper; she will make her Salzburg debut as Cherubino im- mediately after this concert. This will be a recital of lieder from her debut at Vienna’s Musikverein in January, enriched with some Rossini. Saturday, July 11, 15:00 (also Sunday, July 26, 11:15) Königliches Kurtheater Sonate a quattro I, Virtuoso Chamber Music Rossini’s “Sonate a quattro” are charming, brilliant and demanding. We proudly present the first complete performances of the new critical edition of this thrilling chamber music. Sonatas 1-3 will be presented by soloists from our orchestra, together with other attrac- tive chamber pieces with piano accompaniment. Saturday, July 11 (also Friday, 17 and Thursday, 23) 19:40 Königliches Kurtheater L’inganno felice (1812) L’inganno felice was first performed in Bad Wildbad in a concert version for the inaugura- tion of the provisionally restored Königliches Kurtheater in 2005 with Dame Joan Sutherland as patron. This will be the second work performed there after the glamorous definitive reopening of the theater in 2014 with Il viaggio a Reims. A young duchess, abused and vilified by Ormondo, who works for her husband the Duke, has been set adrift in a boat by Batone, his follower. He has abandoned her at sea, and luckily she has landed in a remote region of the dukedom where she is saved by the kindly old miner Tarabotto, and treated like a daughter. When Duke Bertrando arrives to inspect the mines and is suddenly confronted by Isabella, the Duchess, whom he believe to be dead, things change rapidly. This melancholy opera has both comic and tragic ele- ments. For this special event under the baton of Antonino Fogliani and directed by Jochen Schönleber, we have chosen exciting young artists together with well known Rossini singers: rising star Sofia Mchedishvili, last year’s Contessa di Folleville, as Is- abella; Artavazd Sargsyan as Bertrando; and Lorenzo Regazzo and Bruno de Simone in the buffo roles. Sunday, July 12, 11:15 (also Saturday, July 18, and 25, 15:00) Königliches Kurtheater Le Cinesi (The Chinese Girls) by Manuel García (1831) You might know the libretto by the baroque poet Metastasio, but you certainly do not know this opera by Manuel García, who was not only one of the most famous tenors of his time and Rossini’s first Almaviva, but also a successful composer, excellent teacher and author of a treatise on singing which is still in use. He wrote this lovely opera for some of his students. This production by the Concertante Barcelona/Teatro Sarrià will be the first performance of a stage version in modern times. Friday, July 17 and 24, 15:00 Königliches Kurtheater Rossini & Co This year as in other years, the students of the Akademie BelCanto from the master classes of Lorenzo Regazzo and Raúl Giménez will offer arias and ensembles. Sunday, July 19, 11:15 Königliches Kurtheater Sonate a quattro II, Virtuoso Chamber Music The second part of the cyclic performance of Rossini’s sonatas for strings in the new critical edition. Sonatas 4-6 together with other chamber music by Rossini, e.g. for horn, will be performed by soloists of the orchestra. Belcanto Opera Festival Thursday, July 16, 19:40 Trinkhalle Concert: Marianna Pizzolato The recent winner of the “Oscar di Lirica” as Best Mezzo-soprano, Marianna Pizzolato, will open the Festival with a selection of her starring Rossini roles from Tancredi to Zelmira as well as unknown arias by Rossini and his contemporaries. José Miguel Pérez Sierra conducts the Festival Orchestra Virtuosi Brunensis. Saturday, July 18, 19:40; Friday, 24, 19:40; Sunday, 26, 15:00 Trinkhalle Bianca e Falliero (1819) This great opera which Rossini wrote for La Scala in Milan, will be performed in Bad Wildbad for the first time. A Venetian family feud to be settled with a forced marriage; an obedient daughter, who cannot however renounce her love. Duty, desire, and in the end, a solution through human compassion which settles the feud - these are the ingre- dients of this rich, musically exciting and sophisticated opera with great choruses, which is offered in staged performances. Antonino Fogliani conducts the Bach Choir Poznan and the Virtuosi Brunensis. To be recorded by the SWR for their radio Summer Festival program. Sunday July 19, 15:00; Wednesday, July 22, 19:40 Trinkhalle L’Italiana in Algeri (1813) One of the most popular operas of Rossini, full of musical madness. The Academie Bel- Canto offers this comic masterpiece in concert form with scenic elements. The soloists are selected through major international auditions, and musically prepared by Raúl Giménez and a stage workshop by Bruno de Simone. José Miguel Pérez Sierra conducts the Virtuosi Brunensis. Saturday, July 25, 19:40; (additionally, Thursday, July 23, 14:30) Trinkhalle Il vespro siciliano (The Sicilian Vesper) by Joseph Peter von Lindpaintner (1843) In 2011 two stunning pieces from this important grand opera were performed in concert in Bad Wildbad, where parts of the opera were composed. Now we present this work by the completely forgotten Peter Joseph von Lindpaintner, who led the Stuttgart Court Theater to a high level, praised by the critics and the audience of his time. The opera, written and presented in Italian, was woven from the fabric of revolution long before the similar events were depicted in Verdi’s version. An event, conducted by Federico Longo! Tickets, Arrangements, Hotel Touristik Bad Wildbad GmbH König-Karl-Strasse 5 D-75323 Bad Wildbad [email protected] www.rossini-in-wildbad.de.