Italian Opera Houses and Festivals

Italian Opera in the 18th and 19th centuries was an experience unequaled anywhere else in the world. The unique emotion, flavor, and passion that existed have yet to be attained in any other country. Opera houses in Italy are the birthplace of this great art form. They represent its beauty and richness. More than just concrete, stone, glass, and wood, they are alive, each with a character and history of its own.
This work recreates the social, political, architectural, and performance histories of each house by including eyewitness accounts from Italian newspapers, journals, and books of the time. It covers more than 50 Italian opera houses and festivals, organized by their city of origin and geographic region. Each chapter is a journey back in time, beginning with the first theaters and performances in the city and concluding with an architectural description of the principal theater and a practical information guide for visitors (including hotel recommendations). The operatic activities of the main theater, including inaugurations, important performances, and world premieres, are also covered. A photospread, along with brief descriptions of opera-related sites, including the birthplaces, dwellings, and museums of Italy's greatest composers, give an even more complete portrait of the art.

Karyl Charna Lynn has written six books on opera houses, companies, and architecture, including The National Trust Guide to Great Opera Houses in America and Opera Companies and Houses of Western Europe, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand. She is also a feature writer for Opera Now and Opera-Opera. She has lectured widely on Italian opera houses, their architecture, politics, and performances, including at the Italian Cultural Institute.

Part 1 Foreword
Part 2 Preface
Part 3 Acknowledgments
Part 4 PART 1: NORTHERN ITALY
Chapter 5 1. Bergamo: Teatro Donizetti
Chapter 6 2. Brescia: Teatro Grande
Chapter 7 3. Como: Teatro Sociale
Chapter 8 4. Cremona: Teatro Comunale Amilcare Ponchielli
Chapter 9 5. Genoa: Teatro Carlo Felice
Chapter 10 6. Mantua: Condominio Teatro Sociale
Chapter 11 7. Milan: Teatro alla Scala and Teatro Arcimboldi
Chapter 12 8. Novara: Teatro Coccia
Chapter 13 9. Padua: Teatro Comunale "Giuseppe Verdi"
Chapter 14 10. Pavia: Teatro Fraschini
Chapter 15 11. Rovigo: Teatro Sociale
Chapter 16 12. Savona: Teatro Comunale Chiabrera and Teatro dell'Opera Giocosa
Chapter 17 13. Treviso: Teatro Comunale
Chapter 18 14. Trieste: Teatro Lirico Giuseppe Verdi
Chapter 19 15. Turin: Teatro Regio
Chapter 20 16. Venice: Teatro La Fenice and Teatro Malibran
Chapter 21 17. Verona: Arena di Verona and Teatro Filarmonico
Chapter 22 18. Vittorio Veneto: Teatro Da Ponte
Part 23 PART 2: CENTRAL ITALY
Chapter 24 19. Ancona: Teatro delle Muse
Chapter 25 20. Ascoli Piceno: Teatro Comunale Ventidio Basso
Chapter 26 21. Barga: Opera Barga Festival
Chapter 27 22. Bologna: Teatro Comunale
Chapter 28 23. Busseto: Teatro Verdi
Chapter 29 24. Chieti: Teatro Marrucino
Chapter 30 25. Fermo: Teatro dell'Aquila
Chapter 31 26. Ferrara: Teatro Comunale
Chapter 32 27. Fidenza: Teatro Magnani
Chapter 33 28. Florence: Teatro del Maggio Musicale Fiorentino and Teatro Comunale
Chapter 34 29. Jesi: Teatro Comunale G. B. Pergolesi
Chapter 35 30. Livorno: Comitato Estate Livornese and Teatro di Livorno
Chapter 36 31. Lucca: Teatro del Giglio
Chapter 37 32. Lugo: Teatro Rossini
Chapter 38 33. Macerata: Macerata Opera-Sferisterio and Teatro Lauro Rossi
Chapter 39 34. Modena: Teatro Comunale
Chapter 40 35. Montepulciano: Cantiere Internazionale d'Arte
Chapter 41 36. Narni, Amelia, and Terni: Associazione in Canto
Chapter 42 37. Parma: Teatro Regio
Chapter 43 38. Pesaro: Rossini Opera Festival and Teatro Rossini
Chapter 44 39. Piacenza: Teatro Municipale
Chapter 45 40. Pisa: Teatro Verdi
Chapter 46 41. Ravenna: Teatro Comunale Alighieri and Ravenna Festival
Chapter 47 42. Reggio Emilia: Teatro Municipale Valli
Chapter 48 43. Rome: Teatro dell'Opera
Chapter 49 44. San Gimignano: Festival Internazionale
Chapter 50 45. San Severo: Teatro Verdi Musica Festival
Chapter 51 46. Spoleto: Festival dei Due Mondi
Chapter 52 47. Torroe del Lago: Puccini Festival
Part 53 PART 3: SOUTHERN ITALY
Chapter 54 48. Bari: Teatro Petruzzelli and Teatro Piccinni
Chapter 55 49. Cosenza: Teatro Alfonso Rendano
Chapter 56 50. Lecce: Teatro Politeama Greco
Chapter 57 51. Martina Franca: Festival della Valle d'Itria
Chapter 58 52. Naples: Teatro di San Carlo
Chapter 59 53. Salerno: Teatro Municipale G. Verdi
Part 60 PART 4: THE ISLANDS
Chapter 61 54. Cagliari, Sardinia: Teatro Lirico
Chapter 62 55. Catania, Sicily: Teatro Massimo Bellini
Chapter 63 56. Messina, Sicily: Teatro Vittorio Emanuele
Chapter 64 57. Palermo, Sicily: Teatro Massimo
Chapter 65 58. Taormina, Sicily: Taormina Arte Festival
Part 66 Glossary
Part 67 Selected Bibliography
Part 68 Index of Artists, Architects, Conductors, Directors, and Rulers
Part 69 Index of Theaters
Part 70 About the Author