Salieri Opera Festival: Il Mondo alla rovescia

Antonio Salieri's opera "Il Mondo alla rovescia" is a dramma giocoso and based on the text by the famous writer Carlo Goldoni. At the Teatro Salieri this bizarre opera about a world upsidedown and "change of roles" will be performed!

We are in a far remoted island where the social relations between men and women are upside down: the women hold the power (in the private life as well as in politics and in the military), whereas men have taken up the so-called feminine roles. Two Europeans, a man (a Count) and a woman (a Marquess), are taken prisoners. They will throw the existing balances into disorder. At the end the Count will stay on the island, marrying the Colonel (who is a she); the Marquess will instead go back to Europe, coupling with the nephew of the General (she). The opera ends then with a peace message, not only one of blending of cultures. The Count says he wants to stay - not only to marry the Colonel(la). Exchange of cultures, freedom of decision, possible worlds, less certainties: the “moral” of the opera becomes quite conciliating. The reality of the exchange of cultures lessen the moral judgement on the women in power. On the musical level, the final chorus praising love is sung by the European soldiers as well as by the island soldiers (women): the island upside down world looks like one of the possible worlds.

This staging is a co-production between the Fondazione Culturale Antonio Salieri, of Legnago and the Fondazione Arena di Verona.

Conductor, Federico Maria Sardelli
Director, Marco Gandini
Set designer, Carlo Centolavigna
Costume designer, Silvia Aymonino
The cast includes Maria Laura Martorana, Marco Filippo Romano, Patrizia Cigna, Rosa Bove, Emanuele D’Aguanno, Maurizio Lo Piccolo. Orchestra and Chorus of the Arena of Verona.