As the world’s only purposefully reconstructed and fully operational Baroque opera house, the theatre will be exceptionally disposed to capture that intimate environment so intrinsic to the development of opera. Its very being will be uniquely Baroque, uniquely Venetian.

VENICE

Without Venice, opera would not have sounded the same.

Venice is not only the birthplace of public opera, its small theatres created its sound, evolved its genre, crafted its very being.

We can recreate that soundscape, take you back to the magic and to the spectacle, but above all we can also help deliver a viable future for Venice.

REPERTOIRE

But while Baroque opera is a convenient term in respect of the theatre’s origins, our musical output will also extend to the Classical era, effectively covering opera from its inception at the beginning of the 17th century to the theatre’s demolition in 1812 (though in reality, the death of Mozart in 1791 and the opening of La Fenice in 1792 seem to suggest a more apt time limit on productions).

Yet, while the works of the great composers are often performed as HIP in musical terms, seeing them in their original context on stage is simply impossible. Imagine the opportunity to stage works such as Monteverdi’s Il ritorno di Ulisse in patria (first given at The Teatro Santi Giovanni e Paolo in 1640) or Mozart’s Le nozze di Figaro (Vienna, 1786) complete with their original period staging and scene-sets, and immediately this project becomes an undeniable artistic, cultural and commercial force that cannot be experienced today.

While the theatre will, of course, stage the greatest operas across this period, it will also promote the restoration of lesser-known works and forgotten composers, which have been lost to the public.

Image: Janie Airey