Rossini Perduto

Please note:
This event takes place at
St. Jean’s Theatre (150 East 76th St)
The event is free for Members of Casa Italiana
Non-members can purchase $50 tickets here

World Premiere
Rossini Perduto

Opera in Three Acts

Music by David Winkler
Libretto by Luigi Ballerini

Sung in Italian with English supertitles

Bettina – Sarah Goldrainer
Madame Colbran – Maia Gonzalez
Giovanna – Lu Huang
Madame Pelissier + Nutrice – Ema Mitrovic
Roppa / Cuoco + Servo – Zhedong Ren
Gaetano – Zachary Angus
Wagner + Pedant no. 2 – Chisom (CJ) Maduakor
Pedant no. 3 + Postino’Guida – Hyunsoon Kim
Minosse – Davide Piva
Beppo – Alessio Borraggine
Dumas – Eliam Ramos
Stendahl + Cameriere + Guida Falsa – Jongwon Choi
Beethoven + Pedant no. 1 – Daniel Bauman
Rossini – Franco Oportus
Scamozza – Sam Rachmuth

Long Island Concert Orchestra
Conducted by Enrico Fagone

Directed by Stefanos Koroneos

Principal Sponsor:
NYU Casa Italiana Zerilli-Marimò

With the support of:
The New York State Council on the Arts
Office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature

Rossini Perduto, a bold new three-act opera, will receive its highly anticipated world premiere on May 22, 2025, at the St. Jeans Theatre in Manhattan.

With music by award-winning New York composer David Winkler and an Italian libretto by renowned poet and author Luigi Ballerini, Rossini Perduto brings an innovative operatic experience to the stage, reimagining lost and forgotten fragments of Rossini’s musical legacy.

At its core, Rossini Perduto is an exploration of artistic identity, forgotten genius, and the fine line between myth and reality. Through a striking interplay of shadows, light, and cinematic projections, the opera delves into the mystery surrounding Rossini’s “lost” music, questioning whether true artistic genius can ever be erased—or if it lingers, waiting to be rediscovered.

The production is helmed by acclaimed director Stefanos Koroneos, known for his visionary, cutting-edge opera stagings. Leading the musical direction is Grammy-nominated conductor Enrico Fagone, a rising star in the international music scene.

Cover cast:

Madame Colbran cover — Natasha Scheuble
Madame Pelissier + Nutrice cover — Hilary Baboukis

Additional Creative Team:

Cecilia Dupire – Executive Producer
Oscar Escobedo – Set Designer
Anabel Simotas – Costume Designer
Marta Guitart – Projection Designer + Poster Creator
Amara McNeil – Lighting Designer
Filippo Raviola – Assistant Conductor
Sabina Demidovich – Assistant Director
Sarah Sherman Barrera – Production Manager
Ginevra Petrucci – Orchestra Manager
Greg Pernicone – Stage Manager
Juan José Lázaro – Repetiteur
Sarah Rose Johnson – Makeup Artist
Francisco Miranda – Supertitles

Synopsis

Act 1. A TV studio. Six literary characters have been convened by an inadequate host to discuss Rossini’s alleged loss of interest in musical composition. They are defined by their approach to the idea of work, active life, creativity etc. Some enthusiastically endorse productivity (example: Henderson from Saul Bellow’s Henderson the rain king), others find it problematic (example: Moll Flanders, from Daniel Defoe’s Moll Flanders), other still disown it completely (example: Bartleby from Melville’s Bartleby the scrivener). They quickly agree, however, that the host is incompetent and demand that he be replaced. The producer obliges them and suggests King Minos, the impartial judge from Dante’s Divine comedy who accepts to host the talk show and guides his guests to a rather intriguing display of opinions that, while not pacifying the issue, offer a healthful dialogical and, to be sure, multifarious experience.

In Act 2, Rossini, Mme Pellissier, Dumas and tenor Roppa, enter the drawing room where some free-loaders are engaged in a most inane exchange of opinions: how many children did Laura De Sade (Petrarch’s love and muse) actually bear … Their voices are quickly hushed by those of the newcomers who discuss Rossini’s alleged withdrawal from music and his longstanding and newly revamped passion for the culinary art. Excited by the perspective of a libretto by the great Dumas, Rossini literally leaps to the piano and improvises an ouverture to the future opera that, we learn from Dumas’ narrative, was supposed to be based on Scamozzi’s tale and called Gli studenti di Bologna: a tragic plot … with a happy ending, however. Dinner is announced.

INTERMISSION

In Act 3 (stage left) Scamozzi is seen in his studio in the act of writing the story of the Studenti, while Dumas, in his hotel room (The Thee Kings, now demolished) (stage right) takes notes on how to turn Scamozzi’s tale into a suitable libretto. Center stage is occupied by some of the scenes punctuating the unfolding of the events. Profoundly dejected by the loss of a friend (who perished in a duel), two studenti, are shown in their room in the act of swearing eternal love for one other, a sentiment capable of transcending death itself. A knocking at the door. A mailman with a missive indicating that the father of one of the two (Gaetano) is about to exhale his last breath. The student promptly departs (on horseback) from Bologna. Dejection and restlessness of his soul mate (Beppo) who presaging, some misfortune, decides to retrace his friend’s footsteps. His arrival at the Inn where all clues of Gaetano’s itinerary fade. Appearance of Gaetano’s ghost (he has been murdered by a band of highwaymen) who leads Beppo the the sight of his demise, and where he also encounters Gaetano’s sister (Bettina) whom the brigands have led to believe that her brother is still alive and can be ransomed. Beppo kills Bettina’s false guide and disposes of the outlaws. Not unexpectedly Bettina and Beppo who have never met before, but have always been in love with each other (thanks to the good offices of the deceased) quickly discard mourning and sing their future happiness.