Warm winds and young love are on the programme as the Göteborg Opera Orchestra and choir take the stage led by conductor Riccardo Frizza.
The concert’s main piece is the fateful fourth and final act of Ponchielli’s masterpiece, the tragic opera La Gioconda – 150 years to the day since its world premiere in Milan. Alongside Verdi, Ponchielli was considered the foremost Italian composer of his time and this magnificent opera was his breakthrough. At the centre is a woman who sacrifices everything for the man she loves, and the other woman, whom he truly loves.
The famously demanding title role, immortalised by Maria Callas among others, is sung here by Åsa Jäger. In 2024, she received Opera Magazine’s award for her performance of Senta in Wagner’s The Flying Dutchman at the Gothenburg Opera – a performance that fully captivated audiences and critics alike.
The concert starts with a carnival as Tchaikovsky’s Capriccio Italien captures the energy of Italian folk music. Ottorino Respighi’s beloved orchestral suite depicts the fountains in the composer’s home city at different times of day, with an incredibly romantic and rich sound.
