Credits:

Richard Wagner, Orchestra of the Maggio Musicale Fiorentino, Salome Jicia, Charles Castronovo.

Description:

Mascagni's heartwarming opera "Fritz the Friend" from the Florence May Festival! The setting is a town in Alsace in the late 19th century. Fritz Cobus, a young, wealthy farmer, is a celibate man. His friend David, a priest, urges him to marry, but he refuses to listen. Fritz is soon attracted to the farmer's daughter, the lovely Suzelle, who comes to greet him. Mascagni, who came into the limelight with "Cavalleria Rusticana," a pioneering verismo opera in the history of Italian opera, followed it up with "Fritz the Friend. This work is a tale of a man and woman in love in the rich Alsatian countryside, replacing the love-hate drama of the previous production, which takes place in a cold Sicilian village. Rosetta Cucchi's staging of this production replaces the Alsatian setting with the American countryside of the mid-20th century, and together with the chic stage design, creates a unique atmosphere. The cast includes the popular tenor Charles Castronovo as the main character Fritz, the beautiful soprano Salome Zizia from Georgia as his lover Suzel, and Teresa Iervolino as Beppe, who plays the role of a trouser wearer, and the well-known Japanese master Riccardo Frizza as the singer. The Florentine May Festival Orchestra conducts this expressive production of Mascagni's heartwarming opera filled with beautiful melodies.This is the first performance recorded for a package (video/CD) at the Zubin Metha Hall (Sala Zubin Metha: inaugurated in December 2021), which was newly established in the theater in honor of Zubin Metha, the honorary lifetime conductor of the Florence May Festival. Naxos Japan