Luciano Ganci is preparing to take on the role of Stiffelio in the new production staged by Vasily Barkhatov and conducted by Jérémie Rhorer at the Theater an der Wien, where the tenor will make his house debut. Just two days before the premiere, Ganci spoke to the press in an extensive statement:

“In 2017 I sang for the first time as Stiffelio, experiencing a magic moment in my career path with Verdi’s music, in an environment surrounded by great media interest. The Teatro Regio, Parma, had entrusted stage direction to Graham Vick, who created a revolutionary staging in the silent spaces of the Teatro Farnese, making a significant contribution to the recent good fortune of this Verdi opera. Then as now, despite being immersed in the production and its many meanings, I never lost sight of the beauty of my character’s music, asking myself why this masterpiece, so important for deciphering the stylistic evolution of Verdi’s music at a time when he was not yet forty, was still considered to be such an ‘atypical’ opera, of little appeal for audiences. Instead of this, theatres should show more courage, staging it and allowing the audience to ‘make it their own’. Because only in this way can Stiffelio reveal, as always happens with Verdi, its agonizing modernity. It was already modern in 1850, when it premiered at the Teatro Grande di Trieste, and it still is today because the theme of betrayal and forgiveness has always been a cornerstone of our conscience. Legend, the history of humankind and the Holy Scriptures all tell the same story. I’m about to perform as Stiffelio in a theatre performance that also includes video (a little spoiler), at the Theater an der Wien (where I’m making my debut!) in a new production by Vasily Barkhatov, conducted by Jérémie Rhorer. This staging takes into account the religious climate in which the protagonist’s dramatic struggle unfolds but also shows contemporary sensitivity towards the psychology of men and women who often fall victim to the ‘commandments’. The production focuses above all on the story of Rodolfo Müller and Stiffelio, rather than on forgiveness itself, which in the director’s vision almost recedes into the background. Verdi’s music, composed with moving expertise, envelops this story in a dimension in which the tragic and the sacred are bestowed with devastating humanity.”.

The opera will be on stage n 13, 15, 17, 19 and 21 May, with the opening night broadcast live on Radio Ö1 at 7:00 pm.