Organization

Conductor

Carlo Montanaro

Stage director

Lamberto Puggelli

Set designer

Marco Capuana

Costume designer

Vera Marzot

Singer

Tenor

Bruno Ribeiro

Corrado

Soprano

Irina Lungu

Medora

Luca Salsi

Silvia Dalla Benetta

Gulnara

Gregory Bonfatti

Selimo

Bass

Andrea Papi

Giovanni

Orchestra

Orchestra del Teatro Regio di Parma

Teatro Verdi di Busseto

Il corsaro -  (The Corsair)

Busseto

Italy

Teatro Giuseppe Verdi

A year after "I masnadieri" (The Robbers), "Il Corsaro" was written in 1848 as a commission from the publisher Francesco Lucca. Verdi was still at the beginning of his career in the 1840s, writing opera after opera; only with the successful triad Rigoletto-Il Trovatore-La Traviata (1851/1853) did he no longer have to fight for recognition and success under time pressure with every stage work, but was established enough to work more slowly and was on the way to become the leading Italian opera composer.
The libretto for "Il Corsaro" was written by Francesco Maria Piave and is based on the dramatic poem "The Corsair" by the English poet Lord Byron (1788-1824), whose works inspired many musicians, especially in the 19th century: The pirate leader Corrado lets his Beloved Medora back alone on his island to attack the city of Corona ruled by Pasha Seid. But the plan fails and Corrado is taken prisoner. He falls in love with Gulnara, the pasha's favorite wife. Love is mutual: Gulnara kills the Pasha she hates and flees with Corrado. When the two arrive on the pirate island, Medora dies of a broken heart. Tired of life, Corrado throws himself into the sea.
1848 is the year of riots, uprisings and revolutions in many European countries. Verdi is in France to work on "Il corsaro"; the rule of Louis-Philippe ended here with the February Revolution. Germany and Austria follow the French example, and in Milan the ruling Austrians are expelled from the city; The aim is the national self-determination and unity of Italy. The audience at the premiere in October 1848 may have been disappointed that the patriotic element in "Il Corsaro" was far less important than in previous works such as "Nabucco" or "Attila". Since Verdi does not travel to Trieste for the premiere, it is assumed that he was not very interested in this opera. But "Il Corsaro" is a thoroughly attractive work,

Il corsaro Verdi

Public

The Corsair

Approved

Photos