Marie Galante

Marie Galante by Kurt Weill – Teatro dell’Opera di Roma, 2007

The premiere of this opera was in Paris in 1934, there was no more news if not for some songs, recorded over the years by different artists or some dancing.  The original text by Jacques Deval, disappeared altogether, with the collaboration of the American musicologist John Mucci it was possible to obtain a copy, and with the collaboration of Kurt Weill New York Foundation is found in the archives of some manuscripts of original scores not performed for over seventy years: a charming orchestral lament, one solo for mandolin, a touching prayer for male chorus, some a cappella songs and other scores. The challenge in bringing on stage Marie Galante has been trying to reach an effective fusion of music and text.

Marco Lo Russo, thanks to its preparation of contemporary composer and arranger, has adapted the scores manuscripts from musette to accordion and performed with orchestra and as a soloist with scenic character with real choreography. All the cast has made possible the staging of five performances of this combination of drama, music and dance that is Marie Galante by Weill and high praise by a large audience among which was also Riccardo Muti and his wife Cristina Mazzavillani.

MARIE GALANTE by Jacques Deval
Italian adapted by Joseph Rochlitz
Translated from the French by Ada Tosati

Conductor and Director: Vittorio Parisi
Director: Joseph Rochlitz
Scene: Cristian Taraborelli
Costumes: Angela Buscemi
Choreography: Luc Bouy
Light Design: PatrizioMaggi

Characters and interpreters
Marie Galante: Chiara Muti
Captain: Roberto D’Alessandro
Stage manager, Josiah: Goffredo Matassi
Sailor: Antonello Ronga
Oswald Staub: Vittorio Amandola
Tokujiro Tsamatsui: Andrea Spina
Willy Crawbett: Marco Casazza
Owner: Prospero Richelmy
American sailor: Antonio Speranza
Señora Tapia: Elisabetta De Vito
Soledad: Annalisa De Simone
Mercedes: Esnedy Milan Herrera
Poldine: Deborah Italia
Gospel Soloist: Derek Lee Ragin
Accordionist – Musette: Marco Lo Russo

Chamber Orchestra of the Rome Opera House
Music Director: Gianluigi Gelmetti
Violins: Shalom Budeer and Antonio Pellegrino
Viola: Krzystof Stochmialek
Double Bass: Gennaro Frezza
Accordionist: Marco Lo Russo
Guitar: Roberto Valini
Piano: Steven Roach
Flute: Carlo Enrico Macalli
Sax: Sauro Berti (also First clarinet), Fabrizio Benevelli (also second clarinet) and Vittorio Quinquennale
Trumpets: Luca Luconi and Claudio Cimpanelli
Trombone: Loris Grossi
Percussion: Mario Distaso and Luca Ranalli (also eardrums)

Dancers of Rome Opera House – Director ballet: Carla Fracci
Dancers: Blackbeard Loredana, Claudio Cocino, Flavia Feliziani, Francesco Milana, Elizabeth Intini, Giuseppe Marini, Manuela Mature, Alfonso Paganini, Stefania Palmiotto, Make Thomas, Anna Terziani, Francesco Romeo.

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