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Bel Canto Sparkle and Emerging Stars at Bad Wildbad Bad Wildbad
Kurhaus
07/25/2026 - & July 30, August 1, 2026
Gioachino Rossini: La gazza ladra
Claudia Muschio (Ninetta), Patrick Kabongo (Giannetto), Francesca Di Sauro (Pippo/Cecchino), Gaja Vittoria Pellizzari (Lucia), Matteo Torcaso (Fabrizio Vingradito), Nathanaël Tavernier (Gottardo, Podestŕ), Emmanuel Franco (Fernando Villabella), Davide Zaccherini (Isacco, Il prettore), Timóteo Bene Júnior (Antonio), Giovanni Accardi (Giorgio), Thomas Shivone (The Magistrate)
The Orchestra and Chorus of the Filharmonia Szymanowskiego of Kraków, Andrés Jesús Gallucci (fortepiano), José Miguel Pérez‑Sierra (conductor)
Jochen Schönleber (director), Jochen Schönleber & Lars Werneke (sets), Katarzyna Coufal (costumes), Marcel Hahn (lighting)
C. Muschio, P. Kabongo (© Patrick Pfeiffer für Rossini in Wildbad)
Among Gioachino Rossini’s so-called semiserie operas, La gazza ladra (1817) occupies a singular position. Premiered at Milan’s Teatro alla Scala only months after La Cenerentola, it combined comic and serious elements on an unprecedented scale, uniting domestic drama, social injustice and moments of genuine pathos with Rossini’s inexhaustible melodic invention. Adapted from the French melodrama La Pie voleuse by Théodore Badouin d’Aubigny and Louis-Charles Caigniez, the opera explores the fragility of justice in a rigidly hierarchical society while never abandoning the composer’s innate theatrical vitality. Although its overture has long enjoyed independent fame, the opera itself deserves far wider exposure than it receives.
The plot centres on Ninetta, a servant unjustly accused of stealing a silver spoon. Unknown to all, the true culprit is a thieving magpie that has hidden the object in its nest. As Ninetta’s father Fernando returns secretly after deserting the army, events spiral towards tragedy. Manipulated by the lecherous Podestŕ (mayor) and condemned by a justice system that favours privilege over truth, Ninetta comes within moments of execution before the bird’s theft is discovered and innocence triumphs.
Jochen Schönleber’s production relocated the action to the 1950s, an update that proved entirely convincing. The conservative social climate of the post‑war decade naturally reinforced the opera’s rigid class distinctions and patriarchal values. Figures such as the overbearing Lucia and the arrogant Podestŕ emerged as representatives of an establishment that regarded servants and the rural poor as beings scarcely deserving equal dignity. Without imposing artificial modern parallels, the production illuminated the opera’s enduring critique of authority and social prejudice. Schönleber, together with Lars Werneke, provided functional, uncluttered sets that allowed the drama to unfold without distraction, while Katarzyna Coufal’s attractive period costumes vividly captured the fashions and atmosphere of the era. Marcel Hahn’s lighting discreetly enhanced the changing moods.
The performance benefited from an exceptionally strong ensemble. Franco-Congolese tenor Patrick Kabongo confirmed the outstanding impression he had already made on me two years ago as Néarque in Donizetti’s Les Martyrs in Vienna. His Giannetto displayed precisely the qualities Rossini’s writing demands: an elegant, ringing bel canto tenor, effortless projection and stylish phrasing allied to youthful ardour.
The evening also belonged to two remarkable discoveries. Italy’s Claudia Muschio proved an outstanding Ninetta, possessing all the attributes of a major Rossini soprano. Her voice combined a distinctive and beautiful timbre with remarkable ease in the upper register, secure coloratura and naturally executed trills that never sounded manufactured. Equally impressive were her stage presence, physical charisma and unaffected acting, which made Ninetta’s ordeal deeply moving.
French bass Nathanaël Tavernier was equally revelatory as the Podestŕ. His powerful, resonant instrument projected with imposing authority, while his eloquent phrasing and commanding stagecraft avoided reducing the villain to caricature. Instead, he created a chilling portrait of petty tyranny sustained as much by social privilege as by personal cruelty.
The remainder of the cast maintained an impressively high standard. Gaja Vittoria Pellizzari made Lucia suitably imperious, Matteo Torcaso offered a warm Fabrizio, Emmanuel Franco brought dignity to Fernando, while Timoteo Bene Junior and Giovanni Accardi contributed solid characterisations. Francesca Di Sauro was an engaging Pippo, and Davide Zaccherini deserved particular mention for his delightful Isacco. A gifted singing actor, he intelligently moderated the natural amplitude of his fine tenor to suit the comic character without ever compromising vocal quality.
José Miguel Pérez-Sierra led the Filharmonia Szymanowskiego Orchestra of Kraków with a keen understanding of Rossini’s style. Rhythmic vitality, transparent orchestral textures and finely judged pacing ensured that the singers were consistently supported while preserving the music’s irresistible theatrical momentum. The chorus likewise contributed with precision and energy.
My only regret is that professional commitments elsewhere permitted me to attend only the dress rehearsal rather than the official premiere. Nevertheless, what I witnessed already displayed a level of polish and artistic assurance that many opening nights fail to attain. If this rehearsal was any indication, Bad Wildbad has once again reaffirmed its status as one of the world’s foremost festivals dedicated to Rossini’s operatic legacy.
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