IL GIUSTINO Vivaldi – Drottningholm Court Theatre

Il Giustino relates the appearance of the goddess Fortune to the peasant Giustino, his rise to leadership of the Byzantine army and the defeat of a Scythian army under Vitaliano, and the jealousy of the emperor Anastasio, who suspects Giustino of having designs on his wife Arianna and on the throne itself. Will all the intrigues be foiled, the misunderstandings straightened out for a peasant to be proclaimed emperor? Il Giustino was originally composed for the 1724 Rome carnevale by Antonio Vivaldi to a libretto by Nicolò Beregan. Vivaldi’s score is full of picturesque detail; a sinfonia accompanying the descent of Fortune in a chariot emphasises the rustic nature of the setting by borrowing the refrain theme of the Spring concerto from his own Four Seasons. The final chorus, an extended chaconne, is the most elaborate piece of its kind in any Vivaldi opera. Staged for the first time in Sweden, Drottningholm’s production is directed for the stage and from the pit by George Petrou with Ukrainian countertenor Yuriy Mynenko in the title rôle. Drottningholms Slottsteater was built in 1766 and is the only theatre in the world that still uses original hand operated stage machinery. The theatre is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site at the Drottningholm Royal Court. Full performance streamed on OperaVision from 26 December 2023 at 19:00 CET to 26 June 2024 at 12:00 CET: CAST Anastasio Raffaele Pe Arianna Sofie Asplund Giustino Yuriy Mynenko Leocasta Johanna Wallroth Vitaliano Juan Sancho Andronico Linnea Andreassen Amanzio Federico Fiorio Polidarte Jihan Shin Fortuna, ghost Elin Skorup Dancers Stacey Aung Pontus Sundset Extras Felix Hägg Ruben Lundström Mawlawi Rahem Orchestra Drottningholm Theatre Orchestra Music Antonio Vivaldi Text Nicolò Beregan Conductor & Director George Petrou Sets & Costumes Paris Mexis Lighting Stella Kaltsou Choreography Jenny Nilson Make-up & Wigs Rebecka Andersson OperaVision is a freeview opera streaming platform, supported by the European Union’s Creative Europe programme. Watch live streams as the performances themselves unfold in the opera house. Enjoy a variety of shows - including opera, operetta, musical theatre, dance, ballet and concerts. Opera connaisseur or curious newcomer, there is something for everyone on OperaVision. WEBSITE: FACEBOOK: X: INSTAGRAM: TIKTOK: @operavision