"La vendemmia" by Giuseppe Gazzaniga

A major success of late eighteenth-century musical theatre returns to the stage after more than two centuries. On Sunday, 11 January 2026 at 5:00 PM, Teatro Ristori in Verona will host La Vendemmia, a dramma giocoso in two acts by Giuseppe Gazzaniga on a libretto by Giovanni Bertati, in a new production presented by the Verona Conservatory.

Composed in 1778 and first performed at the Teatro della Pergola in Florence, La Vendemmia enjoyed extraordinary success throughout Europe between the late eighteenth century and the early nineteenth century, with numerous revivals in major cultural capitals such as Vienna, London, Paris, Madrid, and Berlin. Regarded as one of the greatest successes in Gazzaniga’s catalogue—alongside Don Giovanni and L’Isola di Alcina—the opera had never been revived in modern times until this recent rediscovery.

Set during the grape harvest on the Marquis’s estate, the opera intertwines comic and serious elements in a lively love triangle involving Don Achille, Donna Artemisia, and Agatina, a lady in disguise believed to be a shepherdess. Through deceptions, intrigues, and dramatic twists, the plot unfolds toward an unexpected happy ending, while offering a sharp and ironic social critique of aristocratic customs of the period.

Beyond its theatrical appeal, La Vendemmia stands out for its innovative musical architecture and its unified dramaturgical conception. Particularly striking are the two large-scale act finales, true turning points in the drama, which testify to Gazzaniga’s mature theatrical vision and sophisticated compositional design.

This performance follows the International Conference “Giuseppe Gazzaniga and Comic Musical Theatre in the Second Half of the Eighteenth Century”, recently held at the Verona Conservatory, and forms part of the PNRR Project – “MTNT – Music Theatre & New Technologies Toward a New Paradigm in Opera Studies and Performance”, promoted by the Italian Ministry of University and Research (MUR) and funded by Next Generation EU. The initiative reflects the Conservatory’s commitment to the enhancement of Italy’s musical heritage and to the promotion of internationally oriented research and artistic production.

La Vendemmia will be presented in semi-staged form, with the orchestra visible on stage alongside the singers in costume, offering an experience focused on the close relationship between music and drama. The cast will feature students of the Verona Conservatory, joined by an orchestra composed of faculty members and musicians from the renowned ensemble I Virtuosi Italiani.

An additional international venue is already scheduled to host La Vendemmia, confirming the significance of this rediscovery and its growing resonance beyond national borders.