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Identity Theft in Rossini’s Time Bad Wildbad
Königliches Kurtheater
07/24/2026 - & July 28, 29, 31, August 2, 2026
Gioachino Rossini: L’occasione fa il ladro
Ilaria Monteverdi (Berenice), Gaja Vittoria Pellizzari (Ernestina), Davide Zaccherini (Alberto), Filippo Morace (Parmenione), Jean‑Giovanni Accardi (Martino), Timóteo Bene Júnior (Don Eusebio)
The Orchestra of the Filharmonia Szymanowskiego of Kraków
Gianluca Ascheri (fortepiano), José Miguel Pérez‑Sierra*/Antonino Fogliani (conductor)
Jochen Schönleber (stage direction and sets), Eleonora Calabrò (costumes), Marcel Hahn (lighting)
I. Monteverdi (© Patrick Pfeiffer für Rossini in Wildbad)
Premiered at Venice’s Teatro San Moisè on 24 November 1812, L’occasione fa il ladro occupied a singular position among the five one‑act farse that Rossini composed for that theatre. During the composer’s lifetime, it proved the most successful of the series, before disappearing almost entirely from the repertory after his death. Its neglect has always seemed undeserved. Composed, according to tradition, in the astonishing span of only eleven days after contractual disputes had delayed Rossini’s arrival in Venice, the score already revealed the astonishing theatrical instinct of the twenty-year-old composer. Though Luigi Prividali’s libretto occasionally strained credibility, Rossini’s inexhaustible melodic invention transformed a comedy of mistaken identities into a sparkling display of youthful brilliance.
The plot revolved around two accidentally—or perhaps not so accidentally—exchanged suitcases following a violent storm at a country inn. Discovering Count Alberto’s passport and the portrait of an unknown beauty, the unscrupulous Don Parmenione assumed Alberto’s identity in the hope of winning the mysterious bride for himself. Matters became delightfully entangled when the intended bride, Berenice, herself decided to exchange roles with her companion Ernestina in order to observe her prospective husband before revealing her true identity. Rossini exploited these intersecting disguises with remarkable ingenuity, culminating in a succession of exhilarating ensembles before restoring order with two happy couples.
Director Jochen Schönleber’s production sought to strengthen the rather improbable suitcase exchange by presenting Parmenione and his servant Martino as seasoned thieves who specialised in robbing unsuspecting travellers at the inn. The pair maintained an entire cart filled with stolen luggage, carefully selecting suitable replacements for their victims, while Alberto was discreetly plied with wine before leaving inebriated with the wrong suitcase. The concept gave the opening scenes greater dramatic plausibility and immediately established the comic anti‑hero as a charming rogue rather than a mere opportunist.
Certain directorial modifications to the plot appeared to contradict—and at times even weaken—the drama’s internal logic. A dream‑like encounter between Berenice and Alberto during the overture seemed to undermine the opera’s central premise by suggesting that the two had already met, thereby diminishing the significance of their subsequent mistaken identities. Even more debatable was the altered conclusion, in which Ernestina was paired with Martino while Parmenione absconded with yet more stolen valuables. Given the latter’s irredeemably roguish character, such an ending possessed a certain dramatic logic. Nevertheless, it departed from Rossini’s carefully balanced resolution, sacrificing the emotional symmetry that brought the comedy so satisfyingly to its close.
These reservations, however, scarcely diminished the considerable enjoyment of the evening. Schönleber understood above all that L’occasione fa il ladro succeeded through pace, ensemble playing and theatrical vitality. His cast embraced the farcical spirit with infectious enthusiasm, displaying an obvious rapport that translated into genuine stage chemistry. Their evident enjoyment became palpable to the audience and contributed immeasurably to the production’s buoyant charm.
José Miguel Pérez-Sierra conducted the Filharmonia Szymanowskiego of Kraków with affection and evident stylistic understanding. Despite brief moments of untidy coordination between pit and stage, particularly during Rossini’s most breathless crescendos, the conductor remained attentive to his singers throughout, allowing them ample room to shape their elaborate vocal lines without sacrificing the score’s sparkling momentum.
As Berenice, Italian soprano Ilaria Monteverdi brought crystalline coloratura, flexible upper notes and a particularly attractive lyrical timbre to the heroine. Her cavatina “Vicino è il momento” combined vocal finesse with a convincing portrait of an intelligent and independent young woman, while her sparkling duet, “Voi la sposa”, with Morace displayed equally impressive comic instincts as she systematically dismantled the impostor’s claims. Opposite Davide Zaccherini, she established an immediate dramatic intimacy that made the eventual union entirely believable.
The revelation of the evening proved to be Davide Zaccherini’s Alberto. Admired in the festival as Isaaco in Wildbad Festival’s production of La gazza ladra, he demonstrated remarkable versatility by excelling in two entirely different Rossinian tenor idioms. Whereas Isaaco is essentially a character role, requiring a deliberately nasal, incisive vocal colour, Alberto demands the elegance, agility and lyrical refinement of a true tenore di grazia. Zaccherini negotiated both with equal assurance. Endowed with an unusually attractive timbre, an effortless upper register and impeccable bel canto technique, he galvanized the stage as a thoroughly engaging young nobleman. His excellent acting, natural comic instinct and elegant phrasing marked him out as an artist of exceptional promise whose career deserves close attention.
Filippo Morace proved an irresistible Don Parmenione. His powerful bass‑baritone combined vocal authority with sharply observed comic timing, while his delightfully self‑absorbed portrayal captured every shade of the flamboyant charlatan. Frequently dancing to the musical pulse, he transformed Parmenione’s vanity into a source of inexhaustible amusement without ever descending into caricature.
Jean-Giovanni Accardi provided an ideal foil as Martino, revealing both excellent comic instincts and an attractive, clear‑grained baritone. His portrayal suggested a servant every bit as resourceful—and perhaps as dishonest—as his master, while his scenes explaining Parmenione’s elaborate deception displayed impeccable theatrical timing.
Gaja Vittoria Pellizzari confirmed her versatility; the Italian mezzo portrays a totally different character, the overbearing virago Lucia, in the aforementioned production of Wildbad Festival’s production of La gazza ladra. Her exuberant Ernestina delighted throughout, embracing the role reversals with irresistible energy while deploying a rich, dark‑hued mezzo-soprano of considerable warmth. Mozambique’s Timóteo Bene Júnior was an engaging Don Eusebio, a role that does not give the young tenor much opportunity to shine.
Few operas illustrated Rossini’s precocious theatrical genius more persuasively than L’occasione fa il ladro. Overflowing with delightful arias, ingenious ensembles and irrepressible comic invention, this compact masterpiece deserved to be encountered far more frequently than it currently was. It occupied a particular place in my own affections, having been the very first opera I attended at the Rossini Opera Festival in Pesaro almost four decades ago, in 1987. This thoroughly enjoyable Bad Wildbad revival served as a timely reminder that Rossini’s youthful farse still possessed the freshness, wit and melodic abundance capable of enchanting modern audiences as completely as they did those of early nineteenth-century Venice.
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