Marina Comparato

For the festivities marking the Pergolesi's tercentenary in his native Jesi, Ignacio García created a new staging of the imperial drama Adriano in Siria. His staging in Jesi's exquisite 18th-century Teatro Comunale Pergolesi includes the delightful comic intermezzo Livietta e Tracollo, thus following the precedent set at the premiere in 1734. A fine Italian cast and the distinguished Accademia Bizantina are led by the Accademia's director, Ottavio Dantone.

A passionate count enlists a local barber and jack-of-all-trades to help him woo and wed a quick-witted woman. But it will take all their cunning - as well as some disguises and bribes - to ensure love wins the day. This production of Rossini’s comic masterpiece revives and stylises a historic staging from 1997 on the occasion of the 200th anniversary of the opera’s premiere. Directed by José Luis Castro, the magnificent scenography by painters Carmen Laffon and Juan Suárez depicting Rossini’s romantic vision of the Andalusian capital in Seville itself.

Le Nozze di Figaro New Production Teatro Real in co-production with Bilbao’s ABAO and Las Palmas Teatro Pérez Galdós. From the opening notes of the overture to the final curtain, Emilio Sagi’s classic, triumphant production brings to life all the elegant wit and theatricality of Mozart’s comic masterpiece Le nozze di Figaro. Leading baritone Ludovic Tézier shines as the lustful Count Almaviva who attempts to obtain the favors of Figaro’s bride-to-be, Susanna (Isabel Rey), while Luca Pisaroni gives a feisty performance as Figaro. Conductor Jesús López Cobos masterfully captures the enchanting score. A witty yet profound tale of love, betrayal, and forgiveness.

With unique staging by Joachim Schlomer, this 2006 Salzburg Festival production of the playful opera Mozart wrote when he was only 13 years old follows a group of men and women who weather the unpredictable ups and downs of love and romance. The cast includes Malin Hartelius, Jeremy Ovenden, Miljenko Turk, Josef Wagner and Marianne Hamre. Camerata Salzburg, conducted by Michael Hofstetter, provides musical accompaniment.