From Boito to Berio: the Influence of Richard Wagner on Italian opera // Annual Meeting
The lecture will examine the influence of Wagnerism in Italian opera. First used as a pejorative cudgel against the late works of Verdi, it was explored in earnest through the experiments of Arrigo Boito and Franco Faccio. Through the verismo period, and especially among the Giovane Scuola (Young School) composers, Wagner’s music and dramaturgy became openly embraced. In the 20th century, Italian composers continued to grapple with the implications of Wagner’s music. The late 20th century “azioni musicali” (“musical actions”) of Luciano Berio manage to synthesize some of the more radical aspects of Wagner’s philosophy in surprising ways.
This presentation will be preceded by a brief Annual Membership Meeting.
About the Speaker: Anthony Barrese has earned accolades as both a composer and conductor in North America and Italy. Mr. Barrese is the recipient of numerous composition awards including a NEC Contemporary Ensemble Composition Competition Award for his Madrigale a 3 voci femminili, and two BMI Student Composers Awards. As a musicologist, Mr. Barrese rediscovered, prepared, and edited the critical edition of Franco Faccio’s opera Amleto, in conjunction with Casa Ricordi. As Artistic Director and Principal conductor of Opera Southwest he has conducted Rossini’s Otello with the American staged premiere of the “finale lieto,” (happy end) and in 2014 he lead the World Premiere of Amleto, not heard anywhere since 1871. He also notably led productions of Wagner’s Lohengrin (2019), a new world premiere of Bottesini’s Alì Babà (2019), and a company premiere of Debussy’s Pelléas et Mélisande (2021). As Music Director of Opera Delaware he conducted the west coast premiere of Amleto in 2016, and the company premiere of Rossini’s Semiramide in 2017. In the 2026 season he conducted a new productions of Andrea Chénier, Boris Godunov (Opera Southwest), and Tosca (Opera Tampa).
The event will be followed by a social hour with refreshments.
WSNY Members receive livestream link automatically by e-mail; no need to pre-register. Livestream/re-stream viewable up to 36 hours after the start of the event.
