Ecuba

About

This production of Ecuba was a centerpiece of the 45th Festival della Valle d’Itria, whose 2019 theme explored the golden century of the Neapolitan school. Nicola Antonio Manfroce’s tragic opera, premiered in Naples in 1812 and written to a libretto by Giovanni Schmidt, stands out as a rare achievement by a composer who died at just 22. The staging was entrusted to Pier Luigi Pizzi, who provided a unified classicist vision through direction, sets, and costumes, with assistance and lighting by Massimo Gasparon. Musical direction was by Sesto Quatrini, leading the Orchestra del Teatro Petruzzelli di Bari and the Coro del Teatro Municipale di Piacenza. The production revived a powerful work of early 19th‑century Italian opera with clarity and stylistic coherence within the festival’s historical focus.