Werewolves In Their Youth: Teatro Regio di Torino Rediscovers Puccini's 1889 "Edgar"

Leave it to the cool kids up at Teatro Regio di Torino -- who, among other shows, this season have rawked new productions such as Robert Carsen's Salome and Graham Vick's Clemenza  -- to dig out of the fog of history Puccini's first, forgotten version of Edgar that was introduced in April 1889 to la Scala's very tepid reaction (Giulio Ricordi himself admitted that "a less strong artist might have decided to simply choose a different line of work").

The following year, as it quickly became a Puccini habit, the young maestro rewrote and cut his Edgar: the 1889 Scala version was discarded until Linda Fairtile, from the University of Richmond and Simonetta Puccini, the maestro's granddaughter, restored the score for Teatro Regio.

One week from now, the original Edgar will therefore rawk Teatro Regio. Just before la prima, at 5PM on June 25,

in the Sala Maria Callas of the Regio, an important round table discussion will be held, with details of the rediscovery of Puccini’s autograph score made known and the various versions compared. Participating will be Simonetta Puccini, Gabriele Dotto, Linda Fairtile, Cristiano Ostinelli, Claudio Toscani and Susanna Franchi.

An unabashed lover of the early, underappreciated works of Puccini, OC has to say that that's pretty cool.