It's crunch time at Teatro Regio di Parma because the 08-09 season is about to start: Claudio Abbado on Dec. 1 will lead the Mahler Chamber Orchestra in a sweet all-Beethoven night, the Eroica and the Violin Concerto in D Major op. 61, Isabelle Faust soloist. To be followed two days later by a Radu Lupu piano recital, Beethoven/Schumann.
The new opera season begins in the name of their local hero Giuseppe Verdi: the season opener on Jan. 13 will be I Lombardi alla prima crociata, with Dimitra Theodossiou, Francesco Meli & Michele Pertusi, conducted by Daniele Callegari; the staging is by Lamberto Puggelli (dir), Paolo Bregni (sets), Santuzza Calì (costumes).
Lucia di Lammermoor (opens on Feb. 19) will be directed by Denis Krief, Dèsirèe Rancatore as Lucia, Roberto Aronica & Gabriele Viviani. Alberto Fassini's staging of Tosca will open on April 2 with Marcelo Alvarez, Michela Carosi & Marco Vratogna under Massimo Zanetti's baton.