Gaetano Donizetti’s story of Christian martyrs, Poliuto, opens on Sunday at the Zurich Opera House with Damiano Michieletto's new production. The Venice-born, 37-year-old opera director, who spoke to us in February for OC's weekly column on Grazia.it, said that his conception was an atmospheric industry where men live underground like mice and religion's viewed as something that can give valor to human life against mass consumption. Whoaaa high concept. Conducted by Nello Santi, Massimiliano Pisapia sings the title role.
This summer, Michieletto will premiere an already-sold-out La Boheme (Netrebko as Mimì, natch) at the Salzburger Festspiele, conducted by Daniele Gatti in August. He's the first Italian opera director since Strehler and Ronconi to bring a new opera to the Austrian festival and already revealed that it'll be a carefree version.