Stravinsky’s Storia del Soldato at the Rozzi Theatre, with the special participation of Vincenzo Bocciarelli. A work that speaks to today’s audience, exploring existential themes, the web, social networks, and technology.
The second event produced by AMAT for the Siena in Opera – Teatro in Musica series, curated by Artistic Director Bocciarelli for the Theatres of Siena, will take place at the Rozzi Theatre on Wednesday, November 14, at 9:00 PM.
Storia del Soldato by Igor Stravinsky is a piece for chamber orchestra, three actors, and a dancer, inspired by the early 20th-century “poor theatre,” which was itinerant, featuring small orchestras, a few actors, and minimal stage props.
The protagonists of this production are Vincenzo Bocciarelli, Enrico Costantini, Paola Benocci (who also directs), and Nicole Perfigli from the Balletto di Siena, conducted by Marco Batti. The AMAT chamber orchestra is conducted by Concetta Anastasi.
The story evokes themes from Goethe’s Faust and Bulgakov’s The Master and Margarita. It’s a timeless fable that raises many questions. At the center is an object capable of granting any wish, but, of course, everything comes at a price.
“What makes this story modern is the theme of deceit and addiction,” says director Paola Benocci. “We imagined that the magical object, originally represented by a book, would be a smartphone. This, while respecting the original music and plot, allows us to address topics such as social networks, the invasiveness of the web, and the control over people’s habits through technology. The opera was presented in a workshop format as part of the Regeneration Opera project to high school students in the area, reflecting with them on their relationship with the web, social media, the risks of these tools, and how they can be used in a healthy way. The response we received was surprising. This performance also takes into account the reflections shared with the students.”
Vincenzo Bocciarelli shares: “I’m very happy to return to this work, a wonderful blend of word and music, a characteristic of theatre that I deeply love and which is also a hallmark of AMAT, with whom I have the pleasure of collaborating again as an actor after the summer success of Peter and the Wolf. I’m also thrilled to work with Paola Benocci, whom I have reconnected with in Siena after many years, with whom I shared Strehlerian studies: this represents a circle that closes and reopens toward new challenges.”
Tickets are available at the Theatres of Siena box office and online on TicketOne.