Speranza Scappucci conducts Così Fan Tutte at Rome Opera

(ANSA) - Rome, January 17 - The Rome Opera is opening its season on Wednesday with Mozart's 'Così Fan Tutte', one of the most theatrical pieces in opera history, led by Roman-born conductor Speranza Scappucci and staged by English opera director Graham Vick, running through January 27.
    The opening-night performance of the opera that Scappucci calls "an exaltation of gender equality" will be broadcast live on RAI Radio 3.
    "There aren't negative meanings in this sweet and sour masterpiece, which involves both sexes and glorifies women, showing that feminine desire isn't different than masculine," Scappucci said.
    "In this we find its revolutionary strength and perennial modernity," she said.
    The opera, with a libretto by Lorenzo Da Ponte, tells the story of two women - Fiordiligi and Dorabella - who are the subject of a bet made by the old philosopher Don Alfonso with their fiancées Fernando and Guglielmo, claiming that the women, if given the chance, would be unfaithful.
    Artistic director Alessio Vlad said two casts "of equal quality" will alternate in the 10 performances.
    "We had the good fortune of finding just the singers that we wanted, all Italian, available," he said.