Fitzcarraldo Opera Performance on the Tiber River in Rome

From September 18 to 21, 2023, the opera performance 'Fitzcarraldo' took place on a boat navigating the Tiber River in Rome. Curated by Fabio Morgan, composed by Francesco Leineri with a libretto by Andrea Carvelli, and produced in collaboration with the Teatro dell'Opera di Roma, the work reimagines the utopian project from Werner Herzog's 1982 film 'Fitzcarraldo,' which won the Prix de la mise en scène at the Cannes Film Festival. In the original film, protagonist Brian Sweeney Fitzgerald (played by Klaus Kinski) dreams of building the largest opera house in Iquitos, Amazonia. The performance shifts the setting from the Amazon jungle to Rome's urban landscape, featuring baritone Giorgio Celenza as Fitzcarraldo, soprano Clara La Licata, tenor Antonio Sapio, bass Yuri Guerra, the ensemble Musica Necessaria, and La Cantoria del Teatro dell'Opera di Roma. The journey passes landmarks such as Castel Sant'Angelo and the MAXXI museum, accompanied by synth, controllers, percussion, and French horn. Morgan described the project as a poetic visit to Rome's ruins, seeking a truth beyond the everyday city, with the Tiber as a vital and creative source for new paths.