by InTrieste
In celebration of GO! 2025 – Nova Gorica Gorizia European Capital of Culture, the Teatro Verdi di Trieste will premiere a new opera by Italian composer Giorgio Battistelli, titled Fedeli d’Amore. The work, featuring scenes for soloists, choir, and orchestra, will be presented in a double première: on September 27 at the Hangar Aeroporto “Amedeo Duca d’Aosta” in Gorizia at 5:30 p.m., with free admission by reservation, and on September 28 at the Teatro Lirico Giuseppe Verdi in Trieste at 6 p.m. as part of the theater’s symphonic season.
The opera, commissioned by the Fondazione Teatro Lirico Giuseppe Verdi di Trieste, draws its libretto from the writings of Claudio Magris, particularly his debut novel Un altro mare, and explores the life of Gorizia-born philosopher Carlo Michelstaedter (1887–1910). Michelstaedter, whose work on rhetoric and persuasion left a mark on early twentieth-century European thought, died at the age of 23, an event dramatized in the opera alongside his friendship with Enrico Mreule, represented on stage as a baritone character.
The libretto, adapted by Arnaldo Colasanti and published by Casa Ricordi, combines Magris’s narrative with additional texts to examine themes of friendship, loyalty, and the endurance of thought beyond death. The opera features Bryan Lopez Gonzales as Carlo and Federico Longhi as Enrico, accompanied by the Orchestra and Chorus of the Teatro Verdi, under the direction of Enrico Calesso, with staging and direction by the Veneto-based collective Anagoor.
Officials highlighted the cultural significance of the project. Mario Anzil, Vice Governor of Friuli Venezia Giulia with responsibility for culture and sport, described Fedeli d’Amore as “a project of extraordinary depth that roots itself in our history while positioning the region as a European crossroads of culture.”
The Gorizia performance will be held in an unconventional setting at the airport hangar, with informal seating for 400 attendees, while the Trieste performance will take place in the traditional theater setting. Reservations for the Gorizia premiere are available through the Teatro Verdi box office until September 26.
The opera underscores the Teatro Verdi’s ongoing commitment to fostering new works that reflect local intellectual and cultural heritage while contributing to the international operatic repertoire.
