An opera seria in a prologue and three acts to a libretto by Francesco Maria Piave, Simon Boccanegra debuted at the Teatro La Fenice in Venice on 12 March 1857. However, after many years, Verdi became convinced of the need to rework it, and assisted by Arrigo Boito for the libretto, he prepared a second version that debuted successfully on 24 March 1881 at La Scala in Milan. The action, set in and around Genoa around the middle of the 14th century, recounts the drama of the protagonist, Doge Boccanegra, victim of intrigues and conspiracies. The subject was taken from the drama of the same name by the Spaniard Antonio García Gutiérrez, from whose repertoire Verdi had already drawn inspiration for Trovatore. After its debut, the Gazzetta di Venezia described Boccanegra as an opera “too grand and severe”, characterised by a “lugubrious hue”. Verdi, deliberately and precisely because of the nature of a drama characterised by a thirst for power, a desire for revenge, and respect for the reason of state, chose to focus all his attention on the dark-toned male voices (basses and baritones), entrusting them with the narration of the intestine struggles that torment the republic of Genoa.
New staging
More characters TBD (updated: June 30, 2025)
Poster © Gianluigi Toccafondo
Tickets on sale: September 8, 2025
Conductor
James Conlon
Chorus master
Lorenzo Fratini
Director
Àlex Ollé (La Fura dels Baus)
Sets
Alfons Flores
Costumes
Lluc Castells
Maggio Musicale Fiorentino Orchestra and Chorus
Simon Boccanegra
George Petean
Jacopo Fiesco
Jongmin Park
Amelia Grimaldi (Maria Boccanegra)
Carolina López Moreno
Gabriele Adorno
Luciano Ganci
Paolo Albiani
Lodovico Filippo Ravizza
Pietro
Francesco Leone
Stalls 1 (première) | 130,00€ |
Stalls 1 (other performances) | 110,00€ |
Stalls 2 | 90,00€ |
Stalls 3 | 75,00€ |
Stalls 4 | 65,00€ |
Boxes | 45,00€ |
Gallery | 35,00€ |
Limited visibility | 15,00€ |
Just listening | 10,00€ |