Romanzo criminale, the new opera by Nicola Piovani at the Maggio Musicale Fiorentino, will be broadcast by Rai Cultura in prime time on Rai 3 on October 23.

Fabrizio Zappi: “Rai Cultura renews its commitment to spreading great music and opera, bringing a new creation to the prime-time television audience.”

Carlo Fuortes: “A new creation that brings opera into the homes of all Italians and confirms the vitality of a language capable of speaking to the present.”

Florence, October 14, 2026 – Romanzo criminale, the new opera by Nicola Piovani, with a libretto by Giancarlo De Cataldo and directed by Massimo Popolizio, staged at the Maggio Musicale Fiorentino as a world premiere, will be broadcast by Rai Cultura in prime time on Rai 3 on Friday, October 23, at 9:20 PM, on the very night of its premiere. The television direction is by Claudia De Toma. The opera will be broadcast again on Sunday, November 1, at 8:00 AM on Rai 5.

It began as a cult book, a literary phenomenon deeply loved by readers. It then became a hit movie directed by Michele Placido and a wildly popular television series; now, it transforms into an opera. This is Romanzo criminale by judge and writer Giancarlo De Cataldo, inspired by the history of the Banda della Magliana. The work was co-commissioned by the Teatro del Maggio Musicale Fiorentino and the Fondazione Musica per Roma from the Academy Award-winning composer Nicola Piovani, who will also conduct it. The production, directed by Massimo Popolizio with a libretto by De Cataldo himself, will be recorded live for its world premiere and broadcast by Rai Cultura on a slight tape-delay from Florence on Rai 3 on Friday, October 23, at 9:20 PM, with a rerun on Sunday, November 1, at 8:00 AM on Rai 5. The television direction is by Claudia De Toma, sets by Margherita Palli, costumes by Silvia Aymonino, and lighting by Pasquale Mari. Choreography is by Michele Abbondanza, with visual design by Jacopo Stoppa. The stage cast stars Vanessa Goikoetxea (Patrizia), Anthony Ciaramitaro (Dandi), Matteo Desole (Scialoia), Toni Nežić (Terribile), Carlo Raffaelli (Libanese), William Hernandez (Bufalo), and Alberto Petracca (Freddo). Completing the cast are Valentina Pernozzoli, Davide Zaccherini, and Ilaria Monteverdi. Featuring the Orchestra and Chorus of the Maggio Musicale Fiorentino, with Chorus Master Lorenzo Fratini.

Fabrizio Zappi, Director of Rai Cultura, stated: “Giving space and visibility to great prose, opera, and symphonic music productions is one of Rai Cultura’s most deeply felt commitments. The involvement of three titans of the Italian literary, musical, and theatrical scene—De Cataldo, Piovani, and Popolizio—lends extraordinary significance to the world premiere of Romanzo criminale. This is why we chose to present it in prime time on Rai 3 on the very opening night, October 23, so that the allure of this production can reach the widest possible audience and find the resonance it truly deserves.”

“The live prime-time broadcast of Romanzo criminale on Rai 3 marks an important milestone for our theatre and, more broadly, for the dissemination of opera,” commented Carlo Fuortes, Superintendent of the Maggio. “Bringing a new opera into the homes of all Italians through public broadcasting means giving contemporary music and the creativity of our artists the opportunity to connect with audiences who might not regularly attend opera houses. We particularly appreciate this choice because it concerns a world premiere: a new work that tackles subject matter already deeply rooted in the collective imagination, yet reinterprets it through the language and expressive possibilities of music and musical theatre. Betting on a new creation and offering it such a vast television audience is a sign of confidence in opera’s ability to speak to the present and reach diverse audiences. For this reason, I would like to express my gratitude to Rai Cultura and Fabrizio Zappi for believing in this project and choosing to broadcast it live during a high-viewership timeslot. It is a decision that recognizes opera’s potential to be a living language, capable of renewing itself and finding new ways to connect with the public.”