Rossini in Wildbad - L’occasione fa il ladro - Opportunity Makes Thieves (Venice, 1812)

The opera begins with a dramatic thunderstorm scene in an inn, reminiscent of the finale of *Don Giovanni*: Parmenione dines calmly while his fearful servant Martino suffers. Parmenione is a colorful character who constantly pretends, lies, reinvents himself, manipulates, and torments his servant. Seeking refuge from the rain, Alberto enters, on his way to meet his bride, whom he has never met. When Parmenione swaps the traveler's suitcase with his own, a ludicrous story begins. Parmenione finds a picture of a young woman and Alberto's passport and decides to steal his identity. He sets out in search of the supposed bride. But she has her own plans and has no intention of marrying any predetermined groom. Rossini's brilliant comedy about "alternative facts" was filmed for NAXOS at the Kurtheater in 2017 and is now being rehearsed with a new cast. The performance is once again conducted by music director Antonino Fogliani, whose fast-paced musical perfection is perfectly suited to this crazy comedy of mistaken identity.