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PORTFOLIO
The Flourishing of Italian Opera in Florida
By Richard Russell, Sarasota Opera
Sarasota Opera House at sunset
Photo by Stephen LeBlanc
South Florida has a long history of Italian opera. Similar to a
great part of the U.S., opera was produced locally for many
years, by itinerant producers who had a stock of costumes and
sets and hired some great singers to present performances of
mostly Italian operas. They may not have been dramatically
cohesive, but they were vocally gorgeous.
In 1945, Dr. Arturo DiFilippi pulled together a performance of
Pagliacci and thus started the first local company in Florida, the
Opera Guild of Greater Miami (now Florida Grand Opera). The
Guild would eventually present some of the greatest singers,
including the American debut of Luciano Pavarotti.
Today the torch is carried by Sarasota Opera on the Gulf Coast.
Originally founded in 1961 to present a small touring company
in a historic 300 seat theater, two events in the mid-eighties
precipitated a transformation that dramatically changed the
reputation of this small company. The first was the arrival of
Italian-American conductor Victor DeRenzi as artistic director in
1982. The second was the move into a new venue: a renovated
vaudeville theater that is now called the Sarasota Opera House.
After initiating an Apprentice Program to be more professional
and the first to boast a full orchestra, Sarasota Opera rose
to a new level. While the company presents a broad mixture
of repertoire, it is the passion and excellence that DeRenzi
brings to the core Italian repertoire which has become the
hallmark of Sarasota Opera. In 1989, DeRenzi initiated an
effort to investigate rarely heard yet significant works in the
Masterworks Revival Series. The series began with Catalani's La
Wally, a verismo opera not heard in the U.S. since 1909, and
has continued to include works by Montemezzi (L'amore dei
tre re) and Cilea (L'Arlesiana), along with rarely heard works of
non-Italian composers as well.
What marks the company for even greater international attention
however, is its Verdi Cycle. Although it nominally began in 1989
with a production of Verdi staple Rigoletto, the idea really took
root after a 1990 performance of the composer's Aroldo. Many
skeptics felt that the Sarasota audience wouldn't accept such
a rarely heard opera, but after a tumultuous reception, the
company was encouraged to continue down the path it had
begun to blaze. In 1992, Simon Boccanegra was performed
not only in the standard version, but also in its original form,
which had never been performed in the United States. Since
then, DeRenzi and the company have made the commitment
to perform every single note written by Verdi, including his
non-operatic music in concert. To date, Sarasota Opera has
performed 26 of his operas, several in multiple versions and for
the first time in the U.S.
As a result of these two initiatives, as well as the high quality
of the performances that the company gives, lovers of Italian
opera flock to Sarasota during February and March to enjoy
the crystalline beaches, gorgeous weather, and a truly unique
operatic experience.
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