PERFORMANCES

Photo Poehn/Wiener Staatsoper

The Return of the Tzar

Ferruccio Furlanetto returned to the spring production of Vienna “Boris Godunov” (original 1869 version) as a matter of last moment cast change and his performances as tormented Russian Tzar became a real triumph with long lasted ovations from the public and raving press.

At the Vienna State Opera he sang it first in 2007 in the Yannis Kokkos production, repeated it in 2009 and appeared in the original version of Mussorgsky at the end of the previous season opera with great success and stellar reviews in the press. Now he sang Boris again in the opera revival. In the other parts: Pimen - Ain Anger, Grigori - Marian Talaba, conductor - Tugan Sokhiev

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Photo © Michael Pohn

I Vespri Siciliani at the Vienna State Opera

„Ferruccio Furlanetto sang Giovanni da Procida in the four performances of 'I Vespri Siciliani' at the Vienna State Opera starting new 2012/2013 season with great success and praising reviews.The current production of the opera (in the Italian version) by Herbert Wernicke was premiered at the House on the Ring in 1998 with him as Procida as well. This time the opera was presented under the musical lead of Gianandrea Noseda in his debut at Vienna State Opera with the strong cast: Guido di Monforte - Gabriele Viviani, Arrigo - Burkhard Fritz, Elena -Angela Meade.

“I sang Procida in 1982 in New York, - told Ferruccio Furlanetto to the Wiener Zeitung correspondent - I was always very much fond of this character. All big Verdi's roles are very demanding vocally, but only a few also have a dramatic value for the interpreter. Procida from the Sicilian point of view is the biggest patriot. But from the French side which is closer to our today's perspective, he is a terrorist. To play these both sides of one character is really exciting.

The premiere was followed by stellar reviews. „Ferruccio Furlanetto impresses as Giovanni da Procida with his mighty bass and sings famous aria “O tu Palermo“excellently”- the Kurier reported. Indeed the famous bass aria became the great hit of the evening with the biggest ovation which put the house down as it was stated by Die Presse and Der Neue Merker. Ferruccio Furlanetto was the true star of the evening (Der Neue Merker) “and his bass became even more dark and powerful over years”( Die Presse).

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Photo © Ken Howard/Met

The New Season is Around the Corner

The 2012-2013 season begins for Ferruccio Furlanetto in September with the part of Procida in "I Vespri Siciliani" at the Vienna Staatsoper. He will appear in his other famous Verdi's part – Fiesco in "Simon Boccanegra" - at the Lyric Opera of Chicago in October and at the season ending at the Royal Opera House in July.

Recognized today as the great Philipp of our time in Verdi’s "Don Carlo" he will sing this part at the Metropolitan Opera in February and March and then perform it at the Royal Opera House in June.

The other important season appointment is the first presentation in the USA Pizzetti’s "Assassinio nella Cattedrale" (Murder in the Cathedral) in the San Diego Opera in April with Ferruccio Furlanetto in the title role of Thomas Becket.

The public of Vienna State Opera will enjoy Ferruccio Furlanetto’s Mustafa in L’Italiana in Algieri in January in the famous Ponnelle’s production. His performances as Don Quichotte at the Mariinsky Theater (St.Petersburg) in December in the new production of Massenet’s opera are also highly anticipated. Other importaint season appointment is the title role of Boris Godunov in historical production of the opera at the old stage of the Bolshoi Theater in Moscow.

The upcoming concert season includes Christmas concert with the Concertgebouw Royal Orchestra under the baton of Mariss Jansons in Amsterdam and also recitals at the Rudolfinum (Prague) in December and at the Vienna Staatsoper in May.

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Photo Axel Zeninger

The Season 2012/13 at the Vienna Staatsoper

The Vienna Staatsoper announced its new season 2012/2013. At the beginning of the season Ferruccio Furlanetto will sing Procida in “I Vespri Siciliani” in Herbert Wernicke production. Gianandrea Noseda conducts, Monforte – Gabriele Viviani, Arrigo – Burkhard Fritz, Elena – Angela Meade. Performances on September 9, 12, 15 and 18.

In January he will appear as Mustafa in “L’Italiana in Algeri” in Jean Pierre Ponnele production (performances on January 7, 10, 12 and 16). Jesus Lopez-Cobos conducts, Lindoro – Antonio Siragusa, Isabella – Agnes Baltsa.

Also a lied recital of Ferruccio Furlanetto is scheduled for June 6.

For more information and tickets

Photo V.Baranovsky

Attila at The Stars of the White Nights in St.Petersburg

The program of the XX International Stars of the White Nights Festival was announced by it’s Artistic Director Valery Gergiev. The anniversary festival will take place from 25 May – 15 July 2012 at the Mariinsky Theatre and the Concert Hall.

Over eight weeks the festival will present around one hundred performances and concerts featuring over forty guest performers and opera and ballet soloists of the Mariinsky Theatre as well as the theatre’s chorus and symphony orchestra

On July 9 Ferruccio Furlanetto and Maria Guleghina will be performing the lead roles in Verdi’s Attila under the baton of Valery Gergiev .

Photo V.Baranovsky

Don Quichotte at the Easter Festival in Moscow

The program of the XI Easter Festival was announced in Moscow. Ferruccio Furlanetto will sing Don Quichotte in the concert version of Massenet’s opera on May 3 with the cast of the young Mariinsky singers. The Beautiful Dulcinee - Anna Kiknadze, Sancho Panca - Andrei Serov. Valery Gergiev conducts. Furlanetto previously sang Don Quichotte in St.Petersburg several times with great success and recorded opera for the Mariinsky Label (release on March, 5). Ferruccio Furlanetto will also participate in 'The Stars of White Nights Festival' in St.Petersburg at the end of the season. The Artisitic Director of the both festivals is Valery Gergiev.

To the program of the Easter Festival

Christmas Concert in Amsterdam

The Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra just announced their new season 2012/2013. Ferruccio Furlanetto will participate in the Christmas Concert of the orchestra under the baton of Mariss Jansons on December 25 in Amsterdam (starts 15-00). The program will include Mozart operatic arias.

The successful cooperation between Mariss Jansons and Ferruccio Furlanetto started in 2010 when they performed Mussorgsky's ‘Songs and Dances of Death’ in Amsterdam and at the Salzburg Summer Festival. This will be their second program together.

Tickets for the concert can be ordered at the box office of the Concertgebouw: by telephone Concertgebouw Line +31 (0)20 671 83 45 (Daily from 10.00 a.m. to 5.00 p.m.) Ticket Office: Monday to Friday 1.00 to 7.00 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays 10.00 a.m. to 7.00 p.m. (After 7 p.m., exclusively for tickets for that same evening. The box-office closes at 5 p.m., if there is no evening concert planned.)

Download Concertgebouw Season Booklet

Photo Ken Howard
Metropolitan Opera

The Return of the King

The Metropolitan opera announced their 2012/2013 season where Ferruccio Furlanetto returns with one of his signature parts – King Philip in Verdi’s Don Carlo. It will be the same Hytner production where he triumphed in December 2010.

The stream of reviews praising Ferruccio Furlanetto as King Philip was really endless last season.

"Ferruccio Furlanetto dominates proceedings triumphantly as Filippo II. … enriches the cantilena with an endless stream of deep, dark, rolling tone, always fresh and equally resonant at both range extremes. ....he conveys the king’s anguish with compelling dignity and authority." (Assosiated Press)

“Best of the opening-night cast was Ferruccio Furlanetto, in voice, manner and mien a magnificent Filippo” (Opera News)

“… great Mr. Furlanetto had set a high standard for this role” (New York Times).

In the other parts of the revival Ramon Vargas in his first Met performances of the title role, with Sondra Radvanovsky as Elisabeth de Valois, Anna Smirnova as Eboli, Dmitri Hvorostovsky as Rodrigo and Eric Halfvarson as Grand Inquisitor. Lorin Maazel conducts.

"Don Carlo" at the Met can be seen and heard on February 22, 25, 28, March 6, 9 (mat), 13, 16.

For more information please visit the Met's Web site

On-line booklet of the Met Opera 2012/13 season