FLORENCE – Long applause greeted the premiere in the Auditorium of the Teatro del Maggio for the84th Maggio Musicale Fiorentinode I am due to Foscari by Giuseppe Verdi4100th recites for Placido Domingo, who started a second career as a baritone a dozen years ago, after more than half a century as a tenor; Domingo, as a consummate physical actor that he is, credibly outlines the decadence and politics of the old Doge Francesco Foscari, in the midst of a family member who follows, just shortening the times, the one lived between 1456 and 1457 by the historical figure, at the time of the events more or less the same age as the interpreter (who is 81, has been on the stage for 65 years); the soprano was also deservedly celebrated Maria José Siri (daughter-in-law Lucrezia Contarini), very at ease in dramatic roles, the tenor Jonathan Tetelman (Jacopo Foscari), beautiful presence and great vocal means, the Orchestra and the Choir of the Maggio conducted by Carlo Rizzi and all the cast. The director Grischa Asagaroff and the set and costume designer Luigi Perego circumvent the limits of the stage space (small stage and little possibility of movement both for the artistic masses, in a work that includes many choristers and extras, and for scene changes, if yes all in an opera theater scenography), leaving the back of the auditorium exposed, of which the stairs and choir stalls are used, and building a large rotating parallelepiped in the center of the stage with opening doors and very few elements of furniture, all moved by four figures; each side represents with a few painted or projected images the evocative elements of the environments to be evoked (the council chamber, Jacopo’s prison, the doge’s study, the lagoon…). Overall a successful show, which is worth seeing, also because this work, contemporary of theErnanibut much less fortunate (pay lawsuit, one can say, but it is still Verdi), had been missing from Florence since 1845 and here it will never be a repertoire opera or almost like at La Scala. Reruns on Wednesday 25th, Tuesday 31st May and Friday 3rd June at 8pm and Saturday 28th May at 5pm. Tickets can be purchased, without adding any pre-sale rights. Directly on the Maggio website