text Teresa Favi
Mehta conducts 'La Forza del Destino' at the Teatro del Maggio
It is the second opera title of the Maggio Musicale Festival, debuting on 4 June with five performances
Love, war and destiny are the great themes of Verdi's Forza del Destino, a complex opera in four acts, staged by Carlus Padrissa of La Fura del Baus and conducted by Zubin Mehta. The second opera title of the Festival Maggio Musicale Fiorentino, Verdi's mighty title makes its debut on Thursday 4 June at 7 pm at the Teatro del Maggio, for five performances, on 7, 10, 16 June at 7 pm and on 19 June at 3.30 pm.
La forza del destino ph. Michele Monasta-Maggio Musicale Fiorentino
La forza del destino is one of Giuseppe Verdi's most ambitious scores. Its overture - which introduces us to the sinister motif that points to destiny - is one of its most memorable. The opera also contains some of Verdi's most brilliant choral writing, including the stirring 'Rataplan' chorus in Act III, and several beautiful and intimate arias such as Leonora's fiery 'Pace, pace mio Dio!' in Act IV. There is also a comedy with scenes for the greedy monk Fra Melitone.
La forza del destino ph. Michele Monasta-Maggio Musicale Fiorentino 
La forza del destino ph. Michele Monasta-Maggio Musicale Fiorentino
After Forza's premiere in St Petersburg in 1862, Verdi made extensive revisions to the score. The most substantial were the new overture and a less melodramatic ending, in which Don Alvaro remains alive instead of committing suicide. The revised Forza, the version best known today, had its premiere on 27 February 1869 at La Scala in Milan.