SIMON BOCCANEGRA

SIMON BOCCANEGRA is an opera in a prologue and three acts composed by Giuseppe Verdi, based on the play of the same name by Antonio García Gutiérrez. The libretto was written by Francesco Maria Piave, Giuseppe Montanelli and Arrigo Boito. This work represents a turning point in Verdi's maturity, as he explored themes of lost identity and visceral conflicts, combining them with a dark atmosphere and a more intense dramatic realism. The definitive version premiered in 1881 at the Teatro alla Scala in Milan. The production at Palacio de Las Artes Reina Sofía includes a set that symbolizes a Tower of Babel, where the costumes combine the 14th century with the current political situation. The direction is led by Sir Mark Elder, who has recorded the 1857 version for the label Opera Rara.