Rossini Cards, Ballet by M. Bigonzetti
Rossini Cards, choreographed by contemporary master Mauro Bigonzetti, has a remarkable concept: the music of Gioachino Rossini, combined with his love of fine dining. The larger-than-life metaphor about life, loves, and laughs is brought to life by the ballet of Teatro dell'Opera di Roma this season. Instead of following a conventional storyline, the abstract ballet performance follows a sequence of scenes, held together by the concept of recipe cards: Each scene is set to a special meal from Rossini’s gourmet selection. As a result, you experience an evening of music, movement, and enchantment. Bigonzetti’s celebrated modern dance work Rossini Cards made its world premiere in Reggio Emilia, Northern Italy, in 2004. Since then, it has had multiple revivals. This season, the Teatro Costanzi in Rome hosts a special tribute to one of the greatest figures in Italian opera.
Mauro Bigonzetti uses the entirety of Rossini's musical catalogue to paint the most complete portrait possible of the composer he clearly admires. A carefully curated list of the maestro’s finest melodies, wonderfully combined with his go-to dishes, includes overtures, arias, and piano pieces, to name a few. The choreography is as vibrant and complicated as the music – and as some of the recipes. Humorous sequences that border on physical comedy reveal bigger themes upon a closer look. In his own effortless way, Bigonzetti tackles big issues such as trust, openness, and self-representation in explosive, visually stunning routines. Guided by Rossini’s music and his taste for fine food, the audience may just arrive at some recipes for life as well.
Rossini Cards thus offers audiences a rare chance to connect a composer’s music with his passions and perhaps draw larger existential conclusions from it, too. Much like the music, Bigonzetti’s choreography has a firework-like quality that has the power to exhilarate, inspire, and at times to almost hypnotize. At Teatro Costanzi in Rome, Rossini Cards combines timeless music with bold modern dance and delectable recipes for food and for life itself.