Vivaldi opera gets premiere nearly 300 years late

[Sherman A1]

By ROME (AP) — The Catholic Church and the northern Italian city of Ferrara are making their peace with Antonio Vivaldi nearly 300 years after the city's archbishop effectively canceled the staging of one of his operas, sending the famed Baroque composer into debt for his final years in exile.

Ferrara Archbishop Giancarlo Perego is attending the opening Thursday of Vivaldi's "Il Farnace" at the city's public theater, a decision hailed by the theater's artistic director as a "marvelous gesture" that helps heal the past and highlight one of Vivaldi's lesser-known works.

"We want to restore to Vivaldi what was taken from him here in Ferrara," Marcello Corvino told The Associated Press ahead of the premiere of "Il Farnace," which tells the story of the tragic dynasty of King Pharnaces II.

According to historians, when Cardinal Tommaso Ruffo banned Vivaldi from Ferrara, it effectively meant the cancellation of the scheduled 1739 Carnival production of his "Il Farnace," which had already enjoyed success in Italy and beyond. Ruffo's reason? Vivaldi, an ordained Catholic priest, had stopped celebrating Mass and was said to be in a relationship with one of his singers, Anna Giro.

https://krcgtv.com/news/entertainment/vivaldi-opera-gets-premiere-nearly-300-years-late

[3Hotdogs]

1. Was it that the cardinal, himself, was hot for Anna?