FULL AQUA TOFANA (Gaia Aloisi) London 2024 Sarah Parkin, Alexandra Dinwiddie, Thomas Litchev
Information on the Performance
- Work Title: AQUA TOFANA
- Composer: Aloisi Gaia
- Libretto: Fabrizio Funari Libretto Text, Libretto Index
- Venue & Opera Company: The Cockpit, London, UK, Tête à Tête
- Recorded: September 22, 2024
- Type: Staged Opera Live
- Singers: Sarah Parkin, Alexandra Dinwiddie, Thomas Litchev
- Conductor:
- Orchestra:
- Stage Director: Rosie Kat
- Costume Designer:
Information about the Recording
- Published by: Tête à Tête
- Date Published: 2024
- Format: Streaming
- Quality Video: 4 Audio:4
- Subtitles: nosubs
- Video Recording from: Vimeo FULL VIDEO
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ON THIS PERFORMANCE
1650’s Rome, wealth, power and politics pervade the city. The ruling class asserts its status and authority at every opportunity. Women throughout the capital are systematically denied autonomy over their lives, reduced to pawns for the betterment of their families through advantageous betrothals. Many find themselves trapped in loveless and at times abusive marriages.
Giulia Tofana, the apothecarist who holds the solution; Aqua Tofana, a colourless, odourless poison easily disguised amongst a lady’s perfumes and easily slipped into an unsuspecting husband’s drink. Operative Productions presents a work in progress staging that explores a woman who thrived at the intersection of right and wrong.
Gaia Aloisi (Composer)
Born in Cagliari, Sardinia Gaia started her musical career as a singer, obtaining her bachelor’s degree from the Haute École de Musique in Geneva and subsequently a master’s degree in Contemporary Voice Performance from the Conservatorio della Svizzera Italiana in Lugano.
She then turned her attention to composition, studying under Alessandro Solbiati at the Conservatorio “G. Verdi” in Milan and then under Ivan Fedele at the Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia in Rome.
Her music blends traditional elements from her native Sardinia with cutting edge modernity. Aqua Tofana is her debut opera, a haunting blend of ancient soundscapes and unsettling electronic music. “Giulia Tofana’s story gave me the opportunity, as a composer, to stage the relationship between past and present: musical theatre can go beyond conventional forms to convey a message and engage in a deep dialogue with the audience. Aqua Tofana made me grow musically and I can’t wait to bring it on stage!”