Florence – *Romanzo criminale* is coming to the stage as an opera: On Friday, October 23, the new musical adaptation of the crime novel will premiere at the Teatro del Maggio Musicale Fiorentino. Oscar winner Nicola Piovani composed the music and will serve as musical director. Novelist Giancarlo De Cataldo wrote the libretto; Massimo Popolizio is directing the production.
The work was commissioned jointly by the Florence Opera House and the Fondazione Musica per Roma. It tells the story of the rise and fall of the Banda della Magliana, a Roman criminal gang. At Monday’s presentation of the production, those involved explained how the opera differs from previous versions. The major political events that accompany the gang’s story in the novel take a back seat. The focus is on the characters and their relationships.
Patrizia, sung by Vanessa Goikoetxea, guides the audience through the plot. Anthony Ciaramitaro plays the Dandy, Carlo Raffaelli the Lebanese, and Matteo Desole Commissioner Scialoja. The opera is sung primarily in Italian. Only a few Roman expressions remain, including the password with which the gang seals their alliance.
"Romanzo criminale" with four performances at Maggio
The premiere begins at 8:00 p.m. in the Sala Grande. Additional performances are scheduled for October 25 at 3:30 p.m., October 28 at 8:00 p.m., and October 31 at 5:00 p.m. Rai Cultura will broadcast the production on the night of the premiere starting at 9:20 p.m. on Rai 3. Performances are scheduled for 2027 at the Auditorium Parco della Musica Ennio Morricone in Rome.
For Piovani, *Romanzo criminale* is his third opera, following *Amorosa presenza* and *Il labirinto di Creta*. The composer won an Oscar in 1999 for his score to Roberto Benigni’s *La vita è bella*. Popolizio is already familiar with the story from the movies: In Michele Placido’s 2005 film adaptation, he played the role of “Il Terribile.” As director, he aims to prevent the violence in the plot from becoming mere spectacle. De Cataldo’s novel was published in 2002; following the film and television series, the musical theater adaptation is now being produced.
