Rediscovering Ruggero Leoncavallo's Zazà"

Theater an der Wien celebrates Leoncavallo’s moving lyric comedy.

With Ruggero Leoncavallo’s rarity “Zazà”, first performed 120 years ago in Milan, the Theater an der Wien scored an internationally remarked coup: “A perfect match!” (Der Standard).

Christof Loy delivers an impressive staging of the commedia lirica, and conductor Stefan Soltész leads the ORF Radio-Symphonieorchester Wien spiritedly through the highly acclaimed evening. “Worth seeing!“ (Wiener Zeitung).

At the center of the piece is the variety theatre artist Zazà (the grandiose house debutante Svetlana Aksenova) who finds herself between two men as well as between the life she has been used to and the hope for happiness in a secure middle-class existence through marriage and love. In the end, she remains alone.

English title LEONCAVALLO, ZAZÀ
Original title LEONCAVALLO, ZAZÀ
Genre Opera
Recording location Theater an der Wien, Vienna
Recording date 21 – 25 September 2020
Production year 2020
Duration 124 min.
Video format UHD
Production Company Unitel, ORF III, in cooperation with Theater an der Wien and VBW
Director Tiziano Mancini
Distribution TV Unitel & C Major for Unitel
Conductor Stefan Soltész
Stage Director Christof Loy
Soloist Svetlana Aksenova (Zazà)
Soloist Nikolai Schukoff (Milio Dufresne)
Soloist Christopher Maltman (Cascart)
Soloist Dorothea Herbert (Floriana / Madame Dufresne)
Soloist Enkelejda Shkosa (Anaide)
Choir Arnold Schönberg Chor
Chorus Master Erwin Ortner
Orchestra / Band ORF Radio-Symphonieorchester Wien
Composer Ruggero Leoncavallo
Libretto Ruggero Leoncavallo, Carlo Zangarini