From the world of the Golden Apple – The Directing

“We may have got a little carried away…”
– A conversation with Fabio Ceresa

Monumental sets, 47 roles, a myth, 17th-century music – and a director who wants to reinvent it all. We asked Fabio Ceresa how one can do justice to the madness of “Il pomo d’oro” in the 21st century. You can read two answers here – and we’ve recorded a very special one for you on video.

“Il pomo d’oro” is considered spectacular: historical accounts speak of 23 sets and countless special features. What imagery can do justice to this operatic legend in the 21st century?

Our aim is to convey a similar sense of wonder, splendour and richness to a contemporary audience. We have set ourselves a twofold challenge: on the one hand, we want to pay tribute to the mechanics and ingenuity of Baroque stage technology; on the other, we want to speak through the clarity, conciseness and symbolic power of modern directorial theatre. The result will be a visual journey that does not seek to imitate the original, but to reinvent it, in order to evoke the same spirit of wonder. And I admit that we may have got a little carried away… because we definitely have more than 23 scene changes!

With 47 roles and 20 soloists, the opera is an enormous artistic and organisational undertaking. How do you manage to give each character space and imbue each of them with their own distinct atmosphere?

I approached the libretto as if it were a large tapestry: each character is a thread with its own colour, a specific texture and a precise role within the overall structure. When viewed from a distance, one recognises the grandeur of the whole, but as one draws nearer, one discovers the complexity of the individual threads. For me, the work consists precisely of this: understanding the function and texture of each thread, so as to then reweave the tapestry on stage and give each one the light it deserves. In this way, the work, in all its monumentality, comes to life once more through the details that lie at the heart of its dramatic power.

And how does Fabio Ceresa describe ‘Il pomo d’oro’ in a single word? You can see the answer in this video.