Description
A young woman (Ernestina), defying her father (Gamberotto), avoids an unwanted marriage with a rich but stupid suitor (Buralicchio) by spreading the rumour that she is a castrato in disguise, a deserter from the army. When the credulous Buralicchio reports 'the deserter', Ernestina is bundled off to prison, from which (disguised as a soldier) she escapes. Will the truth find its way out and love prevail?
A sparkling farce of absurd misunderstandings, youthful wit, rapid-fire ensembles and comic excess, L’equivoco stravagante was Rossini’s first large-scale opera. It vanished from the repertoire after falling foul of the censor due to its subversive libretto. Wexford Festival Opera was one of the first companies to present it in 1968. The title means something like ‘The Bizarre Misunderstanding’ and premiered in Bologna in 1811, when the young composer was still only 19 years of age. For the Festival’s 2026 production, Max Hoehn directs and Riccardo Bisatti conducts, both making their Wexford debuts, in what promises to be a masterclass in Rossini’s signature buffo (comic) style.
Full performance streamed on OperaVision from 30 October 2026 at 19:00 CET to 30 April 2027 at 12:00 CET: https://operavision.eu/performance/lequivoco-stravagante
CAST
Ernestina
Maria Barakova
Gamberotto
Stefan Astakhov
Buralicchio
Gurgen Baveyan
Ermanno
Sebastian Mach
Rosalia
Kelli-Ann Masterson
Frontino
Carlos Natale
Orchestra
Wexford Festival Opera Orchestra
Chorus
Wexford Festival Opera Chorus
Music
Gioachino Rossini
Text
Gaetano Gasbarri
Conductor
Riccardo Bisatti
Director
Max Hoehn
Set designers
Darko Petrovic
Costumes
Massimo Carlotto
Assistant Director
Sarah Crisp
Lights
Daniele Naldi
Répétiteurs
Giorgio D'Alonzo
Rebecca Warren
Watch live streams as the performances themselves unfold in the opera house. Enjoy a variety of shows - including opera, operetta, musical theatre, dance, ballet and concerts. Opera connaisseur or curious newcomer, there is something for everyone on OperaVision.
Managed by Opera Europa, OperaVision is a freeview streaming platform supported by the European Union’s Creative Europe funding programme. Between 2025 and 2028, Creative Europe’s support will help Opera Europa to promote and train emerging artists working in opera and dance. Known as Opera Europa Next Generation, this initiative will give visibility and development opportunities to over 560 emerging artists – in person and online, including via OperaVision – and all thanks to the efforts of a consortium of 44 opera houses and talent development organisations from 17 European countries.
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