Despite the reduction in funding from the Fus (Fondo Unico per lo Spettacolo) the Teatro Lirico di Cagliari is proposing a Season with ‘No Cuts’ for 2009.

At this mornings press conference presenting the Opera and Ballet Season programme in which the major of Cagliari and president of the Fondazione Emilio Floris participated, the superintendant Maurizio Pietrantonio explained the organisational and managerial effort involved in coping with the new financial situation that the theatre is having to endure - along with other thirteen Foundations.

Pierantonio explained “We have had to adjust our programme in the face of cuts of over 2 million euro to funding in 2009. However, in spite of the serious reduction, with readiness of our collaborators and the use of new managerial strategies, we have succeeded in producing a programme that we hope will once again win the praise and the curiosity of our 11000 and over season ticket holders.”

As is customary the Season is divided into five operas and two ballets and opens on 22nd April with the wonderful Semën Kotko by Sergej Prokof’ev, conducted by Alexander Vedernikov, produced in association with the Mariinskij Theatre, St Petersburg. Among the other operas proposed: Cavalleria Rusticana and Pagliacci, Aida, Elisir d'amore (a new Lirico production) and La Bohème in association with the Badisches Staatstheater, Karlsruhe.

The ballet programme opens with Le Corsaire, produced by the Opera di Riga, and continues with A Midsummer Night’s Dream, with Roberto Bolle and the Scala Theatre Ballet Company and finally the Gala con Picone e i grandi della danza (not on the season ticket).

As well as the opera and ballet programme, Pietrantonio and the artistic director Massimo Biscardi also mentioned the substantial Concert season- which is underway- and the programme of events in the Sardinian territory and those regarding the educational activities. The latter have encouraged many youngsters to realize experiences, even abroad, through activities such as the tour at the Opéra di Parigi in December organised by the project called “Orchestra giovanile Sant’Elia” (Sant’ Elia Youth Orchestra) in which the youngsters took part.

Moreover, regarding the employment alarm sent out by some trade unions over the last few days, Pierantonio stated that “with reference to the Cagliari Lirico these worries are unfounded. The Lirico has shown that it is protecting all the foundations workers, utilizing to its full capacity the staff and respecting contracts”. Undeterred by the critical moment, in compliance with the financial-managerial constraints, the Lirico appears to be intent on breaking even on its budget for the fifth year in a row, clearly demonstrating its managerial model, regarding the quality of the productions and the entrepreneurial capability, that is practically unmatched on a national level and for which it was recognized last year by the Ministry of Cultural Heritage as an ‘upstanding Foundation’.



Photographic service by Priamo Tolu