Verdi's Stiffelio - An Opera With A Turbulent History

Felix Krieger and his Ensemble Berliner Operngruppe

Letter from Verdi to Giovanni Ricordi, dated Busseto, 25 June 1850, in which the composer agrees to the premiere of his new opera Stiffelio in Trieste

Felix Krieger, conductor of the Berliner Operngruppe

Frontispiece of the piano-vocal score of the Verdi opera Aroldo, in which entire passages and even printing plates from the censored opera Stiffelio were reused

Felix Krieger, conductor of the Berliner Operngruppe

Conductor Felix Krieger did research on Stiffelio using original documents at the Ricordi Archives in Milan

First page of the 1850 contract in which Verdi cedes the rights for publication and circulation of his opera Stiffelio to Giovanni Ricordi

Frontispiece of the first piano-vocal score of Stiffelio published by Ricordi in 1852. It shows the priest Stiffelio (3rd from the right). His wife Lina kneels to his right in prayer

First page of the piano-vocal score of the Verdi opera Aroldo, in which entire passages and even printing plates from the censored opera Stiffelio were reused

Pierluigi Ledda, Director of the Ricordi Archive, with Prof. Luigi Reitani, Director of the Italian Cultural Institute in Berlin, and escort together with Helen Müller, Head of Corporate History at Bertelsmann.

The Stiffelio team: conductor Felix Krieger (center) with his soloists, director and the Head of Corporate History at Bertelsmann, Helen Müller (4th from left).

Prof. Peter-André Alt, President of the Freie Universität Berlin, with his wife.

The Mexican soprano Maria Katzarava gave a bravura performance as the opera’s heroine Lina.

Berliner Operngruppe’s soloists, orchestra and choir won over the audience, and were rewarded with standing ovations at the end of the performance

Bertelsmann hosted an after-opera reception in its Berlin premises at Unter den Linden 1.

Some 200 guests mingled at Bertelsmann’s reception following the opera performance.

Some 200 guests mingled at Bertelsmann’s reception following the opera performance.

Prof. Dr. Christoph Stölzl, President of the Franz Liszt Academy of Music and founding director of the German Historical Museum, with Larissa Miller.

Thilo Reinhardt (l.), Director of the Stiffelio performance, with soloist Francesco Ellero d'Artegna (bass), who sang the role of Jorg.

The applause for conductor Felix Krieger and Berliner Operngruppe went on and on…

Liz Mohn and Prof. Maria Böhmer, Minister of State at the Federal Foreign Office, at the Verdi performance.

Berliner Operngruppe performed the Berlin premiere of Verdi's Stiffelio to a sold-out auditorium.