I Capuleti e i Montecchi
Wroclaw Opera, Wroclaw, Poland, year 2018

The set design of Vincenzo Bellini’s opera I Capuleti e i Montecchi is based on the principle of the image in the image. The space develops Shakespeare’s metaphor of " All the world is a stage”. In the first act - using the characteristic elements of the auditorium of the Wrocław Opera, such as the color of the walls, the color and type of the curtain, wooden panels of the orchestra - is built a reality on the stage that reflects the audience. This image is repeated on the stage three times, creating a space for interaction between singers, in which each character plays the role assigned to each other. The first act of the opera is sophisticated, autothematic and rubbing world with hyper-realistic aesthetics. In the second act the background of this situation is shown (turning the stage). It is the world of theatrical backstage, in which the masks are completely or partially removed. In this way from the world of theatricality and hyperrealism, performance goes to reality on stage. This stage solution allows to play the action on two levels. The first level is the reality of the relationships between the characters of Romeo and Giuliettas history; the second is the world of relations between singers playing these roles. In this way the viewer has a chance not only to see the sentimental (and widely known) history of Romeo and Giulietta, but also to participate in reflection on the possible meanings of this story for todays society.

Conductor: Marcin Nałęcz-Niesiołowski
Stage Director: Krystian Lada
Scenography: Didzis Jaunzems
Costume Designer: Magdalena Maciejewska
Light Designer: Maarten Warmerdam
Photographer: Bart Barczyk