Demetrio E Polibio

The work was given its first performance in Rome in 1812 It is still unclear whether Rossini was 14 or 18 when he wrote it what is beyond doubt however is the anticipation of great things to come The libretto is a farfetched tale of feuding kings mistaken identities disguises and cruel fates typical of the late 18thcentury opera seria Young stage director Davide Livermore heading a production of the Accademia di Belle Arti di Urbino turns the libretto into a ghost story setting the action behind the stage of an opera house when everyone has left and all that remains are the spirits of an opera that yearns for the breath of life much like the practically forgotten Demetrio e Polibio itself