Executive Overview
In a bold programming choice that bridges the vibrant traditions of early 19th-century bel canto comedy and mid-20th-century cinematic lyricism, the Juilliard Opera is set to present a captivating double bill this November. Featuring Gioachino Rossini’s sparkling farsa comica “La scala di seta” (“The Silken Ladder”) alongside Nino Rota’s rare and poignant commedia lirica “I due timidi” (“The Two Timid Souls”), the production will run for three performances on November 14, 17, and 19 at Juilliard’s state-of-the-art Peter Jay Sharp Theater.
This ambitious pairing brings together two vastly different creative visions of romantic love, separated by more than a century of musical evolution yet united by their exploration of human vulnerability, societal expectation, and the sheer comedic peril of courtship. Under the artistic leadership of the Ellen and James S. Marcus Institute for Vocal Arts, the production showcases the exceptional talents of Juilliard’s rising generation of opera stars, accompanied by the virtuosic Juilliard Orchestra.
Guiding the musical forces is Swiss conductor Patrick Furrer, a distinguished member of the Metropolitan Opera’s music staff, while staging duties are helmed by Juilliard faculty member and acclaimed director John Matsumoto Giampetro. By transplanting Rossini’s frothy farce into present-day Italy and setting Rota’s melancholy romantic rarity in the fragile landscape of post-war Italy, the creative team has constructed a cohesive theatrical dialogue. The works interrogate the eternal truth that matters of the heart always demand high-stakes emotional and physical risk.
For New York audiences, the production offers a rare treat: while La scala di seta remains a beloved, if infrequently staged, gem of the early Rossinian canon, I due timidi is an absolute rarity in the city. Best known for his iconic cinematic collaborations with Federico Fellini and Francis Ford Coppola (The Godfather series), Nino Rota’s operatic output possesses a distinctive melodic richness and atmospheric flair that deserves far greater exposure. This performance marks a significant milestone in the 2024–25 Juilliard performance season, drawing attention from classical music critics, opera aficionados, and cultural institutions alike.
Detailed Chronology & Production Logistics
Performance Schedule and Venue
The production will be staged in the intimate yet acoustically pristine Peter Jay Sharp Theater, located within the main Juilliard building at Lincoln Center in New York City. The performance schedule is designed to allow audiences deep immersion into the operatic double bill over the course of a single week:
- Opening Night: Thursday, November 14 — 7:30 PM
- Second Performance: Sunday, November 17 — 2:00 PM (Matinee)
- Closing Night: Tuesday, November 19 — 7:30 PM
Tickets are available through the Juilliard Box Office, with specialized student and senior discounts offered to encourage broad community access to world-class operatic training performances.
Creative Leadership and Musical Forces
At the podium for all three performances is maestro Patrick Furrer. Known for his precise baton technique and deep familiarity with standard and contemporary operatic repertoire alike, Furrer brings invaluable professional rigor from his ongoing work with the Metropolitan Opera’s music staff. His leadership of the Juilliard Orchestra ensures that the instrumental textures—ranging from Rossini’s sparkling, woodwind-heavy overtures to Rota’s lush, cinematic harmonies—will be executed with professional polish and stylistic authenticity.
The stage direction is masterminded by John Matsumoto Giampetro, whose conceptual framework bridges two distinct eras of Italian history. Giampetro has chosen to view both operas through the lens of modern spatial dynamics, examining how private romantic desires collide with public scrutiny.
Cast Biographies and Vocal Assignments
The production relies entirely on the exceptional vocal talents of students enrolled in the Ellen and James S. Marcus Institute for Vocal Arts, offering these emerging professionals a high-profile platform to showcase their craft.
Gioachino Rossini’s La scala di seta Cast:
- Adriana Stepien
- Nathan Romportl
- Woosik Nam
- Minghang Wang
- Samone
- Tong Zhang
Nino Rota’s I due timidi Cast:
- Will (June Young) Kim
- Alison Kessler
- Chester Seungyup Han
- Sophia Pelekasis
- Tong Zhang
- Eloise Fox
- Minghang Wang
- Jihye Jang
- Jamila Drecker-Waxman
The cross-casting of several artists across both productions highlights the versatility required of modern operatic performers, who must seamlessly transition from the nimble, high-speed comic timing of early 19th-century bel canto to the nuanced, text-driven emotionality of mid-20th-century lyricism.
Supporting Context & Metrics: The Operas and Their Creators
Rossini’s La scala di seta: The Pinnacle of Farsa Comica
First premiered at the Teatro San Moisè in Venice on September 2, 1812, La scala di seta is the fifth of the remarkable series of one-act farces that a twenty-year-old Gioachino Rossini composed early in his meteoric career. Featuring a libretto by Giuseppe Maria Foppa—adapted from Eugène-François de Valville’s play L’échelle de soie—the opera represents the zenith of the farsa comica genre.
The plot revolves around the clever heroine Giulia, who has been secretly married to Blansac by her guardian, Dormont, who nonetheless intends to force her into a marriage with the pompous Blansac (who is unwittingly courting Giulia himself). To facilitate clandestine romantic trysts, Giulia uses a silken ladder dropped from her balcony, allowing her husband to climb up each night. Comedic chaos ensues when mistaken identities, hidden suitors, and accidental interventions turn a simple romantic rendezvous into a whirlwind of farcical misunderstandings.
Musically, the opera is legendary primarily for its brilliant overture, a staple of modern symphonic concerts that features rapid-fire string passages and a celebrated, exuberant horn solo. In the context of Juilliard’s production, updating the setting to present-day Italy revitalizes the bedroom-farce dynamics, translating 19th-century bourgeois anxieties into contemporary domestic scenarios where smart phones, modern apartment complexes, and urban lifestyle pressures replace traditional Venetian drawing-room tropes.
Nino Rota’s I due timidi: A Cinematic Lyric Masterpiece
In stark contrast to Rossini’s sunlit, fizzy optimism, Nino Rota’s I due timidi (The Two Timid Souls) is a melancholic, deeply human exploration of missed connections and psychological paralysis. Premiered in 1950 on Italian radio (RAI) before reaching the stage, the opera features a libretto by Suso Cecchi d’Amico, one of Italy’s most celebrated screenwriters (renowned for her work on Luchino Visconti’s La Terra Trema and Vittorio De Sica’s Bicycle Thieves).
The story centers on Mariangela and Raimondo, two painfully shy individuals who are desperately in love with one another from afar. Paralyzed by their own timidity, neither can summon the courage to speak up. By the time they finally overcome their mutual hesitation, external pressures and the passage of time have irrevocably altered their lives, resulting in a bittersweet resolution that avoids Hollywood sentimentality in favor of profound emotional truth.
Rota’s musical language in I due timidi is an absolute revelation. While best remembered globally for his monumental cinematic scores—including The Godfather, The Godfather Part II, Franco Zeffirelli’s Romeo and Juliet, and a legendary artistic partnership with director Federico Fellini spanning masterpieces like La Dolce Vita, 8½, and Amarcord—Rota’s concert and operatic works reveal an equally profound mastery of mood, melody, and theatrical pacing.
The score for I due timidi blends tuneful, lushly Romantic vocal writing for the lovers with sharply etched, satirical character sketches for the chorus and supporting townspeople. These secondary characters evoke the vibrant, grotesque, and affectionate caricatures familiar to fans of Fellinian cinema, ensuring that every bar of the score pulses with distinct psychological flavor and atmosphere.
Official Statements and Artistic Vision
The conceptual backbone of the double bill is anchored by the thoughtful reflections of its leadership team, who view the pairing not merely as a concert of historical curiosities, but as an urgent exploration of human connectivity.
Brian Zeger on the Spectrum of Romance
Brian Zeger, the artistic director of Juilliard Vocal Arts, articulated the thematic rationale behind the programming in an official statement:
"These two one-act operas explore different aspects of romantic love: Rossini’s ‘La scala di seta’ is frothy and farcical while Nino Rota’s ‘I due timidi’ is poignant and melancholy."
Zeger placed special emphasis on the rarity and musical brilliance of Rota’s operatic writing, shedding light on the composer’s unique theatrical footprint:
"’I due timidi’ is a rarity for New York audiences with tuneful, Romantic music for the lovers and characterful comic writing for the Felliniesque townspeople. As the composer for most of Fellini’s films as well as ‘The Godfather’ series, Rota’s exceptional ability to create mood flavors every bar of the score."
By bringing Rota’s operatic work into the limelight, Juilliard fulfills a vital educational and cultural mandate: introducing metropolitan audiences to 20th-century Italian operatic repertoire that has been unjustly overshadowed by the verismo and modernist canons.
Director John Matsumoto Giampetro on Risk and Space
Director John Matsumoto Giampetro expanded on the physical and psychological dimensions of the production, emphasizing the shared thematic DNA of both works:
"The headline for both operas is ‘Love! It’s a risk!’ Physically and emotionally. Our production explores this theme in addition to the interplay between private and public spaces."
Giampetro’s staging investigates how architecture and societal observation dictate human behavior. In La scala di seta, the private balcony becomes a public hazard, while in I due timidi, the suffocating atmosphere of a provincial town creates an invisible prison of social judgment that keeps two lovers apart. By updating Rossini to modern Italy and preserving Rota’s mid-century post-war aesthetic, the production creates a visual dialogue on how human isolation and romantic desperation persist across generations, regardless of technological advancement or societal shifts.
Future Outlook and Institutional Significance
The presentation of La scala di seta and I due timidi underscores the ongoing evolution of the Ellen and James S. Marcus Institute for Vocal Arts at Juilliard. Under the guidance of Brian Zeger and through collaborations with world-class guest conductors like Patrick Furrer and visionary stage directors like John Matsumoto Giampetro, the institution continues to set a gold standard for conservatory-level opera training.
Preparing Artists for the 21st-Century Stage
Modern opera companies increasingly demand that artists possess deep stylistic versatility, theatrical daring, and the technical stamina to navigate everything from 18th-century coloratura to mid-century cinematic lyricism. By casting students in contrasting repertory double bills, Juilliard provides an invaluable sandbox for young professionals to test their limits.
The inclusion of I due timidi also points toward a broader trend in the international opera world: the rediscovery and rehabilitation of neglected 20th-century lyric works. As major European and American houses seek to expand the canon beyond standard Italian and German masterpieces, artists trained in Nixon-era and mid-century idioms—such as those mastered by Nino Rota—will find themselves uniquely equipped for the contemporary professional landscape.
A Cultural Highlight of the New York Season
As curtain time approaches this November, anticipation among New York’s classical music community is palpable. The convergence of Rossini’s sparkling high-wire vocalism, Rota’s cinematic nostalgia, and the boundless enthusiasm of Juilliard’s student body promises an unforgettable theatrical experience.
Whether audiences are drawn by the promise of Rossini’s beloved overture, the cinematic allure of Rota’s lush orchestration, or the chance to witness the debut performances of tomorrow’s operatic superstars, the Juilliard Opera double bill stands out as an essential cultural event of the autumn season—a vibrant testament to the fact that when it comes to love, music, and the theater, the greatest rewards are always reserved for those willing to take the risk.
