is an annual bel canto opera festival in Bad Wildbad, Baden-Württemberg, Germany, specialising in the lesser-known operas of Gioachino Rossini and his contemporaries. The festival, which commemorates Rossini's stay at the spa town in 1856, was founded in 1989 by a group of people interested in restoring and reviving the spa facilities, especially the theatre. Usually held in June and July, it features also compositions of other composers from the bel canto period. Performances are held at various historic spa facilities including the former Royal spa theatre, in or near the spa park. Many productions have been recorded.
History
Gioachino Rossini, a prolific composer of Italian opera, stayed at Wildbad and used its spa for several weeks in 1856, which apparently invigorated him enough to start composing again. His wife Olympe Pélissier is said to have recommended the place because its water was very mild. Early in his career, until age 37, he had composed operas, many masterpieces that remained in the repertoire, but also operas that were neglected. After a hiatus of decades, he began to compose again after the spa visit, on German paper. He would later call his late compositions his "sins of old age" ().
The Rossini in Wildbad festival was founded in 1989 on an initiative of Margarete Bott. She and others wanted to see the , formerly Königliches Kurtheater (Royal spa theatre), restored and used again. She collaborated with the conductor as artistic director and the cultural manager responsible for organisation and management.
became artistic director in 1992 and has been Intendant since 2000. Antonino Fogliani, an Italian conductor focused on Rossini, first worked at the festival in 2004 and was appointed music director in 2011.
1989–1992: , from 1992: (artistic director, from 2000 Intendant)Jochen Schönleber, Intendanz und künstlerische Leitung (in German) Rossini in Wildbad, 23 September 2021, retrieved 28 August 2023 2011–2026: Antonino Fogliani (music director)Antonino Fogliani, Musikalische Leitung (in German) Rossini in Wildbad, 23 September 2021, retrieved 28 August 2023
Theme The festival is focused on the complete operas by Rossini, both his well-known operas and the neglected repertoire. It also features compositions of other composers from the bel canto period, as well as different setting of librettos that Rossini used. Many festival productions have been broadcast and recorded on CD or DVD, in collaboration with labels Naxos and Bongiovanni. The festival works with young singers and has a regular orchestra, Virtuosi Brunensis, from Brno.
Venues
The first opera performances were held at the Kurhaus, while the theatre was restored. From 2010 the main venue for opera performances and recordings was the , the hall where spa guests used to drink the mineral water. It seats 500 people. The Kurhaus venue was then used for rehearsals and concerts; the last scenic production at the Kurhaus was La gazza ladra in 2009.
The Königliches Kurtheater, reopened in 2014, seats 250. Another venue, Forum König-Karls-Bad, is in the , formerly a bathing house called Haus des Gastes, now a conference centre. The festival also uses several open air locations for events. In 2026, the Kurhaus again became a festival venue.
All venues are in or near the Kurpark. It is connected to Pforzheim, the closest city, via the Enz Valley Railway which is part of the Stadtbahn Karlsruhe net. The starting times of performances are planned with respect to the tram's time table.
Academy An academy was founded in 2004, named Akademie BelCanto, in order to train young singers in the art of bel canto. Schönleber has been its director, and instructors have included Alberto Zedda and Kurt Widmer as well as Joyce DiDonato when she made a recording of La Cenerentola with the SWR Rundfunkorchester Kaiserslautern. Singers who were students of the academy include Michael Spyres, Olga Peretyatko, Diana Haller and Marina Viotti.
List of operas performed Year Composer Work Venue, notes Conductor 2026 Weckerlin Le mariage en poste Königliches Kurtheater, salon opera with piano, first revival 2026 Arrieta Kurhaus, zarzuela 2026 Rossini / Carafa Sémiramis Kurhaus, in French, revival of the Paris version of 1860 including ballet music, concert performance Andriy Yurkevych 2026 Rossini L'occasione fa il ladro Königliches Kurtheater Antonio Fogliani / Jacopo Brusa 2026 Rossini La gazza ladra Kurhaus, merge of versions from Naples 1819 and 1820 Pérez-Sierra 2025 Rossini La Cenerentola Königliches Kurtheater Pérez-Sierra 2025 Rossini L'inganno felice Königliches Kurtheater Fogliani 2025 García Un avvertimento ai gelosi Königliches Kurtheater, production by opera studio of Teatro Carlo Felice in Genova with piano 2025 Poniatowski Pierre de Médicis Trinkhalle, concert performance, by Passionart and Filharmonia K. Szymanowskiego Krakowie Pérez-Sierra 2025 Rossini Otello Trinkhalle, revival of 1820 version from Rome, with lieto fine Nicola Pascoli 2024 Carafa Masaniello Trinkhalle, concert performance, recording Pascoli 2024 Rossini Le comte Ory Trinkhalle, Rossini's first French opera Fogliani 2024 Rossini L'italiana in Algeri Königliches Kurtheater, production of the academy Pérez-Sierra 2023 Rossini Il signor Bruschino Königliches Kurtheater Pérez-Sierra 2023 Rossini Il barbiere di Siviglia Trinkhalle Fogliani 2023 Pacini Gli arabi nelle Gallie ossia Il trionfo della fede Trinkhalle, concert performance Marco Alibrando 2023 Rossini Il vero omaggio tower of the Baumwipfelpfad Fogliani 2022 Rossini Adina ossia Il califfo di Bagdad Königliches Kurtheater Luciano Acocella 2022 Rossini Ermione Trinkhalle Fogliani 2022 Rossini Armida Trinkhalle Pérez-Sierra 2021 Rossini Elisabetta, regina d'Inghilterra open hall, with Passionart Fogliani 2021 Rossini La scala di seta pool, open air Pérez-Sierra 2021 Auber Le philtre open hall, first revival Acocella 2021 García I tre Gobbi pool, open air Paolo Raffo 2020 García L'isola disabitata open air, with piano Andrés Jesús Gallucci 2019 Meyerbeer Romilda e Costanza first revival Acocella 2019 Rossini Matilde di Shabran Trinkhalle Pérez-Sierra 2019 Rossini Tancredi Königliches Kurtheater, with Passionart, Krakov Fogliani 2019 García I tre Gobbi Königliches Kurtheater, first revival Gallucci 2019 Mayr L'accademia di musica Königliches Kurtheater 2018 Rossini Petite messe solennelle / Giovanna d'Arco Forum König-Karls-Bad 2018 Rossini L'equivoco stravagante Königliches Kurtheater, production from the Bulgarian National Opera 2018 Rossini La cambiale di matrimonio Königliches Kurtheater, Rossini's first farsa 2018 Rossini Moïse Trinkhalle 2018 Rossini Zelmira Trinkhalle, concert performance, German premiere 2018 Rossini Le nozze di Teti e di Peleo Trinkhalle, staged wedding cantata 2017 Garcia Le cinesi 2017 Rossini L'occasione fa il ladro recording Fogliani 2017 Rossini Maometto secondo Fogliani 2017 Rossini Aureliano in Palmira concert version 2017 Rossini Eduardo e Cristina concert version Gianluigi Gelmetti 2016 Balducci Il conte di Marsico Königliches Kurtheater, guest performance by Teatro Sarrià, Barcelona 2016 Bellini Bianca e Gernando concert version 2016 Rossini Sigismondo 2016 Rossini Demetrio e Polibio 2015 Rossini L'inganno felice 2015 García Le cinesi guest performance by Teatro Sarrià, Barcelona 2015 Rossini Bianca e Falliero 2015 Rossini L'italiana in Algeri concert version 2015 Lindpainter Il vespro siciliano concert version 2014 Rossini Il viaggio a Reims concert version 2014 Rossini Il viaggio a Reims Fogliani 2014 Rossini Adelaide di Borgogna third scenic production, broadcast by Deutschlandfunk Alcocella 2014 Morlachi Tebaldo ed Isolina concert version 2013 Rossini Guillaume Tell Fogliani 2013 Adam Le Chalet 2013 Rossini Ricciardo e Zoraide 2012 Mercadante I briganti first revival Fogliani 2012 Rossini Adina 2012 Rossini Semiramide concert version 2011 Balducci Il noce di Benevento 2011 Pavesi Ser Marcantonio 2011 Rossini / Tadolini Stabat Mater Version from 1833, orchestrated by Antonino Fogliani 2011 Rossini Giovanna d'Arco orchestrated by Marco Taralli 2011 Rossini Il turco in Italia 2010 Generali Adelina 2010 Rossini La cenerentola 2010 Rossini Le siège de Corinthe concert version 2009 Rossini Il signor Bruschino 2009 Rossini La gazza ladra Kurhaus 2009 Vaccai La sposa di Messina concert version 2008 Pacini Il convitato di pietra 2008 Rihm Kolonos World premiere, in double bill with Edipo a Colono 2008 Rossini Edipo a Colono concert version 2008 Rossini L'italiana in Algeri concert version 2008 Rossini Otello ossia Il moro di Venezia Fogliani 2007 Balducci Boabdil, re di Granata 2007 Rossini La gazzetta 2007 Rossini La scala di seta 2007 Mercadante Don Chisciotte alle nozze di Gamaccio concert version 2006 Rossini I due Figaro (Carafa) 2006 Balducci I gelosi 2006 Rossini La cambiale di matrimonio Kurhaus, Rossini's first farsa 2006 Rossini La donna del lago 2006 Rossini Mosè in Egitto 2005 Meyerbeer Semiramide riconosciuta semi-staged 2005 Rossini L'inganno felice 2005 Rossini L'occasione fa il ladro 2004 Mayr L'amor coniugale 2004 Rossini La cenerentola concert version 2004 Rossini Ciro in Babilonia 2004 Rossini Il barbiere di Siviglia concert version 2003 Rossini Torvaldo e Dorliska 2003 Mayr L'accademia di musica 2003 Mosca L'italiana in Algeri 2002 Winter Maometto 2002 Rossini Maometto secondo 2002 Rossini Le comte Ory 2001 Rossini La pietra del paragone 2001 Pucitta Verter sometimes attributed to Simon Mayr 2000 Rossini L'equivoco stravagante 1999 Rossini Elisabetta, regina d'Inghilterra 1998 Rossini Matilde di Shabran 1997 Rossini Eduardo e Cristina 1996 Rossini Aureliano in Palmira 1995 Rossini Sigismondo 1994 Rossini Le nozze di Teti e di Peleo staged cantata 1993 Rossini L'equivoco stravagante Rossini's first opera, in the first own production 1992 Rossini Edipo a Colono 1991 Rossini Semiramide 1990 Rossini L'occasione fa il ladro 1989 Rossini La scala di seta
References
External links