LA GROTTA DI TROFONIO

This La Grotta di Trofonio was a rehash, after a few months, of Salieri’s work of the same name, staged at the Burgtheater in Vienna in October 1785. The subject is drawn by Greek mythology, like two other operas by Paisiello, Antigona and Il Socrate immaginario. It is a satire of human credulity that blind faith in people with alleged magical powers. In Paisiello the story takes on a Mediterranean flavour and a comic flair: the opera was a real surprise, pleasant and fun, with a well-curated production.
The cave is a clear a metaphor for change and rebirth, as are the great books arranged on stage, which also functions to define the space and to create a physical connection with our cultural background; every now and then, Greek philosophers and modern thinkers are alluded to in the libretto.