Pre-performance podcast - Giustino

Baroque Banter

Host Genevieve Lang is joined by Pinchgut's Artistic Director Erin Helyard and director Dean Bryant to discuss the much anticipated Australian premiere of the opera Giustino by Legrenzi. A forgotten triumph of Venetian opera, Giustino is a fast-paced, kaleidoscopic and fanciful opera packed with arias and old-fashioned wonder that will leave you stamping your feet for more. A classic rags-to-riches story of the shepherd Giustino who, through a series of adventures and magical interventions, ultimately becomes the Emperor of Rome. Treacherous journeys on the high seas, siblings embroiled in swashbuckling battles and star-crossed lovers set the scene in Legrenzi’s spectacular operatic setting. After the successes of The Loves of Apollo and Dafne by Cavalli (2021) and Orontea by Cesti (2022), Pinchgut now shines a light on the brilliant composer and grandfather of the da capo aria, Giovanni Legrenzi, who was considered the Puccini of the late 17thcentury. While Legrenzi’s operatic output was small, he was praised for “exceeding the expectations of many in cultivating charm and delight”, and Giustino is one of his great successes. With over 70 short arias, Giustino is a truly dynamic and effervescent opera, showcasing Legrenzi’s ability to spin an unending melodic thread, and convey the nuance, mood and shifts in his characters.