Luigi Nono’s Al gran sole carico d’amore, ‘a scenic action’ in two parts, will be performed September 14 – October 29 at Theater Basel. A Swiss premiere. Theater Basel Orchestra and Choir conducted by Jonathan Stockhammer. Directed by Sebastian Baumgarten. 

Following its world premiere on April 4, 1975 at Milano’s Teatro Lirico, Al gran sole carico d’amore went on to be performed many times over the years, always a great success.

In 2015, to mark the 40th anniversary of the opera’s debut, we had the chance to sit down and talk with Ms. Nuria Schoenberg Nono.

Read the interview

Here’s a selection of the best performances of Luigi Nono’s Al gran sole carico d’amore after the 1975 world premiere.

11.2.1978: Milan, Teatro Lirico
Chorus and Orchestra of Teatro alla Scala
Claudio Abbado (conductor) - Yuri Ljubimov (director)

26.6.1978: Frankfurt (German premiere)
Oper Frankfurt
Michael Gielen (conductor) - Jürgen Flimm (director) 

8.9.1978: Edinburgh, King’s Theater (UK premiere)
Oper Frankfurt production (concert version)
Michael Gielen (conductor)   

14.6.1979: Amsterdam (Netherlands premiere)  
Oper Frankfurt production
Michael Gielen (conductor) - Jürgen Flimm (director)

26.5.1982: Lyon, La Fabrique (French premiere)
Orchestra e Coro dell’Opera di Lione
Michaël Luig (conductor) - Jorge Lavelli (director)

8.11.1998: Stuttgart
Staatsoper Stuttgart
Lothar Zagrosek (conductor) - Martin Kušej (director)

11.4.1999: Hamburg 
Hamburgische Stadtsoper
Ingo Metzmacher (conductor) - Travis Preston (director)

9.5.2004: Hannover
Staatsoper Hannover 
Johannes Harneit (conductor) - Peter Konwitschny (director)

26.8.2004: Edinburgh
Staatsoper Hannover production
Johannes Harneit (conductor) - Peter Konwitschny (director)

20.5.2006: Hannover
Staatsoper Hannover 
Johannes Harneit (conductor) - Peter Konwitschny (director)

2.8.2009: Salzburg, Felsenreitschule (Austrian premiere)
Wiener Philharmoniker - Wiener Staatsopernchor 
Ingo Metzmacher (conductor) - Katie Mitchell (direction)

8.10.2009: Leipzig
Oper Leipzig 
Johannes Harneit (conductor) - Peter Konwitschny (director)

1.3.2012: Berlin, Schiller Theater
Berlin Staatsoper 
Ingo Metzmacher (conductor) - Katie Mitchell (director)

14.9.2019: Basel
Theater Basel
Jonathan Stockhammer (conductor) - Sebastian Baumgarten (director)

14.3.2020: Mainz
Staatstheater Mainz
Hermann Bäumer (conductor) - Elisabeth Stöppler (director)

Foto: Grazia Lissi