Pinocchio

This two-acter, created in 2001 and revised in 2006 and in 2019, is based on the international steady-seller Le avventure di Pinocchio by Carlo Collodi (1883), ostensibly a nursery tale but actually a trove of witty metaphors about the upbringing of a fully human being. Librettist Paolo Madron and composer Pierangelo Valtinoni retell the famous story in an entirely fresh fashion, with fifty-seven child actors, six adult roles, lots of choirs and a colourful orchestra. In his gentle music, both sad and beautiful, Valtinoni follows the great masters of musical tale-telling: there is much of Ravel but also a slight leaning towards Puccini and Bernstein. At the Berlin world premiere in 2006, the production was an immediate success with the audience.