Act I is a journey from Tokyo’s choral Beethoven to Russian folksong and includes a personal message from the great Chinese artist Ai Weiwei. Familiar highlights from Bizet’s Carmen, Verdi’s Traviata and Otello, Puccini’s Turandot and Gianni Schicchi surround jewels by Donizetti, Korngold and Cilea, this last sung by renowned Canadian soprano Sondra Radvanovsky.
Starting in Moscow, Act II contrasts tuneful Donizetti with dramatic Gluck sung by Korean Hyesang Park and American Anthony Roth Costanzo, alongside a thrilling duet from Verdi’s Rigoletto. In the spirit of UNESCO’s message of world culture, it also embraces Arabic melody, Russian song, the passion of Spanish zarzuela and an extraordinary 33-voice creation from Thailand.
Presented by South African Golda Schultz and Italian Daniele Rustioni, Act III adds Mozart sung by Elsa Dreisig and Beethoven by Luca Pisaroni, alongside Massenet, Verdi and Puccini’s Nessun dorma. Bernard Foccroulle’s dream of global culture is realised with Indian raag, Russian soulfulness, Irish traditional song and a duet from Gershwin’s Porgy and Bess.
