There was talk of a public theatre in Catania as far back as the XVIII century during the hubbub of reconstruction following the 1693 earthquake that had destroyed the city. But the foundation stone was not laid until 1812. The Catania people wanted it to be a "Great Municipal Theatre" worthy of an expanding city.
In 1890 the doors of Teatro Massimo V. Bellini" opened for the ' first time, the theatre had been built to the Design of the Milanese architect Carlo Sada. In its one hundred years, it is the heart of Catania's musical life, the theatre's stage has been trodden by some of our century's greatest musicians: Gino Marinuzzi, Vittorio Cui, Antonio Guarnieri, Georg Solti, Lorin Maazel, Riccardo Muti, Giuseppe Sinopoli, and Alain lombard; Toti Dal Monte, Callas, Caballé, Scotto, Freni, Schipa, Gigli, Corelli, Pavarotti, Pertile, Del Monaco and Di Stefano; Galeffi, Bechi, Gobbi, and Nucci.
The theatre has hosted performances of practicclly every operatic masterpiece from Mozart through Berg as well as contemporary works, the latest of which was the world premiere of Azio Corghi's Divara in the original Italian. Teatro Massimo "Bellini" con count on a 105-member orchestra, a chair of 84, a large group of stage managers, and scenography workshops which have brought to life scenes designed by Ezio Frigerio, Pet Halmen, Maurizio Balò, Hugo de Ano, Luciano Ricceri, Dante Ferretti, and Franca Squarciapino to mention only the mese recasse. Shows at the theatre have been produced by such big names as Pierre Ponnelle, Franco Zeffirelli, Werner Herzog, Claude D'Anna, Gilbert Deflo, Giuliano Montaldo and Denis Krief. The twelve hundred seats in the acoustically perfect hall fili to capacity every year, season's tickets are sold for seven performances of each opera and for two performances of each symphony and chamber music concert. Many of the concerts are repeated in other towns in Sicily, and small groups of instrumentalists and vocalist from the orchestra and chair travel to promote.
If there is missing something or you have special interests, not listetd here.. Just let me know, I'll try everything to help you. Kind regards from Sicily, Gunnar
