Soprano Fiorenza Cedolins to make Fedora debut in Naples

(AGI) Naples, Apr 28 - Italian soprano Fiorenza Cedolins, the international bel canto star, is to sing the part of Fedora for the first time, in five performances of the opera, which will be back after a 27-year break at the Teatro San Carlo in Naples on May 3. Umberto Giordano's masterpiece, with a libretto by Arturo Colautti, based on the play of the same name by Victorien Sardou, will see Lamberto Puggelli's direction taken over by Salvo Piro, with scenery and costumes by Luisa Spienelli. The staging is by Turin's Teatro Regio, which has been the backdrop for performances of the opera featuring Placido Domingo, Mirella Freni and Jose Carreras. The Orchestra del Massimo Napoletano will be conducted alternately by Asher Fisch and Maurizio Agostini. Giordano wrote Fedora after seeing Sarah Bernhardt perform in Sardou's play at the Teatro Bellini in Naples in 1889, and immediately asked Sardou if he could put it to music. Permission was only granted following the success of Giordano's opera Andrea Chenier in 1896. (AGI). .