Giuseppe Verdi's great operas return to Switzerland with the Gala dedicated to him, a series of four evenings that, between Christmas and New Year, will bring the most beloved scenes of the Verdian repertoire to the stage. The production by Opera Polska stops in Zurich, Basel, Geneva and Olten between 27 and 30 December 2026, with a full orchestra, choir, soloists, sets and costumes.
The programme gathers the arias, duets and great ensembles that made Verdi's theatre immortal. It ranges from the choruses of Nabucco to the drama of Rigoletto, from the tragedy of Il trovatore to the passion of La traviata, all the way to the splendour of Aida, with a foray into the Sicilian Vespers as well. The two perhaps most recognisable pieces of all nineteenth-century opera are not missing: the chorus “Va pensiero”, which as early as 1842 had become Italy's unofficial anthem, and the Triumphal March from Aida. Sets, costumes and original choreography complete a show designed to stay in the audience's memory.
Giving voice and sound to this journey through Italian opera is Opera Polska, the great opera company founded in 1989 by Maestro Marek Tracz in collaboration with Wrocław television. The orchestra and choir bring together some of the finest musicians and singers from Poland's great opera houses and from other countries. The musical direction of the Swiss tour is entrusted to Marcin Wolniewski.
Few Italian musicians have left a legacy as rich as Giuseppe Verdi's. His heroines, from Violetta Valéry to Aida, embody both love and tragedy, while his music alternates lyricism, passion and a vein of irony. Verdi was also deeply tied to the fate of his country, so much so that he was appointed senator of the Kingdom of Italy in 1874. To a friend he wrote a line that has remained famous: “Copying the truth may be a good thing, but inventing the truth is better, much better.” Words that aptly describe the truth of feeling that still runs through his characters today.
The show has won favour on various European stages. Newspapers such as the Münchner Merkur and the Süddeutsche Zeitung described it as a grand operatic event, far more than a traditional concert, able to offer the audience scenic illusion, humour and great entertainment. The press praised in particular the quality of the soloists and the strength of the choir, rewarded with long applause in a full house.
Sunday 27 December 2026 - Tonhalle, Zurich
Monday 28 December 2026 - Stadtcasino, Basel
Tuesday 29 December 2026 - Victoria Hall, Geneva
Wednesday 30 December 2026 - Stadttheater, Olten
Buy tickets at: actnews.ch
