Lyric musical, dedicated to the life of the philosopher Carlo Michelstaedter, takes place
between Gorizia, Florence and the Istrian coast.
The performance is in Italian, with Slovenian surtitles.
Premiere – 5 February 2026, repeat performance 6 February 2026 at 8:00 p.m.
Main Hall, Lojze Bratuž Cultural Center
author of the text – Muro Rossi
composer – Stefano Sacher
author of the Slovenian translation – Veronika Brecelj
conductor – Simon Dvoršak
direction – Jasmin Kovic
set design – Jasmin Kovic
projections – Sybil Calligaris
costumes – Snežica Černic
SINGERS
Carlo Michelstaedter (tenor) – Gregor Ravnik
Nadia Baraden (soprano) – Alessandra Tessaro
Argia Cassini, the lovestruck friend (mezzo-soprano) – Chiara Alloi
Enrico Mreule, friend (baritone) – Kevin Baliviera
Nino Paternolli, friend, artist 3 and student 3 (tenor) – Carlo Ian Poclen
Emma Coen Luzzatto, mother (mezzo-soprano) – Nada Tavčar
Alberto Michelstaedter, father (baritone) – Boris Papak
Paula Michelstaedter, sister and Emma, prostitute (soprano) – Leonarda Kavedzic
doctor, artist 2 and student 2 (baritone) – Manuel Sedmak
artist 1 and student 1 (tenor) – Matthias Ferluga
EXTRAS
woman – Antonella D’Addato
child – Urška Dorni
ORCHESTRA – GO! BORDERLESS ORCHESTRA
violin – Mojca Križnič
violin – Ambra Cossutta
viola – Annalisa Clemente
cello – Aleksander Sluga
flute – Daniela Brussolo
clarinet – Tomaž Škamperle
horn – Angelo Dolce
horn – Luka Grego
piano – Michela Sbuelz
harp – Laura Pandolfo
The musical tells the story of the passionate love between Carlo Michelstaedter and the charming, mysterious and elusive Russian anarchist Nadia Baraden. In a breathtaking plot full of unexpected twists, previously unknown details emerge about the last five years of the young philosopher from Gorizia.
OTHER CONTRIBUTORS
assistant conductor – Karim Zajec
assistant director – Ester Tomba
rehearsal pianist – Michela Sbuelz
musical consultant – Ivano Cavallini
set construction – Claudio Mezzelani, Franko Kovic, Valerio Komic, Simon Čavdek
stage technicians – Valerio Komic, Simon Čavdek
sound – Jurij Lavrenčič, Jan Kosič (Eventech System SRL)
lighting technician – Valerio Komic
surtitles – Alessandro Pasi
wardrobe assistants – Gianna Blason, Antonella D’Addato
“An intense artistic cross-section of a life caught between authenticity and rhetoric”
“The creators have clearly achieved their goal, as the fluid unfolding of events maintained the desired tension and expressive power throughout the hour and a half of the performance, so far in two sold-out shows.”
Rossana Paliaga, Novi Glas, February 2026
The international cast of singers and the GO! Borderless Orchestra performed the 22 scenes in front of a sold-out audience.
The hour-and-a-half-long performance conveys softened impressions of a tragic life, a polished image that, in exchange for rawness, offers an excellent work by a young team, a convincing and coherent staging, and inspires curiosity for further exploration of this figure from Gorizia’s history.
The young cast of singers distinguished itself with cohesion and ease.
In the twenty-two consecutive scenes, the action flows smoothly between Gorizia, Florence and Piran. The director created a cohesive artistic narrative in black-and-white tones, where crystal chandeliers depict the upper-middle-class domestic setting, projections of the sea or details of Florentine squares (created by Sybil Calligaris) frame the outdoor scenes, while movable platforms articulate the stage dynamics.
The vocal ensemble demonstrated cohesion and spontaneity, reflected in the energy and rhythm of the production.
The protagonist stood out: the tenor from the Littoral region, Gregor Ravnik, for his vocal brilliance and exceptionally clear and intelligible diction.
Primorski dnevnik, February 2026