1996

Palazzo dell’ Amore

Music: Eberhard Schoener, Libretto: Peter Kammerer/ Eberhard Schoener

Psyche (Helen Schneider), so beautiful that even the gods are amazed, shall get married to a monster. That is the wish of jealous Venus. Amor (Andrea Bocelli), given the task to doom Psyche, falls in love with her and now hides behind the mask of the monster.

Romeo (Gianna Nannini) and Julia (Nidia Palacios), still nearly children, are from the first moment on so much in unconditional love that only death can seal such love. Julia senses it immediately ("Is my bridal bed a coffin?"). "Love is day, love is night": there is the light- and day-like part in their love with their wedding on Mount Olympus and there is a shadow- and night-like side with their marriage in Hades. But where do the two couples in love meet? When Romeo needs to flee the monk sends him to Mantua. In Mantua there is a famous portrayal of Amor & Psyche in the "Palazzo Té": The fresco-paintings of Giulio Romano.

Andrea Bocelli - Nidia Palacios - Helen Schneider - Gianna Nannini

In that room the images become alive and Romeo dreams himself and Julia into the wedding of the gods ("Can this be Paradise")."See, see, how he sleeps!"
At the wedding of the gods the cosmopolitan and multicultural society of the present day is gathering. In that society pure and strong emotions are in trouble. Gods and guests try to disturb the couples. Romeo is incited to seduce Julia as an act of revenge on her family ("to seduce Julia, to disgrace Julia"). Psyche is asked to unmask the monster.
The lovers do not let themselves be misled. The buffoons predict the separation (Madrigal of the "abandoned nymph"). But Amor finds Psyche and brings her to the Olympus ("La luna sale e cala"). Romeo is woken up by Hermes and rushes to Julia. Both unite in death.