INTERNATIONAL CIRCUS FESTIVAL

AXUR - Selection Show A

Axur, King of Ormus is a tragicomic opera in five acts composed by Antonio Salieri, with a libretto by Lorenzo Da Ponte. It is the Italian adaptation of Tarare, which had already enjoyed great success at the Paris Opéra. That earlier work marked a pivotal moment in Salieri’s career, establishing his reputation beyond the borders of the Habsburg Empire. For the Viennese version, Salieri restructured the staging to suit the tastes of the imperial court, replacing the dance sequences—favored by French audiences—with a comic interlude in the form of a harlequinade. This addition, inspired by the tradition of Commedia dell’Arte, anticipates themes and formats that would later influence modern circus comedy.

FALSTAFF - Selection Show B

Falstaff, a dramma giocoso in two acts composed by Antonio Salieri with a libretto by Carlo Prospero Defranceschi, draws inspiration from Shakespeare’s comedy The Merry Wives of Windsor.
The decision to feature this opera as one of the two main performances of the Festival highlights the Salieri Circus Award’s commitment to celebrating the interplay between artistic disciplines: music, physical expression, poetry, and literature converge in an aesthetic balance that defines the unique identity of the event.

The artist lineup is subject to change due to technical reasons.