In December 2025, the Partenope opera finally reached the stage of Teatro di San Carlo in Naples, with performances on December 12th and 14th that felt as much like a cultural reckoning as a premiere. Composed by Ennio Morricone in 1995, the one-act opera was unveiled three decades after its creation, offering a rare glimpse into the composer’s lesser-known ambition to write for the operatic stage.
Rooted in the myth of the siren Partenope, whose body is said to have given rise to Naples, the work moves between antiquity and modernity, blending ritual, memory, and the idea of a city born from loss. Under the baton of Riccardo Frizza and the stage direction of Vanessa Beecroft, the production reframed the founding legend through a contemporary, highly stylized lens.
Opera costumes as contemporary language
The visual language of the opera costumes played a decisive role in shaping this interpretation. Designed by Vanessa Beecroft in collaboration with Daniela Ciancio, the garments rejected historical pastiche in favor of sculptural minimalism and controlled repetition. Figures appeared almost suspended in time, their dress emphasizing the body as both symbol and surface, echoing Beecroft’s long-standing exploration of stillness and corporeality.
Chemena Kamali brings fashion romance to the stage
A distinctive fashion note was introduced through the collaboration with Chemena Kamali, creative director of Chloé, whose involvement lent the costumes a refined romanticism. Her influence was felt in the fluid lines, soft materials, and subtle sensuality that tempered the severity of the staging. The result was a compelling fusion of Beecroft’s raw physicality and the poetic femininity associated with Kamali’s vision for Chloé.
For the city, and for Morricone’s legacy, the performances at the Teatro di San Carlo felt less like a revival and more like an overdue arrival.
