IRIS | Teatro Regio Turin • November 05, 2026
Moving away from the realism of Cavalleria rusticana, Mascagni created a profound symbolist gem with Iris. Experience the tragic story of an innocent soul in a fictional Japan.
€510
Teatro Regio Torino photo Edoardo Piva
With Iris (1898), Pietro Mascagni composed the first Italian opera set in Japan, anticipating themes that would soon appear in Puccini’s Madama Butterfly. However, Mascagni’s Japan is not a realistic setting but an idealized backdrop for a symbolist drama. Amidst flowers and bamboo, the young Iris falls victim to the forces of evil. The opera follows the tortuous paths of her mind, where childhood dreams collide with the horrors of the world. Conducted by Andrea Battistoni and directed by Daniele Menghini, this hidden gem of Verismo—which embraces broader European musical languages—is presented in a new staging. The stellar cast is led by Erika Grimaldi in the complex title role.
Plot of Iris | Pietro Mascagni
Between Innocence and the Abyss
Act 1: Iris, an innocent young girl, lives a sheltered life with her blind father. She finds joy in nature and her dolls. The wealthy Osaka desires her and, with the help of the shady Kyoto, orchestrates her abduction during a puppet show. Her father, mistakenly believing she left voluntarily for a brothel, curses her.
Act 2: Iris wakes up in a luxurious pleasure house in Yoshiwara. She mistakes it for paradise but is repulsed by Osaka’s advances, as she cannot comprehend his intentions. When her father finds her and throws mud at her in shame, her world shatters. In despair, she flings herself into a deep sewer trench.
Act 3: Lying among the refuse in the canyon, the dying Iris reflects on the cruelty of fate and human selfishness. As the sun rises, she is transfigured and becomes one with nature and the flowers—a transcendental, symbolic redemption on the threshold between life and death.
Cast and Creative Team of IRIS
Melodrama in three acts
Music by Pietro Mascagni
Libretto by Luigi Illica
World premiere: Rome, Teatro Costanzi, 22/11/1896
Overtitles in Italian/English
Orchestra and Chorus Teatro Regio Torino
New staging Teatro Regio Torino
The Artists
Conductor • Andrea Battistoni
Director • Daniele Menghini
Sets • Davide Signorini
Costumes • Nika Campisi
Lights • Gianni Bertoli
Choreography • Marco Caudera
Dramaturgy • Michele Panella
CAST
Osaka • Angelo Villari, Samuele Simoncini
Iris • Erika Grimaldi, Iwona Sobotka
Kyoto • Roberto Frontali, Manel Esteve Madrid
Il Cieco • Luca Tittoto, Mariano Buccino
Una Guècha • Albina Tonkikh
Un cenciaiolo • Didier Pieri
Booking Process
Music trip to Turin for 3 days / 2 nights with premium tickets for the opera “IRIS”. The highlight of the trip is a visit to the renowned Teatro Regio on the second evening to experience a spectacular performance in a historic setting with international stars. You can choose between the Essential and Superior Package.
Each travel package will be composed according to your wishes. Follow the booking process:
- Select a Date
- Press “Add to cart” and “Send Request”
- When we receive your booking request, you will get an individual offer with some hotels to choose from. Only after your decision, we send you a travel contract to confirm the booking.
- Description of the Essential and Superior Package
Tag:
Tag:
Performance Dates Iris
2026-11-05 ... 2026-11-18
Choose a performance (date format YYYY-MM-DD)
6 events found.
Events
-
-
Teatro Regio di Torino P.za Castello, 215, Torino, (TO), Italy
-
IRIS | Teatro Regio Turin • November 08, 2026
Teatro Regio di Torino P.za Castello, 215, Torino, (TO), ItalyMoving away from the realism of Cavalleria rusticana, Mascagni created a profound symbolist gem with Iris. Experience the tragic story of an innocent soul in a fictional Japan.
€510 -
IRIS | Teatro Regio Turin • November 10, 2026
Teatro Regio di Torino P.za Castello, 215, Torino, (TO), ItalyMoving away from the realism of Cavalleria rusticana, Mascagni created a profound symbolist gem with Iris. Experience the tragic story of an innocent soul in a fictional Japan.
€510 -
IRIS | Teatro Regio Turin • November 15, 2026
Teatro Regio di Torino P.za Castello, 215, Torino, (TO), ItalyMoving away from the realism of Cavalleria rusticana, Mascagni created a profound symbolist gem with Iris. Experience the tragic story of an innocent soul in a fictional Japan.
€510 -
IRIS | Teatro Regio Turin • November 17, 2026
Teatro Regio di Torino P.za Castello, 215, Torino, (TO), ItalyMoving away from the realism of Cavalleria rusticana, Mascagni created a profound symbolist gem with Iris. Experience the tragic story of an innocent soul in a fictional Japan.
€510 -
IRIS | Teatro Regio Turin • November 18, 2026
Teatro Regio di Torino P.za Castello, 215, Torino, (TO), ItalyMoving away from the realism of Cavalleria rusticana, Mascagni created a profound symbolist gem with Iris. Experience the tragic story of an innocent soul in a fictional Japan.
€510
Operas, Ballets, Concerts of the Season
In Turin at The Regio
