LEONARDO GARCÍA ALARCÓN – Il Palazzo Incantato (Luigi Rossi) | Opera in three acts | Frescos Ayres del Prado

“Il Palazzo Incantato” is a Baroque opera by the Italian composer Luigi Rossi, first performed in Rome in 1642. The full title is Il palazzo incantato di Atlante (The Enchanted Palace of Atlante), and it is based on Ludovico Ariosto’s Orlando Furioso, a chivalric epic filled with magic, love intrigues, and heroic battles.

Plot: It revolves around the magician Atlante (Atlas), who has created an enchanted palace to trap knights and their lovers in a web of illusions, preventing them from fulfilling their quests. This setting allows for a rich interplay of emotions, misunderstandings, and the characteristic mix of comic and tragic elements found in early Baroque opera.

Musical Style: Rossi’s opera follows the Roman operatic tradition, featuring expressive arias, intricate ensembles, and rich orchestration that showcase the dramatic intensity and emotional depth of the Baroque period.

In 2021, Leonardo García Alarcón conducted a modern revival and recording of Il Palazzo Incantato with his ensemble Cappella Mediterranea, bringing fresh energy to this long-neglected masterpiece. His interpretation emphasizes the opera’s dramatic contrasts, colorful orchestration, and theatrical vividness, making it more accessible to contemporary audiences.

Leonardo García Alarcón is an Argentinian conductor, harpsichordist, and early music specialist known for his work in Baroque and Renaissance music. Born in 1976, he has been a key figure in reviving lesser-known works from the 17th and 18th centuries, often bringing them to modern audiences with historically informed performances.

García Alarcón is the founder of Cappella Mediterranea, an ensemble dedicated to Baroque music, and has collaborated extensively with Chœur de Chambre de Namur. He has been particularly involved in rediscovering the works of Italian and Latin American Baroque composers, as well as presenting new interpretations of established figures like Monteverdi, Cavalli, and Handel. One of his most notable projects was the modern revival of Michelangelo Falvetti’s Il Diluvio Universale.