11.09.2026
A Baroque masterpiece returns after three centuries. It happens in Pordenone
11/09/2026
On September 22, Maria Anna von Raschenau’s 1695 oratorio will be performed at the Teatro Verdi in Pordenone for the first time in more than 300 years. After more than three centuries of silence, “The Sacred Stigmata of Saint Francis of Assisi” will be performed again. The oratorio was composed in 1695 by Maria Anna von Raschenau, a Viennese musician and Augustinian canoness who was active in the Habsburg era.
The work, preserved at the Austrian National Library in Vienna, will return to the stage on September 22 at the Teatro Verdi in Pordenone, with period instruments and a historically informed approach. The performers will include the Tiepolo Baroque Orchestra of Friuli Venezia Giulia, the “Lorenzo da Ponte” Central European Orchestra and the Venice Monteverdi Academy Choir, conducted by Roberto Zarpellon.
At the heart of the oratorio is the story of Saint Francis receiving the stigmata at La Verna, combining the Viennese musical tradition with innovations from the Italian style.
The rediscovery of Raschenau’s work is also a tribute to female artistic talent, highlighting a composer who succeeded in making her voice heard at a time when women had few opportunities for artistic expression.
Tickets: €10, available online and at the Teatro Verdi box office. Information: +39 0434 247624.
