ALTER AMY
Introduction
ALTER AMY is an original opera by Piergiorgio Ratti that mixes pop, classical, electronic, techno and other music genres.
The story is freely inspired by the singer Amy Winehouse and by the italian epic poem “Orlando Furioso” (The Frenzy of Orlando, more literally Raging Roland) by Ludovico Ariosto. Libretto (opera book) is written by Marco Venturi.
ALTER AMY wants to be an imaginary journey that brings the listener into a symbolic/parallel universe. Why? Because we need to create a different choice to Amy’s life, to our life. Indeed, freely inspired by Amy’s real life moments, ALTER AMY is a visionary dream.
The opera is time continuum, ideally divided into 13 scenes.
Strumentation & duration
The opera has been composed for three amplified singers (two vocalists and one baritone), one actor, dancers and two live performers, like a piano player and a child. In orchestra pit there are: 1 flute (also piccolo), 1 oboe (also english horn), 1 clarinet (also bass clarinet), 1 bassoon, 1 horn, 1 trumpet, 1 trombon, 2 drums player, 2 amplified violins, 1 amplified viola, 1 amplified cello, 1 contrabbass (also eletric bass), 1 keyboard player and live electronics.
The show lasts one hour and half.
Opera synopsys
After a concert, Amy passes out due to the use of hallucinogenic substances. The result is a vision, a dream, on the stage. It is an inner journey into Amy’s soul.
The protagonists of this trip are the characters of Ariosto’s “Orlando Furioso”. They play the alter ego (another himself) of the real characters. Amy is Bradamante. She (Amy/Bradamante) begins a training path that will lead her to clash with her father’s figure/Alcina and her boyfriend/Ruggiero.
The Furioso events are the skeleton that supports the dream. They are an instrument through which it is possible to deep into the psychology of the singer, symbol of our contemporary.
Listen some extracts
(from the 2016 november 19th performance)
Work in progress…

November 2016: Alter Amy first production
In 2016 AlpiinScena and Marina Cotelli (from Sondrio Municipality) commissionated a new contemporary opera for the newly built city theatre. It was the year of 500th anniversary of Ariosto’s Orlando Furioso. The Antonio Vivaldi Orchestra, managed by Lorenzo Passerini and Piergiorgio Ratti, in collaboration with Associazione Bradamante, won the call.
So, on november 2016 Alter Amy was born. The first performance was on November 19th in Sondrio theatre, directed by Stefano Scherini.
For more details read the article.