Through the course of the Verdi Cycle, opera enthusiasts have enjoyed an in-depth look at the artist’s varied and celebrated work onstage, but true fans will know that Giuseppe Verdi’s talents extended beyond the world of opera. Tomorrow night, Sarasota Opera gives those fans a chance to explore the artist as a young man with the Young Verdi Concert, featuring a series of non-operatic musical performances composed by Verdi before his first opera, Oberto.

Comprising three overtures and a series of musical works composed for churches, religious institutions and the patrons of his hometown of Le Roncole, the first part showcases Verdi’s early orchestral work. The latter half brings in more of the dramatist’s vocal work, with songs and something akin to a long aria and duet written for tenor voice and orchestra. With some pieces recently discovered in private collections, found in fragments or hidden in libraries around Verdi’s hometown, Maestro Victor DeRenzi estimates some of the work hasn’t been heard in decades or more.

“Rarely do you have the chance to see this budding genius,” said DeRenzi of the planned performance. “Most of it has been destroyed.” The collection seems all the more extraordinary given Verdi’s penchant for destroying his own early work, and DeRenzi admits that much that has been saved is due to it not being in Verdi’s direct possession.

More than a local celebration, the Verdi Cycle has become an international affair in the opera world and representatives from both Casa Ricordi, the publisher of Verdi’s work, and the University of Chicago Press will be in attendance as part of the Verdi Critical Edition project. Begun in the 1970s and halfway completed, the project aims to record the definitive performances of Verdi’s work, as in line with the artist’s original composition according to autographed scores, early manuscripts and the like. Many conductors and performers will place their own spin or emphasis on a work and nobody bats an eye, said DeRenzi, “whereas with the Critical Edition, they tell you exactly what Verdi wrote and if they decide that something may be a mistake, they let you know rather than just letting the mistake lie.” Sarasota Opera has contributed before with Verdi’s King for a Day, but this could be another opportunity to stand next to venues such as Milan’s La Scala and The Met in New York.

The Young Verdi Concert begins 7:30pm this Thurs, Mar. 17, at the Sarasota Opera House. “It’s really interesting because you see how his writing changed,” added DeRenzi. “And if you love Verdi, you should see it.” Tickets are on sale. 

Pictured: Portrait of Verdi as a young man. Courtesy of Sarasota Opera.

After failing to win his home state in his quest for the Republican nomination for president, U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio suspended his campaign on Tuesday night. “While we are on the right side, this year, we will not be on the winning side,” Rubio told supporters in Miami.

But while the evening was bad news for Florida’s sitting senator, it was a great night for Republican Party of Sarasota Chairman Joe Gruters, the Florida chairman for Republican frontrunner Donald Trump, who became the winner of Florida’s 99 delegates toward the party nomination. Gruters credited the fact Trump had staff on the ground in this state since October. “It was a great night for the team,” Gruters said. “Trump will unite the GOP.”

The Florida primary Tuesday night had a major impact on the course of the Republican and Democrat nomination fights, with Trump winning on the Republican side and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton winning the Democratic primary.  

With more than 99 percent of precincts reporting in Florida, Trump won 45.78 percent of the vote (1,071,590 votes) to Rubio’s 26.99 percent (631,929 votes). Texas Sen. Ted Cruz won 17.13 percent (400,923 votes) and Ohio Gov. John Kasich took 6.77 percent (158,485 votes). Former Gov. Jeb Bush, while out of the running, ended up with 1.85 percent of the vote (43,359 votes). In Sarasota County, Trump won 47.31 percent of the vote, and in Manatee, he won 47.19 percent. 

On the Democratic side, Clinton won the Florida vote with 64.45 percent (1,090,698 votes) to Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders’ 33.27 percent (563,071). Clinton won 61.13 percent of the vote in Sarasota and 62.52 percent in Manatee. As a result, Clinton wins 122 of Florida’s pledged delegates for the nomination and Sanders picks up 60. 

Brasa & Pisco offers Peruvian flair and flavor in a beautiful space. The new restaurant, located on Lockwood Ridge Road off University Parkway, has a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it exterior but the inside is spacious and inviting with wooden furniture and twinkly accent lights. The service is impeccable—we had a table of six including two gluten free and one paleo and all of our questions were met with friendly and helpful answers. My friend, Claudia Chuquizuta, is Peruvian and a foodie, so when she invited us to try out a new Peruvian Fusion restaurant that she loves we knew it had to be the real deal. Every dish we tried offered a unique, intense, aromatic flavor thanks to Chef Diego Salazar’s deft hand. We enjoyed the octopus ceviche flavored with aji amarillo (a fruity chile pepper) and devoured the potato fritters filled with beef and raisin picadillo, eggs, and olives. The rotisserie chicken is tender, juicy and seasoned to perfection and the Bisteck a lo Pobre is the ultimate Peruvian take on steak and eggs that I didn’t even realize I’ve been longing for. The craft cocktails and sangria are all tasty, but try the Lucama Martini for a taste of a subtropical indigenous Peruvian fruit that defies characterization.  

Brasa & Pisco, 8347 Lockwood Ridge Rd., Sarasota, 941-360-0300

Triton Bend, a Longboat Key development consisting of 13 homesites and their respective new construction, will be exclusively sold and marketed by Premier Sotheby’s International Realty, according to an agreement announced Tuesday. Triton Bend is the last undeveloped, single-family residential coastal enclave available on Longboat Key. Three speculative homes and two custom homes have already sold, and two homes are currently under construction, leaving six vacant lots remaining. 

Premier Sotheby's International Realty

Kitchen and Bath on the Isle, a business specializing in kitchen and bath remodeling, won a Best of Houzz Award in 2015 for high client satisfaction. Kitchen and Bath on the Isle was launched in 1978 in Venice and focuses on remodeling craftsmanship and dust free practices.  

Kitchen and Bath on the Isle