There is a specific, bracing frequency to Cagliari in the winter. As the coastal capital of the Italian island of Sardinia, the city sits perched on the edge of the Mediterranean, its historic stone facades channelling the salt air and the sharp island light. This past New Year’s Eve, however, the atmosphere within the Teatro Lirico di Cagliari—the city’s prestigious opera house and a sanctuary of high Italian culture—held a concert titled ‘Il Canto di Due Mari’ (The Song of