Donizetti Archives - North West End UK

2May

By Mark DavorenNo Comments

London

Lucia di Lammermoor – Royal Opera House

Katie Mitchell’s controversial 2016 gothic dramatisation of Donizetti’s setting of Walter Scott’s novel returns to The Royal Opera for a second revival under Robin Tebbutt, but the real talking point is the exceptional performance of its leads. Fallen on hard times, Enrico (Artur Ruciński) has arranged an advantageous marriage for his sister, Lucia (Nadine Sierra), but Normanno (Michael Gibson) reveals that she is in love with Enrico’s enemy, Edgardo (Ioan Hotea). As Lucia and Alisa (Rachael Lloyd) wait for Edgardo, Lucia reveals a recent dream which Alisa interprets as a portent of doom. When Edgardo arrives, he explains that he has to leave on a mission and he and Lucia exchange vows. Normanno obtains forged evidence to suggest that Edgardo is involved with another woman and when E...

L’elisir d’amore – Royal Opera House Live Transmission

L’elisir d’amore is a bel canto comic opera in two acts by Italian composer Gaetano Donizetti with libretto by Felice Romani. Written in 1832, today it is one of the most frequently performed of all Donizetti’s operas. Naïve country boy Nemorino (Liparit Avetisyan) is determined to win the heart of the coquettish Adina (Nadine Sierra) but this assured young woman doesn’t even bother to give him the time of day. When the parochial life of the village is thrown into disarray by the arrival of the dashing Sergeant Belcore (Boris Pinkhasovich) at the head of his troops, the lovesick peasant boy is forced to turn to other means in his Tristan-like pursuit of his Isolde, and the arrival of wheeler-dealer Doctor Dulcamara (Ambrogio Maestri) promises much with his so-called ‘elixir of love’. As...

Donizetti’s Don Pasquale – Liverpool Empire

To finish their touring run for 2021, Glyndebourne have saved the best for last with Donizetti’s great comedy serving as a masterclass in pretty much everything with Mariame Clément’s eye-catching production brought back to life under revival director Paul Higgins. Elderly bachelor Don Pasquale (Ricardo Seguel) is fussed over by his servant (Anna-Marie Sullivan) as he awaits his friend, Dr Malatesta (Konstantin Suchkov), who has arranged a marriage for him to the beautiful and innocent Sofronia, who just happens to be Malatesta’s sister, and even has the Notary (Tom Mole) lined up to seal the deal. Yet, Don Pasquale reminds his nephew, Ernesto (Konu Kim), this is not how it’s meant to be, giving him one last chance to wed a wealthy young lady on pain of disinheritance if he declines....