After the success of Anna Bolena in 2019 and Maria Stuarda in Concert in 2022, Opera Australia will finally perform the third instalment of this compelling trilogy of operas composed by Donizetti with Roberto Devereux in Concert this March.
The Georgetowner:
Making her Australian debut, Italian soprano Roberta Mantegna will sing Elisabetta, which she performed to great acclaim with Washington Concert Opera at the end of last year. Critics noted “she was born to sing bel canto” and her performance brought the house down.
Italian tenor Valerio Borgioni returns to Sydney to sing the titular role of Roberto Devereux, after making his Australian debut in Maria Stuarda in 2022. Borgioni’s Earl of Leicester was praised by Limelight for his high level of bel canto skill at such a young age.
Completing the dramatic love triangle is Opera Australia principal soprano Jane Ede as Sara, the Duchess of Nottingham. Jane makes her role debut in this concert after reprising her nuanced Donna Elvira in Don Giovanni earlier this year.
The Duke of Nottingham, Roberto’s best friend and Sara’s husband, will be sung by Italian baritone Giorgio Cauduro who will join the cast after performing the role of Michonnet in OA’s Australian premiere of Rosetta Cucchi’s Adriana Lecouvreur over 20 February – 7 March.
The leading cast will be rounded out by four accomplished OA singers all making role debuts; Iain Henderson, Richard Anderson, Anthony Mackey and Ryan Sharp. The renowned Opera Australia Chorus will also appear onstage to support the cast.
The luxurious score of Roberto Devereux will be masterfully conducted by Italian conductor Andrea Sanguineti, who will also make his Australian debut. Maestro Sanguineti was recently appointed Music Director of the Aalto-Musiktheater and the Essen Philharmonic Choir starting with the 2023/24 season.
This rarely performed work excels in concert form, enabling audiences to focus on the glorious melodies and epic story without the distraction of staging. Featuring some of Donizetti’s finest musical works, Roberto Devereux includes the Queen’s showstopping final aria ‘Vivi, in grato, a lei accanto’ which always mesmerises audiences.
Loosely based on the true story of the 2nd Earl of Essex, an influential figure who served the court of Queen Elizabeth I, this retelling presents a dramatic spin on history. Straying greatly from the life of the original Robert Devereux, the sensational plot centres around the heated love triangle, lust and betrayal among Elisabetta, Roberto and Sara.
Season Details
Venue: Joan Sutherland Theatre| Sydney Opera House
Date: 16 & 18 Mar 2023
For more information click HERE
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