When Simon Boccanegra is elected Doge of the City of Genoa, it seems to offer the opportunity of reconciliation between the Patricians and the Plebeians. But he becomes entangled in family tragedies and power plays. Simon Boccanegra is Verdi’s most sombre work, yet enthralling with its strong drive to love and freedom. To unveil the moving score, the Orchestre Dijon Bourgogne is joined by Verdi specialist Roberto Rizzi Brignoli, who is known for an intimiate and precise knowledge of the Italian master’s style.
La Rondine
Internationally acclaimed tenor and stage director Rolando Villazon’s new production of Giacomo Puccini’s La Rondine. Fabulous and emerging soprano Dinara Alieva (described by soprano Montserrat Caballe as “a singer who possessed the gift of heaven”) appears in the leadying-lady role of Magda. World-renowned Charles Castronovo – one of the leading lyric tenors of his generation – sings the hero’s role of Ruggero.