Nicola Luisotti

Strauss: Salome

In Gabriele Lavia's triumphant 2010 Bologna production, the linking of Salome's naive insouciance, sexual obsession and cruelty as portrayed by Erika Sunnegårdh is also subtly reflected in the scenic representation. Under the musical direction of internationally acclaimed conductor Nicola Luisotti, the stellar cast of experienced singers including Mark S. Doss as Jochanaan, Robert Brubaker as Herodes and Dalia Schaechter as Herodias give an energetic performance of Strauss' early masterpiece.

Verdi: I masnadieri

In Milan and Como during the month of May 1176. Milanese soldiers defend the city under the command of Rolando. He is reunited with Arrigo, his friend from Verona, who had been presumed dead in battle. Arrigo also meets Lida, his former fiancée, who, at her father’s behest, has married Rolando. Meanwhile, Rolando, who is preparing to leave for battle, is approached by Marcovaldo, a German prisoner of war, who hands him a letter from Lida for Arrigo. Rolando’s anger turns to a desire for revenge. Catching Lida and Arrigo in the middle of a conversation, he has his “rival” imprisoned in a tower. “La battaglia di Legnano” (The Battle of Legnano) is a four-act opera by Giuseppe Verdi with a libretto by Salvatore Cammarano, premiered at the Teatro Argentina in Rome on January 27, 1849. From the “Tutto Verdi” box set of 27 Verdi operas. Recorded live at the Teatro Lirico “Giuseppe Verdi” in Trieste on February 23 and 29 and March 2, 2012.

Royal Opera House: Don Giovanni

The impulsive and charismatic Don Giovanni travels through Europe seducing women, accompanied by his long-suffering servant Leporello. But when Don Giovanni commits murder, he unleashes a dark power beyond his control. Kasper Holten’s production is rich in both colourful comedy and exhilarating drama. Set designs by Es Devlin (Les Troyens) and costume designs by Anja Vang Kragh (Stella McCartney, John Galliano for Christian Dior), with video projections by Luke Halls and choreography by Signe Fabricius, portray the visually entrancing world of Don Giovanni. At the heart of the production are the beauty and invention of Mozart’s dazzling score, which ranges from gorgeous arias and dramatic duets to the brilliant layering of dance melodies that bring Act I to a virtuoso close.

Verdi Nabucco

NABUCCO may be Verdi's first masterpiece, and not just because of that amazing Chorus of Hebrews which is justly beloved by everyone who hears it. Dramatically, this opera is tightly constructed, with believable characters in an intense conflict over values and beliefs. And Verdi's music, however early in his career, however distant from triumphs like LA FORSA DEL DESTINO or AIDA, is highly animated, revealing inner turmoil and outer passions with beauty and economy. The ensembles are especially impressive, building to satisfying heights of emotional release for the singers and the audience. And Placido Domingo is a wonder to behold and hear. Even though his original voice was baritone, which he managed to transform into a tenor voice, he doesn't SOUND like a baritone to me. B-U-T his performance is so committed, so deeply interfused with Verdi's music, so generously integrated to the younger singers around him, that the waters part.

Rigoletto

To elevate a jester to a tragic stature comparable to a Macbeth or a Lear is no easy feat. The dramatic essence of Shakespeare runs in the veins of this Rigoletto, although the story is based on the controversial Le roi s’amuse by Victor Hugo. While the play was prohibited in France for more than fifty years, Verdi himself fought with the censors who initially prevented the publication of his opera. Multi-faceted, perhaps more than any other opera by Verdi - tender, cruel, interspersed with remarkable strokes of black humour -, Rigoletto is also a heart-wrenching study about the love between a parent and a child. Given the helplessness of a woman in the face of a group of men, Teatro Real’s production, which is directed by Miguel del Arco, also considers society's concept of masculinity. Nicola Luisotti conducts some of the great voices of our day, including Javier Camarena, Ludovic Tézier, Marina Viotti and Adela Zaharia.

San Francisco Opera: Verdi's Rigoletto

One of opera's most vivid and compelling characters, a vengeful court jester, desperately tries to protect his daughter from disaster in this heart-wrenching tragedy. The first of two world-class casts led by Music Director Nicola Luisotti stars Željko Lučić, "whose vocal artistry is exceptional" (The New York Times); Aleksandra Kurzak, "a superstar in the making" (The Guardian, London); and, as the lecherous Duke, Francesco Demuro, "whose open, bright, superbly focused tone was reminiscent of Pavarotti" (Opera News).

Mefistofele

The season kicks off with Boitos resplendent retelling of Goethes Faust, a monumental work of 'choral grandeur and melodic richness' (The New York Times) in one of the most impressive productions ever seen at the War Memorial Opera House. The cast includes Ramón Vargas, a tenor 'in ravishing voice' (Financial Times), as the philosopher who sells his soul to the Devil; the 'luminous, compelling' Patricia Racette (Washington Post) as the woman he desires; and, in the vividly menacing title role, the 'seductively malevolent' bass-baritone Ildar Abdrazakov, a 'fullbodied bass-baritone' renowned for his 'wonderfully evil portrayals' (The New York Times).