Verdi

Verdi in a new context. Gabriela Legun performs ‘Non son le tetre immagini’ from Il corsaro, reimagined as part of Rivoluzione & Nostalgia at La Monnaie / De Munt.

Iwona Sobotka sings Desdemona's prayer ‘Ave Maria, piena di grazia’ from Verdi's opera Otello at Poznań Opera.

Dario Solari (Iago) sings ‘Credo in un Dio crudel’ from Verdi's opera Otello at Poznań Opera.

From its premiere in March 1842, Nabucco was a phenomenal triumph. Giuseppina Strepponi, Verdi’s second wife-to-be, sang the vocally demanding role of the evil Abigaille, though in ill form. While Act 1 was met with much applause, the audience flew into rapture at Act 3, scene 2 - none other than the Hebrew chorus’ lament ‘Va, pensiero’. The Chorus of the Hebrew slaves longing for their lost homeland in Babylonian captivity instantly became Italy’s unofficial hymn, which it has remained to this day.

Kassimira Stoyanova sings ‘O patria mia’ from Verdis opera Aida.

Soprano Angela Meade (Elvira) sings ‘Ernani involami... Tutto sprezzo che d'Ernani’ from Verdi's opera Ernani at Teatro dell'Opera di Roma.

Bass Evgeny Stavinsky sings Silva's aria ‘Infelice! E tuo credevi’ from Verdi's opera Ernani at Teatro dell'Opera di Roma.

Ewa Płonka sings ‘Una macchia è qui tuttora’ at Deutsche Oper am Rhein. The famous mad scene also known as the Sleepwalking scene, is Lady Macbeth's final appearance in Verdi's opera. Shakespeare's female villain has become undone by her own conscience. She is continuously rubbing her hands to get rid of an invisible splash of blood and, without realising who is around her, walks around the castle like a mad, exhausted sleepwalker, victim of the most atrocious feelings of remorse.

Giovanna (Joan of Arc) has successfully led the French forces and won a battle against the English. Still, she has been taken captive by them. She is tied to the stake, awaiting to be burned as a witch.

With Love & Politics, Dan Turdén embarks on his position as artistic director of Norrlandsoperan. The opera performance compellingly combines four Verdi operas based on Friedrich Schiller's plays - Don Carlo, I masnadieri, Luisa Miller and Giovanna d’Arco - into a reflection on the many faces of love caught up in political power games.

Act III. Here, the Duke of Mantua (Stefan Pop) sings one of the most famous tenor arias in all of opera. ‘Can’t live with them, can’t live without them’ is the Duke’s cynical message, warning that woman’s fickle nature makes her untrustworthy before conceding that no man feels fully happy without a woman’s love.

Bella figlia dell'amore is one of the most famous opera quartets. It is sung in the third act of Gisueppe Verdi's opera Rigoletto by the Duke (tenor Rame Lahaj), Maddalena (mezzo-soprano Rihab Chaieb), Gilda (soprano Julia Muzychenko) and Rigoletto (baritone Gezim Myshketa).

Act III. The Councilmembers have come to ask the Doge (Vladimir Stoyanov) to resign given his advanced age and his state of shock because of his son's death. Twice the Doge’s request to abdicate had been denied. He thus took an oath to remain in his functions until death, now he wants to honour his pledge. Directed by Leo Muscato and conducted by Paolo Arrivabeni.

The guests have now all left the party, leaving Violetta alone with her thoughts in her large Parisian salon. The courtesan is shaken by Alfredo's declaration of love. Is true love a possibility? Is she ready to leave her 'life of empty distractions'? 'Sempre libera' ('Always free') concludes the first act of La traviata.

Marina Rebeka is Violetta in this semi-staged concert version of Verdi's masterpiece. Recorded in July 2020 at Teatro Real, this production is one of the first to be put on worldwide after the lockdown.

Alfredo (Elmar Gilbertsson) has been convinced to show off his voice at a late-night party hosted by Violetta (Herdís Anna Jónasdóttir). He sings this brindisi – a drinking song – extolling the virtues of wine and love. Violetto joins in, saying that all that matters in life is pleasure. Directed by Oriol Tomas and conducted by Bjarni Frímann Bjarnason.

Rigoletto (George Petean) has demanded to know of Gilda’s whereabouts after the courtiers have abducted her. They only mock him, believe her to be his mistress. Now Rigoletto tells the courtiers that Gilda is in fact his daughter and begs them to let him see her.

Sometimes opera pops up where you least expect it! In this video filmed at the Corte Inglés Preciados department store in the centre of Madrid, the Teatro Real Chorus sings 'Vedi! Le fosche' - also known as the Anvil Chorus or the Gypsy Chorus - from Giuseppe Verdi's opera Il trovatore. The forty-five singers are conducted by chorus master Andrés Máspero.

Count di Luna (Ludovic Tézier) has learned that Leonora has decided to enter a convent after hearing that her love, Manrico, has died in battle. But the count also loves Leonora and announces it to the world while he waits outside the convent for the right moment to kidnap her. Conducted by Maurizio Benini and directed by Francisco Negrín.

Leonora (Maria Agresta) has gone to a prison where Count di Luna is keeping Manrico and his mother captive. She wants to see Manrico and hopes that her love for him will sustain him in his darkest hour. Conducted by Maurizio Benini and directed by Francisco Negrín.

Ailyn Pérez (Alice), Francesca Boncompagni (Nannetta), Caterina Piva (Meg Page) and Sara Mingardo (Quickly) sing ‘Fulgida Alice, amor t’offro...’ from Act I of Falstaff at Opera di Firenze - Maggio Musicale Fiorentino.