Israeli Opera Presents LUCIA DI LAMMERMOOR With the Opera Orchestra, Israel Symphony, Israeli Opera Chorus and More, Jan. 17

The Israeli Opera will present 'Lucia di Lammermoor' by the Italian composer Gaetano Donizetti, conducted by Daniele Callegari, directed by Emilio Sagi and performed by international and Israeli soloists, The Opera Orchestra - The Israel Symphony Orchestra Rishon LeZion and The Israeli Opera Chorus conducted by Ethan Schmeisser who will also alternate as the opera's conductor.

'Lucia di Lammermoor' is the most famous among the many operas written by Donizetti- a composer who succeeded to bring drama to levels of intensity which were unknown before his time. Donizetti (1797-1848) was a Bel Canto ("beautiful singing") artist - an opera style that requires superb vocal control and a wide vocal range and flexibility. Among the operas he wrote: "L'elisir d'amore", "Anna Bolena", "Don Pasquale", "La favorite", "La fille du regiment" and "Maria Stuarda".

Among other things, the 'Lucia di Lammermoor' opera is known because of the famous aria "Regnava nel silenzio", sung by Lucia during the "Mad Scene". The aria is 15 minutes long and is the exciting peak of the piece as well as the biggest test of the soloist who plays Lucia.

Donizetti's 'Lucia di Lammermoor' is one of the most "Mad", known and performed in the operatic repertoire. Throughout the opera we experience along with Lucia the hardships she is forced to go through and feel empathy towards her when she loses her mind, kills her new husband in their bridal bed and ends her own life. She does all this while singing the most challenging and demanding parts ever written.

The "Mad Scene" aria also entered the film world of the 20th and 21st centuries as an inspiration for artists who combined it in their films' soundtracks. Among them: Martin Scorsese in The Departed, Paul Cox in Man of Flowers, and film director Luc Besson who combined the aria in his film The Fifth Element, performed by Albanian soprano Inva Mula.

The opera's synopsis, with Salvadore Cammarano's libretto, is based on the novel "The Bride of Lammermoor", by Sir Walter Scott's, which refers to Scotland's bloody history. This is a story about a feud between two families which leads to the tragic story of Lucia who is forced to cheat on her lover and marry someone else under a threatening pressure by her brother. She kills her husband on their bridal bed, loses her mind and dies. Her lover also joins her grave.

The set, designed by Enrique Bordolini, is built as a large hall that its ceiling is made of arcs and walls are made of shining metallic stone along with half sealed half transparent screens which are located next to the arcs in a way that divides the stage to different depth planes. Additionally, color and light games create scenery changes throughout the evening.

The Italian conductor Daniele Callegari returns to the Israeli Opera to conduct this production following his previous visits in which he conducted over Un ballo in maschera (2014) and Rigoletto (2012).
Callegari was the principal conductor of the Wexford Opera Festival and chief conductor of the Royal Flanders Philharmonic Orchestra of Antwerp. His opera repertoire includes several world premieres such as Alice (Giampaolo Testoni), Oedipe sur la route (Pierre Bartholomée) as well as the operas Turandot, Tosca (Puccini), Rigoletto, Falstaff, Aida (Verdi), Cosi fan tutte (Mozart) and numerous other operas. He has recorded many Verdi operas including La traviata, Il trovatore, Oberto and many other symphonic and opera works. He conducts regularly at La Scala in Milan, the Metropolitan Opera in New York, the Vienna Staatsoper and the opera houses of Munich, Paris, Brussels, Toronto, Washington, Berlin, Dresden, Barcelona, Tokyo, Zurich, Florence, Venice and many others. He has also conducted the leading orchestras of Belgium, the Netherlands, France, Italy, Germany and many others.

The Spanish director Sagi Emilio studies philosophy at the University of Oviedo and musicology at the University of London. Between 2001 and 2005 he was the artistic director of the Royal Theatre of Madrid. Today he is the artistic director of the Theatre Arriaga of Bilbao. He directed numerous opera productions, from the Baroque to the contemporary, in leading opera houses around the world including La Scala in Milan, Bologna, Venice, Genova, Lisbon, Paris, Rome, Dusseldorf, Los Angeles, Washington, San Francisco, Houston, Buenos Aires, Santiago de Chile, Vienna Volksoper, Geneva, Monte-Carlo, Nice, Toulouse, Rossini Opera Festival in Pesaro, Tokyo, Arts Festival of Osaka, Hong-Kong Opera Festival, Seville, Valencia, Barcelona and Madrid. At the Israeli Opera he directed Le nozze di Figaro (2015), Lucia di Lammermoor (2012), La Fille du Régiment (2011) and Carmen (2002).

A team of Israeli and international singers will perform in this production.
In the leading part: Spanish soprano Maria Jose Moreno (this is her first appearance at the Israeli Opera) and Israeli opera soloist Hila Baggio.
Edgardo: Russian tenor Alexey Dolgov and Italian tenor Salvatore Cordella.
Enrico: Italian baritone Mario Cassi and Romanian baritone Ionut Pascu.
Raimondo: Italian bass Dario Russo and Israeli bass Vladimir Braun.
Arturo: Israeli tenor Joseph Aridan.
Alisa: Israeli mezzo-sopranos Anat Czarny and Shahar Lavi (both graduates of the Israeli Opera's Meitar Opera Studio).
Normano: Israeli tenor Guy Mannheim.

Performances dates:
Tuesday Jan. 17, 2017 at 20:00, Wednesday Jan. 18 at 20:00, Friday Jan. 20 at 13:00, Saturday Jan. 21 at 20:00, Sunday Jan. 22 at 20:00, Tuesday Jan. 24 at 20:00, Thursday Jan. 26 at 20:00, Friday Jan. 27 at 13:00, Saturday Jan. 28 at 20:00, Monday Jan. 30 at 20:00, Tuesday Jan. 31 at 20:00, Friday Feb. 3 at 13:00

Sung in Italian
English and Hebrew Subtitles
Performance duration: 2 hours and 40 minutes

One hour before each performance there is a 30-minute introductory lecture in the auditorium (in Hebrew). Opera staffers present the opera and the production and enable the audience to get some extra information a short time before attending the performances. Admission is free for ticket holders of the performance for the same day.

For tickets and further information visit Israel-Opera or call 03-692777 (Israel).

The Israeli Opera House - Tel Aviv Performing Arts Center, 19 King Saul Boulevard, Tel Aviv

The Opera Orchestra - The Israel Symphony Orchestra Rishon LeZion

From the repertoire - Sung in Italian

English and Hebrew Surtitles

Translation: Israel Ouval

Duration: 2 hours & 40 minutes

Tickets Price

PREMIÈRE 210, 280, 345, 420, 470 NIS
SUN-FRI 190, 252, 319, 388, 438 NIS
SAT 207, 269, 334, 404, 453 NIS

17.1 - "Opera Forever" courtesy of Lizika, Ami & Teddy Sagy

Photo credit: Yossi Zwecker.