Rossini's Armida
Mariame Clément (stage director), Alberto Zedda (musical direction) – With Carmen Romeu (Armida), Enea Scala (Rinaldo)...
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Cast
Mariame Clément
Julia Hansen
Bernd Purkrabek
Carmen Romeu
Enea Scala
Robert McPherson
Dario Schmunck
Leonard Bernad
Adam Smith
Choir of Flanders Opera
Jan Schweiger
Symphonic orchestra of Flanders Opera
Alberto Zedda
Program notes
Stage director Mariame Clément takes a critical look at the Crusades with her 2015 production of Rossini’s rarely-performed Armida. Premiered on November 11, 1817 at Naples’s Teatro di San Carlo, the three-act opera tells the tale of a cunning sorceress who manipulates a group of knights defending Jerusalem to abandon their posts and cast aside their noble and heroic ideals. Carmen Romeu sings the title soprano role—one of the most demanding Rossini ever wrote!—while tenor Enea Scala sings the role of her lover Rinaldo. The Symphony Orchestra and Chorus Opera Vlaanderen enthusiastically perform Verdi’s sparkling score under the skilled direction of music director Alberto Zedda.
Photo: © Annemie Augustijns