Rossini's Armida
Mariame Clément (stage director), Alberto Zedda (musical direction) – With Carmen Romeu (Armida), Enea Scala (Rinaldo)...
Cast
Mariame Clément — Stage director
Julia Hansen — Stage sets and costumes
Bernd Purkrabek — Lighting
Carmen Romeu — Armida
Enea Scala — Rinaldo
Robert McPherson — Gernando, Ubaldo
Dario Schmunck — Goffredo, Carlo
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
