Name: L'Africaine
Start: 1988-08-01T00:00:00.000Z
End: 1988-08-01T00:00:00.000Z
Location: San Francisco Conservatory of Music

Organization

Conductor

Maurizio Arena

Stage director

Lotfi Mansouri

Set designer

Wolfram Skalicki

Costume designer

Amrei Skalicki

Lighting designer

Thomas J Munn

Singer

Tenor

Plácido Domingo

Vasco de Gama

Soprano

Shirley Verrett

Sélika

Ruth Ann Swenson

Inez

Baritone

Justino Díaz

Nelusco

Bass

Michael Devlin

Don Pedro

San Francisco Opera

Orchestra

San Francisco Opera Orchestra

L'Africaine -  (The African Woman)

San Francisco

United States

San Francisco Conservatory of Music

The great Plácido Domingo in Meyerbeer's last opera.

Ines is forced by her father, the Grand Amiral Don Diego, to marry Don Pedro instead of her true love, Vasco da Gama, who is thought to be dead in his last expedition. However Vasco suddenly reappears and announces that he has discovered new lands from where he brought Selinka and Nelusko with him. Being refused the means for a new expedition, Vasco insults the Grand Inquisitor who in return excommunicates him and put him in jail. Ines accepts to marry Don Pedro provided that Vasco is released. Don Pedro decides to explore the new lands, helped in his endeavour by Nelusko, who secretely designs to bring the expedition to its ruin. Trapped in a tempest, the fleet perishes. Only escape Vasco, Ines, Nelusko and Selinka, who appears eventually to be the queen of these far-reached lands. Besides, in love with Vasco, she saves him from a death penalty placed upon every foreigner reaching the shore. But Vasco runs to join Ines in her execution. Moved by this true gesture of love, Selinka set them free and allows them to go back to their homeland, Portugal.

Lying within the French Grand Opera tradition, L'Africaine recounts a heartbreaking love story in which faithfulness and devotion are rewarded at the expense of a tragic and deadly dénouement. Abandoned by Vasco, Selinka kills herself, bringing Nelusko in her last journey. Though the last opera of Meyerbeer is seldom produced nowadays, L'Africaine had a great success throughout the 19th century. In a historical production by Lotfi Mansouri, Plácido Domingo and Shirley Verrett embody Vasco de Gama and Ines in Meyerbeer's forgotten masterwork.

Public

The African Woman

Approved

Accordionist

Instrumentalist

Archlutenist

Baroque Flutist

Baroque Oboist

Baroque Trumpetist

Bassist

Bassoonist

Cellist

Clarinetist

Contrabassist

Cornettist

Flutist

Guitarist

Harper

Harpsichordist

Hornist

Lutenist

Mandoline Player

Musette de cour Player

Oboist

Organist

Percussionist

Pianist

Recorder Player

Saxophonist

Tenor Violinist

Timpani

Trombonist

Trumpeter

Tuba Player

Vibraphonist

Viola Pomposa Player

Viola da gamba

Viola d’amore Player

Violinist

Violino Piccolo Player

Violist

Actor

Broadcasting

Chefdirigent Musiktheater

Choir

Choreographer

Chorus Director

Chorus master

Composer

Dancer

Dramaturge

Executive producer

Extra

Hairstylist

Illustrator

Librettist

Makeup artist

Orchestra Operations

Other

Photographer

Poet

Repetiteur

Sound designer

Stage Manager

Teacher

Translator

Video designer

Vocal coach

Wig & Makeup Designer

Writer

Writing and performance

Contralto

Bass-baritone

Countertenor

Mezzo-soprano

Alto

Child vocalist

Continuo

Silent

Spoken

English

The African Woman by Meyerbeer, From (1988/1988), Directed by Lotfi Mansouri,, Conductor Maurizio Arena, San Francisco Conservatory of Music, San Francisco, United States

Performance credits (Cast & Crew )

Cast

Crew

Ensemble

Programme, About & Synopsis

Photos

Further reading

Performance Dates & Venues

Venues