The Puritans by Bellini, Dt. 20 Oct. 2015, De (2015/2015), Dirigit per Annilese Miskimmon, Director musical Carlo Rizzi, Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff, United Kingdom

Be swept away by Bellini’s fast moving and highly emotional epic. Lovers of great Italian opera will savour every breath-taking aria, poignant duet and impassioned chorus. The tide of Civil War is turning. Elvira, daughter of the Puritan leader Gualtiero Walton, loses her reason when she mistakenly believes her Catholic lover, Arturo, has abandoned her for another woman. When the lovers are finally reunited, Elvira’s mental state is still fragile, even as a Protestant victory is announced. Our new production brings this universal story of love, derailed by a social divide, dynamically to life by setting it, initially, in Northern Ireland in the 1970s. Elvira’s madness immerses her in another time of civil unrest – the English Civil War, complete with period costumes. These contrasting styles highlight Elvira’s descent into insanity. I puritani is the latest opera in our ‘bel canto’ (beautiful singing) repertoire. The acclaim for these unique performances is proof that you can’t afford to miss this rare opportunity to experience one of the masterpieces of Italian opera.