Joan of Arc by Verdi, From (2025/2025), Directed by Marco Gandini, Conductor Arvo Volmer, Kaspar Mänd, Guido Gualandi, Estonian National Opera, Tallinn, Estonia

The dramatic life story of Joan of Arc has inspired countless artists over the centuries. Composed in barely four months, the score of “Giovanna d’Arco” gives us an insight into an ambitious Giuseppe Verdi who is looking to experiment and innovate, achieving colourful orchestration, rousing choruses and daring vocal writing. It was ecstatically received by audiences. The historical character is presented to us as a combination of historic precision mixed with significant elements of poetic license, the most notorious of which is that his heroine dies on the battle field instead of being burned at the stake as happened in reality. The love of King Charles for her is the other important original trait of the operatic story.