Organization

Singer

Baritone

Christian Gerhaher

Simon Boccanegra

Soprano

Jennifer Rowley

Amelia Grimaldi

Bass

Christof Fischesser

Jacopo Fiesco

Tenor

Otar Jorjikia

Gabriele Adorno

Nicholas Brownlee

Paolo Albiani

Brent Michael Smith

Pietro

Mezzo-soprano

Siena Licht Miller

Amelia's maid

Savelii Andreev

Captain of the Crossbowmen

Conductor

Fabio Luisi

Stage director

Andreas Homoki

Set designer

Christian Schmidt

Lighting designer

Franck Evin

Chorus master

Janko Kastelic

Dramaturge

Fabio Dietsche

Opernhaus Zürich

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Philharmonia Zürich

Chor der Oper Zürich

Statistenverein am Opernhaus Zürich

Italian

Zurich

Switzerland

Opernhaus

Genoa, 14th century: the privateer and plebeian Simon Boccanegra is swept into power by a rallying crowd, stirred into a frenzy by his supporters Pietro and Paolo Albiani. He hopes that, in acceding to the title of doge, he will be able to sway his adversary, the aristocrat Jacopo Fiesco, into letting him marry Fiesco's daughter Maria. Fiesco accepts, conveniently neglecting to tell Boccanegra that Maria has just died, under the condition that Simon let him have the granddaughter born in secret to Simon and Maria—but she has gone missing…

An intensely political opera, Simon Boccanegra offers a glimpse of the internecine battles that wracked the various kingdoms of Italy all through the composer's life—especially in its 1881 version, presented here with richness and depth at the Zürich Opera House, led by an astonishing Christian Gerhaher in the title role. The tragedy takes on an extra, personal dimension in the biography of Verdi, who relived—through the character of Simon Boccanegra, for whom he bore a particular affection—the early loss of his wife and children…

Simon Boccanegra Verdi

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Trailer: Simon Boccanegra (2020)

SIMON BOCCANEGRAwww.opernhaus.ch/boccanegraMelodramma in einem Prolog und drei Akten von Giuseppe Verdi (1813-1901)Libretto von Francesco Maria Piave, mit Er...

Trailer – Simon Boccanegra – Opernhaus Zürich

Simon Boccanegra
Seit er Genua von einer Piratenplage befreit hat, erfreut sich der gesellschaftliche Aussenseiter Simon Boccanegra grosser Popularität. Paolo Albiani, der Anführer der Volkspartei, will die Macht des Adels brechen und drängt Boccanegra eigennützig dazu, für das Amt des Dogen zu kandidieren. Widerwillig stimmt Boccanegra zu. Er hofft, durch den erhöhten sozialen Status seine Geliebte Maria wieder zu gewinnen, die ihm von deren Vater, dem Adeligen Fiesco, vorenthalten wird. Doch während Boccanegra in der Stadt zum Dogen ausgerufen wird, entdeckt er, dass seine Geliebte im Haus Fiescos gestorben ist. Schon in diesem dramatisch zugespitzt, in düsterer Nacht spielenden Prolog wird deutlich, dass privates und politisches Schicksal in dieser Oper auf tragische Weise miteinander verflochten sind. In der Haupthandlung findet der nun seit 25 Jahren amtierende Doge in Amelia seine verlorengeglaubte Tochter wieder, um sie sogleich an deren adeligen Liebhaber Gabriele Adorno zu verlieren. Der Intrigant Paolo, der selbst ein Auge auf Amelia geworfen hat, wird öffentlich an den Pranger gestellt, worauf er sich rächt und den Dogen vergiftet.

Die auf mittelalterliche Historie zurückgreifende Textvorlage von Antonio García Gutiérrez inspirierte Giuseppe Verdi zu einem aufwühlenden Drama vor einem eminent politischen Hintergrund. Die Friedensbemühungen des genuesischen Dogen Boccanegra im 14. Jahrhundert stellen einen Bezug zu den italienischen Einigungsversuchen im 19. Jahrhundert her. Doch vor allem gelingt es Verdi in diesem 1857 für Venedig komponierten und 1881 in Zusammenarbeit mit Arrigo Boito grundlegend überarbeiteten Melodramma, die Charaktere mächtiger und machtversessener Männer musikalisch zu durchdringen.

Der international gefeierte Bariton Christian Gerhaher wird nach Alban Bergs Wozzeck und Heinz Holligers Lenau als Simon Boccanegra erneut ein Rollendebüt in einer Inszenierung von Andreas Homoki geben. Fabio Luisi erarbeitet letztmals in seiner Funktion als Generalmusikdirektor eine Verdi-Neuproduktion.

Deutsch

Simon Boccanegra
Social outcast Simon Boccanegra has enjoyed great popularity since ridding Genoa of a pirate plague. Paolo Albiani, the leader of the Popular Party, wants to break the power of the nobility and selfishly urges Boccanegra to run for the office of Doge. Boccanegra reluctantly agrees. He hopes to win back his beloved Maria through his increased social status, who is being withheld from him by her father, the nobleman Fiesco. But while Boccanegra is being proclaimed Doge in the city, he discovers that his beloved has died in Fiesco's house. Even in this dramatic prologue, set in a gloomy night, it becomes clear that private and political destinies are tragically intertwined in this opera. In the main story, the Doge, who has been in office for 25 years, finds in Amelia his long-lost daughter, only to lose her immediately to her aristocratic lover Gabriele Adorno. The schemer Paolo, who has his eye on Amelia himself, is publicly pilloried, whereupon he takes revenge and poisons the Doge.

The text by Antonio García Gutiérrez, which draws on medieval history, inspired Giuseppe Verdi to create a stirring drama against an eminently political background. The peace efforts of the Genoese Doge Boccanegra in the 14th century are related to the Italian attempts at unification in the 19th century. But above all, in this melodrama, composed for Venice in 1857 and fundamentally revised in 1881 in collaboration with Arrigo Boito, Verdi succeeds in musically penetrating the characters of powerful and power-crazed men.

After Alban Berg's Wozzeck and Heinz Holliger's Lenau, the internationally acclaimed baritone Christian Gerhaher will make his role debut again as Simon Boccanegra in a production by Andreas Homoki. Fabio Luisi is working on a new Verdi production for the last time in his capacity as general music director.

Simon Boccanegra by Verdi, From (2020/2021), Directed by Andreas Homoki,, Conductor Fabio Luisi, Opernhaus, Zurich, Switzerland

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