Organization

Singer

Baritone

George Petean

Simon Boccanegra

Ludovic Tézier

Soprano

Jennifer Rowley

Amelia Grimaldi

Bass

Christof Fischesser

Jacopo Fiesco

Tenor

Otar Jorjikia

Gabriele Adorno

Nicholas Brownlee

Paolo Albiani

Brent Michael Smith

Pietro

Savelii Andreev

Captain of the Crossbowmen

Mezzo-soprano

Bożena Bujnicka

Amelia's maid

Stage director

Andreas Homoki

Conductor

Marco Armiliato

Lighting designer

Franck Evin

Set designer

Christian Schmidt

Florian Schaaf

Dramaturge

Fabio Dietsche

Chorus master

Janko Kastelic

Libretto

Francesco Maria Piave

Opernhaus Zürich

Others

Chor der Oper Zürich

Orchestra

Philharmonia Zürich

italiera

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…

Intrigue, family tragedies, power struggles – these words aptly describe Giuseppe Verdi’s opera “Simon Boccanegra”. And the opera is somehow frighteningly topical: in this piece with only one female role, the men write history and the women are the victims. The world premiere flopped, but almost 25 years later the opera received thunderous applause at a new performance in Milan’s La Scala. Andreas Homoki has staged this second and revised version at the Zurich Opera House. Its premiere was one of the last conducted by outgoing music director Fabio Luisi and Christian Gerhaher’s much-lauded role debut as Simon Boccanegra.

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