Lucrezia Borgia

Based on Victor Hugo’s play, Donizetti’s Lucrezia Borgia is a powder keg of horrendous crimes, fierce passion, and rivalry between powerful 18th-century Italian leaders. The notoriously cruel Lucrezia Borgia must fight for her independence and reputation, tarnished by slander and jealousy, while protecting her heart-wrenching secret. The piece paints the portrait of a determined, powerful woman, reduced to criminal revenge by a society which forbids her from straying from her path. A true epitome of bel canto, the melodramatic opera genre is embodied by large ensembles and arias replete with vocal prowess. The lead must be dazzlingly virtuosic; at the Lyon Opera, it is sung by phenomenal soprano Lidia Friedman, in a production directed by Tatjana Gürbaca. Following L’Incoronazione di Poppea and The Girl of the Golden West, Gürbaca continues her exploration of major opera sagas with her Lucrezia Borgia.

Language: Italian Surtitles French

Melodrama in 2 acts and 1 prologue
Libretto by Felice Romani,
from the play by Victor Hugo
Premiered in Milan in 1833
New production Opéra de Lyon

Lyon Opera Orchestra and Chorus

An opera by: Gaetano Donizetti
Conductor (March 20, 22, 24, and 28): Jader Bignamini
Conductor (March 30, April 3 and 5): Ariane Matiakh
Director: Tatjana Gürbaca
Set designer: Marc Weeger
Costume designer: Dinah Ehm
Chorus master: Benedict Kearns

Distribution:
Lucrezia Borgia: Lidia Fridman
Alfonso d’Este: Giorgi Manoshvili
Maffio Orsini: Ekaterine Buachidze
Gennaro: Duke Kim
Liverotto: Cătălin Pop (Lyon Opera Studio soloist)
Don Apostolo Gazella: David Rother (Lyon Opera Studio soloist)
Gubetta: Miłosz Korendo
Ascanio Petrucci: Stefan Petković (Lyon Opera Studio soloist)

Running Time: 2 hours 50 minutes – 1 intermission