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Münchner Opernfestspiele

Singer

Bass

Vitalij Kowaljow

The Marquis of Calatrava

The Father Superior

Soprano

Anja Harteros

Leonora

Baritone

Ludovic Tézier

Don Carlo of Vargas

Tenor

Jonas Kaufmann

Don Alvaro

Mezzo-soprano

Nadia Krasteva

Preziosilla

Renato Girolami

Fra Melitone

Christian Rieger

Mayor

Francesco Petrozzi

Maestro Trabuco

Rafał Pawnuk

A surgeon

Conductor

Asher Fisch

Stage director

Martin Kušej

Costume designer

Heidi Hackl

Set designer

Martin Zehetgruber

Heike Grötzinger

Curra

Bayerische Staatsoper

Others

Bayerischer Staatsopernchor

Italian

La forza del destino -  (The Force of Destiny)

Munich

Germany

Nationaltheater

Since their great and extremely successful performance in Wagner's "Lohengrin" at the Bavarian State Opera, Anja Harteros and Jonas Kaufmann have been considered the perfect opera couple. In Giuseppe Verdi's "La forza del destino" the two returned to the stage as lovers desperately trying to overcome the power of fate and be together.
Her performance at the Munich Opera Festival received "explosive applause for the new heights of singing" (dpa).
Verdi's opera combines three themes that have always been at the center of human history and are still relevant today: class segregation, racial prejudice and hysterical warfare. The noble Leonora, the daughter of a marquise, is forbidden to be with Alvaro, the man she loves, because he is descended from the Inca people and therefore not equated with her in social status. The third element, aggressive military madness and the horrors of war, are quickly revealed to be nowhere near as entertaining and cheerful as the gypsy Preziosilla would have everyone believe. In a world as cruel as this, the two desperate and desolate lovers finally come to the conclusion that even the church cannot offer a way out.

With "La forza del destino" Verdi created a pioneering masterpiece in form and content.
Anja Harteros formed the radiant heart of the production, so to speak, "the effect of her angelic 'piano' is overwhelming" (Münchner Merkur). Thanks to her wonderful voice and the sheer power of her great performance, she could celebrate nothing but a triumph: "No one else can die so beautifully today, can act so intensely." (SZ). Jonas Kaufmann is the ideal choice for Alvaro: "Nowadays he is rightly called unique because there is no other tenor who sings, acts and creates so perfectly" (Die Welt). French baritone Ludovic Tezier's performance of Don Carlo was "a dramatic and dark, fundamental event"

Under the insightful, prudent and psychological direction of Martin Kušej, the Bavarian State Opera Choir sang with "elegance and precision". The Bavarian State Orchestra, conducted by Asher Fisch, also played beautifully, richly in detail and with a beautiful sound (FAZ). Vitalij Kovalev as the noble Pater Guardiano/Marquise von Calatrava, Nadia Krasteva as the fiery Preziosilla, and Renato Girolami as the tragicomic Fra Melitone round off this first-class ensemble and leave absolutely nothing to be desired for opera lovers.

Soprano star Anja Harteros and world-famous tenor Jonas Kaufmann headline this spectacular 2014 production of Verdi's La Forza del destino, superbly staged by Martin Kušej at the National Theatre Munich! Spanish noblewoman Donna Leonora (Harteros), daughter of a marquis, is forbidden from seeing the man she loves, the South American noble Don Alvaro (Kaufmann), because of racist attitudes toward his Inca background. Throughout this celebrated opera, Verdi spotlights class contempt and racial prejudice, themes that are as timely in the 21st century as when the work premiered in 1862.

This staging brings together three of today's most famous operatic voices: Anja Harteros, Jonas Kaufmann, and baritone Ludovic Tézier as Don Carlo, Leonora's brother—who complements Kaufmann perfectly in the famous Act III duet between Carlo and Alvaro. Kušej plays cleverly on the chiaroscuro effect of Martin Zehetgruber's sets, striking and somber, which makes the final act's white crosses stand out even more starkly as a symbol of constant penitence. Asher Fisch capably leads the Bayerisches Staatsorchester in Verdi's stupendous score, accompanying the singers impeccably without ever overpowering their excellent performances.

The Force of Destiny by Verdi, From (2014/2014), Directed by Martin Kušej,, Conductor Asher Fisch, Nationaltheater, Munich, Germany

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