Organization

Buxton International Festival

Singer

Soprano

Ziyi Dai

Amina

Ellie Neate

Lisa

Tenor

Nico Darmanin

Elvino

Bass

Simon Shibambu

Count Rodolfo

Jacob Bettinelli

Alessio

Conductor

Adrian Kelly

Stage director

Harry Fehr

Assistant Director

Nick Bond

Set designer

Nicky Shaw

Costume designer

Zahra Mansouri

Lighting designer

Jake Wiltshire

Mezzo-soprano

Ann Taylor

Teresa

Orchestra

Northern Chamber Orchestra

Italian

La sonnambula -  (The Sleepwalker)

Buxton

United Kingdom

Buxton Opera House

La sonnambula Bellini

Public

The Sleepwalker

English

Approved

A Buxton International Festival Production, with the Northern Chamber Orchestra

Vincenzo Salvatore Carmelo Francesco Bellini (1801–1835).

This opera of jilted-love, jealousy and innocence-rewarded was Bellini’s first great masterpiece and remains his most important work, alongside Norma. It premiered in Milan in 1831 and became renowned for its exhilarating melodies and dazzling vocal pyrotechnics.

The theme of sleepwalking fascinated the public of the day, and Bellini explores all the musical possibilities of this mysterious phenomenon and the complex moods of his heroine. Amina, a Swiss village girl is engaged to Elvino and everyone, bar one, is looking forward to their wedding. When a mysterious stranger, Count Rodolfo, arrives his admiration for Amina provokes jealousy and misunderstanding. The situation is exacerbated when Amina is discovered in Rodolfo’s room at the local inn late at night. All is happily resolved when it becomes clear that Amina is an innocent sleepwalker, a somnambulist. In the hands of another composer the subject material might seem simple, but the story is the perfect complement to the inspired purity of Bellini’s melodic style.

La sonnambula will be conducted by Adrian Kelly and directed by Harry Fehr. Many will remember Harry Fehr’s acclaimed production of another Bellini opera at BIF, I Capuleti e I Montecchi, in 2016, which was, coincidentally, the last Bellini opera performed at BIF. He has established an international reputation for thought-provoking productions explored through clear storytelling.

‘Bellini is the master of bel canto.  While the story is very gentle and sweet-natured, the music is sublime, and showcases the art of operatic singing at its finest. For me it suits Buxton down to the ground because it’s a very strong piece of music which is known, but it really doesn’t get performed all that often’.

Performance credits (Cast & Crew )

Cast

Crew

Ensemble