Organization

Singer

Soprano

Sondra Radvanovsky

Elizabeth

Tenor

Russell Thomas

Roberto Devereux

Mezzo-soprano

Jamie Barton

Sara

Amitai Pati

Lord Cecil

Bass

Christian Pursell

Sir Walter Raleigh

Baritone

Andrew Manea

The Duke of Nottingham

Conductor

Riccardo Frizza

Stage director

Stephen Lawless

Set designer

Benoît Dugardyn

Costume designer

Ingeborg Bernerth

Lighting designer

Christopher Akerlind

Chorus master

Ian Robertson

San Francisco Opera

Others

San Francisco Opera Chorus

Orchestra

San Francisco Opera Orchestra

Italian

San Francisco

United States

War Memorial Opera House

Public

English

Approved

ROBERTO DEVEREUX Prod. Trailer - Fall 2018

The only thing keeping Roberto Devereux alive is the love of the Queen of England, Elizabeth I. She refuses to sign his death warrant. But a slip of the tongue has threatened to leave Roberto without any protections whatsoever.

Finally alone with the one she loves, Elizabeth I muses tender-heartedly about the time she and Roberto spent together — and the promises she made to keep him safe. But all Roberto can offer in return are vague, stiff promises of obedience and valor. It's hardly the romantic response she expected. So Elizabeth continues to press him: Who does your heart beat for? And that's when Roberto makes the fatal mistake, revealing that he does indeed feel love — for someone else.

In the duet "Nascondi, frena i palpiti," the queen starts to boil into rage. If Elizabeth cannot have Roberto's heart, no one will.

"Un lampo, un lampo orribile agli occhi miei splendea! No, dal mio sdegno vindice fuggir non può la rea. Morrà l'infido, il perfido, morrà di morte acerba, e la rival superba punita in lui sarà," Elizabeth sings, twitching in anger. "A flash, a horrible flash shines in my eyes! No, this crime shall not escape my vengeful indignation. He shall die, the treacherous one. He shall die a bitter death, and my proud rival will be punished through him."

Roberto, meanwhile, attempts to regain his composure. But he can see Elizabeth's rage, and he prays he will be its only victim.

"Nascondi e frena i palpiti o misero mio core. Ti pasci sol di lacrime o sventurato amore! Ch'io cada solo vittima del suo fatal sospetto. Con me l'arcano affetto e morte, e tomba avrà," Roberto sings in an aside. "Hide and stop your fluttering, my miserable heart. You feed yourself with tears, o unfortunate love! May I alone fall victim to her fatal suspicions. With me, my secret love finds both death and burial."

Soprano Sondra Radvanovsky and tenor Russell Thomas star in Gaetano Donizetti's "Roberto Devereux," streaming for free the weekend of August 14, 2021: sfopera.com/streaming

Roberto Devereux Donizetti

Roberto Devereux by Donizetti, From (2018/2018), Directed by Stephen Lawless,, Conductor Riccardo Frizza, War Memorial Opera House, San Francisco, United States

Performance credits (Cast & Crew )

Cast

Crew

Ensemble

Program, About & Synopsis

Videos

Further reading

Performance Dates & Venues

Venues