Verdi: I Due Foscari

Leo Nucci, Vincenzo La Scola, Alexandrina Pendatchanska Orchestra e Coro Del Teatro di San Carlo, Nello Santi

A staging from the magnificent Teatro San Carlo opera house in Naples sees Leo Nucci formidably cast in the role of the Doge of Venice. The father and son tragedy I Due Foscari premiered in Rome in 1844 has not received as much attention as it deserves. Less opulently orchestrated than some of his preceding operas and with a gloomier story than his other operas, it is a jewel in its own right. TDK presents a staging directed by Werner Düggelin, one of the most distinguished theatre directors in Europe and choreographed by the superb Heinz Spoerli – both closely associated with the Zurich Opera and Theatre. The story of the conflict between paternal love and the political duties of the Doge of Venice unfolds before a backdrop of the severe facades of classical Venetian architecture symbolising the strict rules that bind the elder Foscari’s decisions. Nello Santi’s sensitive conducting supports three exceptional singers, all well rooted in the Italian tradition. Leo Nucci, who has long been regarded as one of the foremost baritones in the Verdi repertoire gives an overwhelming performance - vocally and dramatically - in the role of the elder Foscari.

Price: $42.98