La Rondine

Composer: Puccini, Giacomo

Conductor: Veronesi, Alberto

Orchestra: Puccini Festival Orchestra

Chorus: Puccini Festival Chorus

Chorus Master: Visconti, Stefano

Lisette: Dashuk, Maya

Prunier: Giannino, Emanuele

Rambaldo: Giossi, Marzio

Ruggero: Sartori, Fabio

Television Director: Amato, Lorenzo

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Playing Time: 01:51:01

Catalogue Number: 33565

UPC: 747313526659

Synopsis

La Rondine

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Although one of his most consistently lyrical operas, La rondine (The Swallow) remains one of Puccini's least known. Dissatisfied with the result of his work, Puccini wrote three versions, with two different endings, and continued to make further revisions up to his death in 1924. The innovative 2007 production at the Torre del Lago Giacomo Puccini Festiva, presented on this video, is in effect a fourth version, which combines Acts I and II of the first version (1917), with Lorenzo Ferrero's 1994 orchestration of parts of the Finale of Act III of the incomplete third version (1921), some of which had survived only in piano score, as well as Ruggero's Act I romanza, Parigi e la citta dei desideri, from the second version (1920).

With a sparkling score reminiscent of Franz Lehar and Richard Strauss, La rondine, set in mid-19th century Paris, tells the story of Magda De Civry, a young courtesan who falls in love one evening with Ruggero Lastouc, the handsome son of a childhood friend her protector, Rambaldo Fernandez. Although Magda believes that her compromised social position prevents their marrying, in Puccini's third version it is Ruggero who leaves Magda when he discovers that she is the mistress of Rambaldo.