Lucrezia Borgia

Composer: Donizetti, Gaetano

Librettist/Text Author: Romani, Felice

Libretto Source: Hugo, Victor

Conductor: Billy, Bertrand de

Orchestra: Bavarian State Orchestra

Chorus: Bavarian State Opera Chorus

Chorus Master: Maspero, Andres

Don Alfonso: Vassallo, Franco

Gennaro: Breslik, Pavol

Lucrezia Borgia: Gruberova, Edita

Maffio Orsini: Coote, Alice

Set Designer: Ahr, Henrik

Costume Designer: Drosihn, Barbara

Lighting Designer: Klein, Joachim

Stage Director: Loy, Christof

Television Director: Large, Brian

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Date of Production: 06-07-2007

Venue: National Theater, Munich

Playing Time: 02:08:21

Catalogue Number: A05017480

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The phenomenal Edita Gruberova, the world's undisputed Queen of bel canto, proves once again why she deserves this title: following her tumultuously applauded concert debut as Lucrezia Borgia in Barcelona, her mesmerizing role debut in a staged version of this work took place at the Bavarian State Opera and was acclaimed just as enthusiastically, and rightly so. Her performance, noted Opera Magazine, "vindicated the Munich audience's near-idolization of her".

With Lucrezia Borgia, Gruberova follows up her recent triumphs in Roberto Devereux and Norma with another bel canto masterwork. Singing with "exquisite purity" (Opera Magazine), the soprano also beguiles with her physical presence. Stage director Christof Loy and two-time Emmy Award-winning video director Brian Large both focus on the plot's dramatic potential and Gruberova's talent for expressing it with every tone and gesture. The singer is excellently paired with young tenor Pavol Breslik as her son Gennaro. Breslik, a native of Slovakia like Gruberova, gives such a radiant interpretation of the tormented youth that he is now being hailed as "the most promising new voice among lyrical tenors" (Neue Zürcher Zeitung).