Barcelona’s iconic Liceu Opera House is staging a production of Gioachino Rossini’s L’Italiana in Algeri to bring 2018 to a close.
Written by Rossini in a matter of weeks when he was just 21, the composer uses comedy to deal with the serious theme of women’s rights in this two-act opera.
The story revolves around protagonist Isabella who uses her resources to deal with the approaches of the coarse Mustafà, a Turkish boy who wants to offload his current wife onto a slave (who, coincidentally, is Isabella’s true love) and marry an Italian woman instead.
In a tale full of adventure, romance and scheming, Rossini’s composition is energetic and features his renowned mix of opera seria and opera buffa.
It’s 36 years since L’Italiana in Algeri was last performed at the Liceu, and this latest production from the Fondazione Teatro Regio di Torino features a colourful mise-en-scène courtesy of stage director Vittorio Borrelli, while conductor Riccardo Frizza leads a cast of singers who are all musical experts in this style of opera.
When: 13-23 December
Where: Gran Teatre del Liceu
More info: liceubarcelona.cat