(Armida)

Content: Gioachino Rossini’s Armida (1817) is a spectacular but relatively rarely performed opera seria, based on Tasso’s Gerusalemme liberata: the sorceress Armida seduces the crusader Rinaldo, creating a conflict between love and military/religious duty. The 2014 Rossini Opera Festival production in Pesaro was directed by Luca Ronconi, with Carlo Rizzi conducting. It featured Carmen Romeu as Armida and John Osborn as Rinaldo, with a notably demanding vocal cast. Ronconi’s staging emphasized the opera’s dreamlike, magical and theatrical dimension rather than treating it as straightforward medieval epic. It was particularly notable for showcasing Rossini’s extreme vocal virtuosity and elaborate ensembles, including the famous Act II finale and the spectacular series of transformations surrounding Armida’s magic.

Countries:

Italy

Genres:

Music

Runtime:

170 minutes

Year:

2014

Directors:

Carlo Rizzi

Production companies:

Rossini Opera Festival,

Teatro Comunale di Bologna

Actors:

Goffredo e Ubaldo

Rinaldo

Idraote e Astarotte

Armida

Gernando e Carlo

Crews:

Writer

Director

Stage Director

Compositor