09/07/13 – The Capulets and the Montegues – 1:00pm

San Francisco Opera

THE CAPULETS AND THE MONTEGUES by Vincenzo Bellini

Recorded Fall 2012, War Memorial Opera House.

The tragic tale of Romeo and Juliet inspired some of Shakespeare’s finest verse—and some of Bellini’s most beautiful melodies. “An opera of definite dramatic appeal” (The New York Times) awash in “music of extraordinary grace” (All Music Guide), this bel canto masterpiece features international stars Joyce DiDonato, a singer of “glamour, charisma, intelligence, grace and remarkable talent,” and Nicole Cabell, who “wields her radiant lyric soprano like a silken lasso” (The New York Times). Saimir Pirgu, praised by Opera News as “a tenor to watch,” brings his “honeyed tenor” (The New York Times) to his debut role as Tebaldo. Costumes are by world-renowned fashion designerChristian Lacroix; set designer Vincent Lemaire has created “dramatically powerful visual statements” (Opera Today) for the production; director Vincent Boussard“effectively underscores the claustrophobic, helpless situation of both lovers” (Opera News). Riccardo Frizza, praised by The New Yorker for his “crisp and idiomatic conducting,” leads the San Francisco Opera Orchestra and Chorus.

Sung in Italian with English supertitles
Approximate running time: 2 hours, 50 minutes including one intermission

CAST/CREW

GIULIETTA   NICOLE CABELL *
ROMEO    JOYCE DIDONATO
TEBALDO    SAIMIR PIRGU *
LORENZO    AO LI
CAPELLIO    ERIC OWENS

CONDUCTOR    RICCARDO FRIZZA
DIRECTOR    VINCENT BOUSSARD *
SET DESIGNER    VINCENT LEMAIRE *
COSTUME DESIGNER    CHRISTIAN LACROIX *
LIGHTING DESIGNER    GUIDO LEVI *
CHORUS DIRECTOR    IAN ROBERTSON

* SAN FRANCISCO OPERA DEBUT

photo credits: Corey Weaver