Opera

La forza del destino / The Force of Destiny

Giuseppe Verdi

An accidental pistol shot sets into motion the wheels of fate: Just as they are attempting to elope, Leonora and Alvaro are caught by Leonora’s father, who, seconds later, is struck by a misfired bullet and dies cursing his daughter. Fleeing in panic, the lovers become separated and change their identities.

Leonora’s brother Carlo, having sworn bloody revenge, is hot on their heels. In »La forza del destino» from 1862, Verdi created a work that expands on his earlier popular trilogy »Rigoletto«, »Il trovatore« and »La traviata« by means of its multi-layered plot and a richly diverse score featuring satirical sermons, dazzling choral tableaux as well as passionate duets and intimate arias. In his production for the Semperoper Dresden, director Keith Warner paints a visually arresting and spectacular panorama of a turbulent society, in which the characters Leonora, Alvaro and Carlo are hopelessly caught up in a fateful web of their own searing emotions.

Melodrama in four acts
Libretto by Francesco Maria Piave based on Duke Rivas‘ drama Don Álvaro o La fuerza del sino and Wallensteins Lager by Friedrich Schiller

Performed in Italian language with German and English supertitles

Premiere
28. April 2018,

No further performances in the current season.

Please note: Some biographies reflect the information available at the time of the respective premiere date and are not necessarily updated on an ongoing basis.

Premiere cast

Staging Keith Warner
Set Design Julia Müer
Costume Design Tilo Steffens
Lighting Design Wolfgang Göbbel
Kampfchoreografie Ran Arthur Braun
Dramaturgy Anne Gerber

Sächsischer Staatsopernchor Dresden
Sächsische Staatskapelle Dresden

Generously supported by the Semperoper Foundation