One of the masterpieces of Bellini  I puritani opens the season under the baton of the stage director Annilese Miskimmon, who proposes a story of love in times of timeless conflict, traveling from the Northern Ireland of the seventies to the English Civil War of the seventeenth century. The South African soprano and the Mexican tenor will sing in five productions together this season in the best stages of the world

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The Gran Teatre del Liceu inaugurates the new season 2018/19 with one of the masterpieces of Italian opera and the last one composed by Vincenzo Bellini before dying with only 33 years old: I puritani. This new co-production of the Liceu with the Welsh National Opera and the Danish National Opera comes from October 5 to 21 under the direction of the Irish Annilese Miskimmon and the baton of Christopher Franklin. Two of the best voices of bel canto, the South African soprano Pretty Yende and the Mexican tenor Javier Camarena, will be in charge of opening the big night of October 5th. A couple so in demand that they will meet 4 times more in the best stages of the world, from the Metropolitan Opera to the Paris Opera or the Bayerische Staatsoper. The soprano María José Moreno, recognized by the magnificent Lucia di Lammermoor in 2015, and the tenor Celso Albelo, a fantastic Tebaldo in I Capuleti ei Montecchi in 2016, will alternate in the roles of Elvira and Arturo. The baritones Mariusz Kwiecień and Andrei Kymach alternate in the role of Riccardo while Marko Mimica and Nicola Ulivieri will do so as Lord Giorgio.
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I puritani brings us the love story in the middle of the English Civil War between the daughter of a leader of the Puritans, Elvira, and her Catholic lover, Arturo. However, the production that now premieres the Liceu and directed by Annilese Miskimmon takes a leap in time and moves the action to a more contemporary scenario, that of the conflicts in Northern Ireland in 1973. It will be the madness of our protagonist Elvira the to make the viewer travel back to the times of the War between Puritans and Catholics of 1653. A story of universal love affected by timeless social conflicts and a unique opportunity to enjoy one of the favorite operas of bel canto lovers.    

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The new production of the Liceu is a real challenge for the duet protagonist, with especially demanding parts like the aria of the tenor of the first act ‘A te or cara’ or the duo ‘Credeasi, misera!’, In which Arturo must sing some of the highest notes written for a tenor. Not in vain, Luciano Pavarotti described Arturo’s role as “pure tightrope.” A challenge comparable to that of the soprano, which with the aria of madness of Elvira, ‘O rendetemi la speme’, provides one of the highlights of the opera and that the great Maria Callas became memorable.
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I puritani has become for the Liceu an opera destined to the great inaugurations. 157 years ago, the theater suffered its first fire and this Bellini title was chosen to reopen the theater a year later. Now, in full stage of celebration of the 20th anniversary of the second reopening of 1999, I puritani reopens season. This opera in three acts and libretto by Carlo Pepoli premiered worldwide on January 24, 1835 at the Théâtre des Italiens in Paris. Barcelona arrived almost two years later, on December 14, 1836, at the Teatre de la Santa Creu, and the Liceu would not arrive until May 17, 1848. The last time I could see I puritani in the theater of La Rambla was on February 15, 2001, where a total of 106 times has been represented.

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Check the 2018/19 season of the Gran Teatre del Liceu in the following link.

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Season 18/19 Gran Teatre del Liceu