11/17/18 – Semiramide – 1pm
Opera Delaware
Semiramide
- by Gioachino Rossini, libretto by Gaetano Rossi
- SUNG IN ITALIAN
- Photos by Joe del Tufo, Moonloop Photography
- 2 Hours, 40 Minutes
OVERVIEW
Based on Voltaire’s tragedy Semiramis, Rossini’s final Italian opera (1823) about a power-hungry Babylonian Queen who murdered her husband does NOT end happily ever after! This rarely-performed tour de force is a sumptuous masterpiece, perfectly suited to the intimacy and extraordinary acoustics of The Grand Opera House.
Starring Lindsay Ohse as Semiramide, Aleksandra Romano as Arsace, Timothy Augustin as Idreno, and Daniel Mobbs as Assur. Maestro Anthony Barrese conducts and Dean Anthony directs. (Featuring the OperaDelaware Orchestra and Chorus.)
OperaDelaware’s production of Semiramide was part of the company’s 2017 festival celebrating the 225thanniversary of Rossini’s birth, which also featured performances of La Cenerentola and the Petite Messe Solennelle. Andrew Moravcsik of Opera Today said of the Semiramide production: “I can think of no place in America I would rather hear this type of opera than Wilmington’s Grand Opera House… This is Rossinian opera as it was meant to be experienced… Contributing decisively to the success of the Delaware Semiramide is also the conducting of the young American Rossini specialist, Anthony Barrese. He inspires the orchestra, to play with distinctive Rossinian articulation, phrasing, rhythmic pulse and exuberance… OperaDelaware has also assembled a cast of promising young singers, all about a decade into their careers—each enthusiastic, accomplished, and versed in bel canto style.” David Shengold with Opera News added “Dean Anthony’s handsome, well-staged production still gave a remarkably enjoyable sense of the piece.”
About OperaDelaware
In 1945, OperaDelaware was founded in Wilmington, Delaware to present opera with the finest voices at affordable prices. Today, OperaDelaware’s patrons are as geographically and culturally diverse as ever, stretching across the entire country, while at the same time reaching deeply into the company’s local roots. Throughout its history, OperaDelaware has earned a reputation for excellence in both opera production and arts education.
In 2016, OperaDelaware became a festival opera company, offering performances which included the East Coast Premiere of Franco Faccio’s Amleto, and Verdi’s Falstaff. OperaDelaware performs in the majestic yet intimate Grand Opera House, built in 1871.
