Opera

Giovanna d'Arco

With Placido Domingo

Giuseppe Verdi

14 Jul, 19 - 20 Jul, 19

Principal Chorus and Orchestra of the Teatro Real

Premiered at the Teatro Real

14 Jul 19

Premiere

20 Jul 19

Last Performance

The 2018/19 season closes at the Teatro Real with Giovanna d’Arco composed by a young and ambitious Giuseppe Verdi, who in this opera, shows signs of the genius to come. Plácido Domingo returns to the Teatro Real to lead a cast which includes Michael Fabiano, Carmen Giannattasio, Moisés Marín and Simón Orfila in a concert version conducted by maestro James Conlon.

Dramma lirico in a prologue and three acts

Music by Giuseppe Verdi (1813-1901)
Libretto by Temistocle Solera, based upon the play Die Jungfrau von Orleans (1801) by Friedrich von Schiller

Premiered at the Teatro alla Scala of Milan on 15 February 1845

Premiere at the Teatro Real

Opera in concert version

Principal Choir and Orchestra of the Teatro Real
(Coro Intermezzo / Orquesta Sinfónica de Madrid)

Artistic Team

Musical Director I James Conlon

Choir Director I Andrés Máspero

Cast

Carlos VII I Michael Fabiano

Giacomo I Plácido Domingo

Giovanna I Carmen Giannattasio

Delil I Moisés Marín

Taldot I Simón Orfila

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Language

Italian

Subtitles in

Spanish, English

Synopsis of Giovanna d'Arco

Composed in barely four months, the score of Giovanna d’Arco gives us an insight into an ambitious Giuseppe Verdi who is looking to experiment and innovate in his vocal and instrumental style which undoubtedly achieves moments of great brilliancy. The historical character is presented to us as a combination of historic precision mixed with significant elements of poetic license, the most notorious of which is that his heroine dies on the battle field and not burned at the stake as happened in reality.

It is the end of a Giovanna who, under the influence of divine inspiration, urges the French to confront the invading English troops, and with her daring she wins the heart of the King of France. In addition, as an essential part of the plot, we find the type of relation father-daughter that Verdi found so fascinating throughout his career, and in this case it is presented with the aggravating circumstance that it is her father who reports her to the enemy, believing her to be bewitched, and thereby triggering the tragic end.