Пуччини: Ластoчка /Puccini - La Rondine _ Rolando Villazón (stage director), Deutsche Oper Berlin, 2015

True love with no happy end: Giacomo Puccini’s La Rondine in a production by the internationally famous tenor and opera director Rolando Villazón. The main roles are sung by Dinara Alieva (Magda) and Charles Castronovo (Ruggero). Accompanied by the orchestra of the Deutsche Oper Berlin under the direction of Roberto Rizzi Brignoli. This performance is from 2015 at the Deutsche Oper Berlin. Dinara Alieva (soprano) – Magda de Civry Alexandra Hutton (soprano) – Lisette, her maid Charles Castronovo (tenor) – Ruggero Lastouc Álvaro Zambrano (tenor) – Prunier, a poet Stephen Bronk (baritone) – Rambaldo, Magda’s protector Noel Bouley (bass-baritone) – Périchaud Matthew Newlin (tenor) – Gobin Thomas Lehman (bass-baritone) – Crébillon Siobhan Stagg (soprano) – Yvette Elbenita Kajtazi (soprano) – Bianca Stephanie Lauricella (mezzo-soprano) – Suzy Orchestra of the Deutsche Oper Berlin Choir of the Deutsche Oper Berlin Roberto Rizzi Brignoli | CONDUCTOR Rolando Villazón | STAGE DIRECTOR Johannes Leiacker | SET DESIGNER Brigitte Reiffenstuel | COSTUME DESIGNER Davy Cunningham | LIGHTING DESIGNER Ernestine Böttcher | VIDEO DIRECTOR The opera “La Rondine“ is the last large-scale opera completed by Giacomo Puccini (1858 – 1924). “La Rondine“ was originally supposed to be premiered in Vienna – with the German-language libretto “Die Schwalbe“ (The Swallow) by Alfred Maria Willner and Heinz Reichert. But World War One prevented that from happening. Instead, the world premiere took place on 27 March 1917 in Monte Carlo – with the Italian libretto by Giuseppe Adami. The three-act opera with the designation “commedia lirica“ is highly comic in character and sometimes feels more like an operetta. Its content explores the contradiction between true love and love that can be bought: At the Paris salon of wealthy banker Rambaldo, the poet Prunier sings of romantic love to the exclusive gathering of guests. As she hears his words, Rambaldo’s lover Magda de Civry recalls how much she yearns for true love, a desire that cannot be quenched by expensive gifts alone. So Magda flirts with the young Ruggero and rejects Rambaldo. Magda and Ruggero fall in love and decide to travel to the Riviera, where they talk about getting married. But Magda knows that Ruggero’s family will never give their blessing to the union. As a former courtesan, Magda’s past will only bring them shame. So, she leaves Ruggero and returns to Paris. Act I 00:00 Prelude 01:30 Ah! no! no! non ditta questo 05:55 Chi il bel sogno di Doretta 07:49 Chi il bel sogno di Doretta 10:28 No. Adesso non burlatemi 12:10 La Doretta della mia fantasia 15:11 Denaro! Nient’altro che denaro! 16:00 Ore dolci e divine 20:50 E poi basta è finito 24:07 O mio giovine amico 25:03 Forse, come la rondine 32:54 Forse, come la rondine Act II 39:18 Fiori freschi 41:54 Chi e? Mai vista! 44:05 Scusatemi, scusate 49:14 Dolcessa! Ebbrezza! 51:01 Che caldo! Che sete! 53:38 Perche’ mai cercate di saper 56:14 Zitti! Non disturbiamoli! 59:04 Bevo al tuo fresco sorriso 1:02:24 Rambaldo! Ah! M’aiutate! 1:05:21 Nella trepida luce d’un mattin Act III 1:08:31 Prelude 1:09:20 Senti? Anche il mare respira sommesso 1:11:50 E siam fuggiti qui per nasconderlo 1:16:53 Dimmi che vuoi seguirmi alla mia casa 1:19:50 Che più dirgli? Che fare 1:20:34 E qui? Non so! 1:25:24 Ma come? Voi, che ricordate ancora 1:29:52 Amore mio! Mia madre! 1:36:14 Ma come puoi lasciarmi