La Sonnambula de Vincenzo Bellini - Deutschen Oper am Rhein, Düsseldorf - 15 mars 2023

In an apparent idyll high in the Swiss Alps, a secluded village society prepares for the next wedding. Amina is to be the lucky one this time. The groom Elvino, however, soon turns his attention back to his former wife because Amina sleepwalks into the bed of a stranger who has just arrived. Count Rodolfo, son of the former lord of the manor and travelling incognito, cannot convince the villagers of his innocence nor that of Amina, until she sleepwalks again and the collective belief in the supernatural is put to the test.

With its pastoral setting, its Utopian vision of a harmoniously ordered society and a happy ending reached by way of situations of great poignancy, La sonnambula is Bellini’s first mature masterpiece. Here he extends the expressive range of his lyricism with the most beautiful coloratura and lilting melodies; from Anima’s opening aria - which embraces ecstatic introspection, tender recitative-like musings and exuberant virtuosity - to her heart-breaking closing scene. Bellini creates a sense of the lead characters being part of a close-knit community by a constant musical interaction between the soloists and chorus. Deutsche Oper am Rhein’s new production is conducted by bel canto specialist and Principal Guest Conductor Antonino Fogliani and is directed by Johannes Erath, whose poetically subtle stagings have been seen in Munich, Frankfurt, Vienna, Palermo and beyond.