After Il barbiere di Siviglia and La Cenerentola, Rossini's third most frequently performed opera is L'italiana in Algeri. This titillating tale belongs to the ranks of “rescue operas” - a favourite genre of the era that usually stipulated having a beautiful young woman being captured and awaiting torture or death until her heroic beloved arrives on the scene to rescue her. In this case, a resourceful Italian lass is kidnapped by an Algerian bey yearning for a new wife, and outwits him herself – to everyone else's great satisfaction. The title character, Isabella, is one of the wittiest and most wonderful female characters in the entire operatic literature.
This work is being presented at the Opera House in a production by Máté Szabó.
Authors
Composer: Gioachino Rossini
Librettist: Angelo Anelli
Creative team
Director: Máté Szabó
Set designer: Balázs Cziegler
Costume designer: Anni Füzér
Choreographer: Gábor Katona
Dramaturg: Judit Kenesey
English translation by: Arthur Roger Crane
Chorus director: Gábor Csiki
Cast
Conductor: Péter Halász
Isabella, an Italian woman - Viktória Mester, Gabriella Balga
Lindoro, her beloved - Vassilis Kavayas
Mustafá, the bey of Algiers - András Palerdi, András Kiss
Elvira, his wife - Kinga Kriszta
Zulma, her confidant - Vivienne Ortan (opera studio)
Taddeo, Isabella’s companion - Csaba Sándor
Haly - Lőrinc Kósa
