The American coloratura
June Anderson, acclaimed for her dramatic abilities as well as her vocal skill, gives a moving performance as the ill-fated Luisa in
Verdi's dark tale of jealousy and deception.
Jacques Lassalle's production also features
Taro Ichihara as Rodolfo,
Paul Plishka as Count Walter, and
Edouard Tumagian as Miller.
Maurizio Arena conducts.
The backstage intrigues and personal hostility surrounding the premiere in Naples of Verdi's adaptation of Schiller's play, Kabale und Liebe, are reflected on stage. Luisa Miller is an important transitional work, marking both the end of Verdi's first period and the beginning of his second, in which the first two acts recall the operas of Bellini and Donizetti, and the third anticipates the musical style and dramatic atmosphere of La Traviatta.
