The Sicilian Vespers Royal Opera

"The Royal Opera House's current staging of The Sicilian Vespers, originally directed by Stefan Herheim, revived under Dan Dooner and conducted by Speranza Scappucci, brings Verdi's epic vividly to life at Covent Garden. Scappucci, making her debut as Principal Guest Conductor, approaches the score with bold pacing and an acute sense of dramatic timing, which emphasises the tensions between personal revenge and collective uprising."

"Herheim's production reframes the Palermo rebellion within an opulent 19th-century Parisian aesthetic. The Prelude opens with a Degas-like ballet scene. Procida, played by Ildebrando D'Arcangelo, observes the dancers as French troops enter, led by Montfort, Quinn Kelsey, intent on overthrowing Palermo and imposing French rule across Sicily. During the chaos, Procida escapes wounded, while Montfort forces himself on one of the Sicilian dancers, who later gives birth to Henri, played as an adult by Valentyn Dytiuk."

The Royal Opera House revival of The Sicilian Vespers is conducted by Speranza Scappucci and revived under Dan Dooner from Stefan Herheim's direction. Scappucci debuts as Principal Guest Conductor, applying bold pacing and precise dramatic timing that sharpen tensions between personal revenge and collective uprising. Herheim's staging relocates the 1282 Palermo rebellion into an opulent 19th-century Parisian setting, opening the Prelude with a Degas-like ballet. Key plot elements include Procida's wounded escape, Montfort's assault on a Sicilian dancer, and the birth of Henri, whose adult role is sung by Valentyn Dytiuk. The score blends sweeping choruses, intricate ensembles, and grand-opera spectacle with Verdi's urgent drama.

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