Maometto II 2012

Synopsis
Artists

Drawn from Middle Eastern History — and Rediscovered Opera History.

Is Rossini’s serious side musically even richer than his comedies? There’s no need to choose, but even longtime Rossini enthusiasts will be astonished. The new critical performing edition of Maometto II recaptures the original character of the music. A love story set against a backdrop of Venice, Maometto II offers Rossini at his appealing best, including showstopping coloratura arias.

Music By

Gioachino Rossini

Libretto By

Cesare della Valle

Act I

The ancient realm of Byzantium, home of Byzantine culture, has fallen to the forces of the Turkish sultan Maometto II, and the Venetian city Negroponte is under siege. On the Byzantine side, Calbo urges the commander Paolo Erisso to continue defending the city; Condulmiero urges surrender. Erisso, who has arranged the engagement of his daughter Anna to Calbo, does not know she is in love with a nobleman of Corinth.

Turks overrun Negroponte’s defenders, toking Erisso and Calbo as prisoners. The sultan Maometto arrives, recognizing Anno as his clandestine lover. The stunning truth of the realization horrifies both Erisso and Anno, who threatens suicide unless Maometto frees Erisso and Calbo. Maometto agrees, promising Anna a life of love and luxury.

Act II

Still overwhelmed by Maometto’s revelations and her homeland’s plight, Anna rejects his ardent declarations of love. He leaves to press the attack on Negroponte, entrusting her with his seal of imperial authority as a guarantee of her safety while he is gone. But Anno joins Calbo and her father in hiding, overcoming Erisso’s accusations of disloyalty by giving him Maometto’s seal. Now free to emerge from hiding, Erisso conducts Calbo’s marriage to his daughter in the shadow of her mother’s tomb, and the two men leave to face the Turks in combat.

Temporarily at a distance from the conflicting men in her life, Anna receives good and bad news: Erisso hos defeated Maometto and successfully defended Negroponte, but Anna is now in danger from Maometto, who will undoubtedly want to avenge her betrayal. Confronted by Maometto and his troops at the very spot where she was married, Anna reveals the details of her deception and stabs herself, dying on her mother’s tomb.

Synopsis

Act I

Act II

Artists

Luca Pisaroni

Luca Pisaroni

Leah Crocetto

Leah Crocetto

Bruce Sledge

Bruce Sledge

Patricia Bardon

Patricia Bardon

Matthew Newlin

Matthew Newlin

Michael Dailey

Michael Dailey

Frédéric Chaslin

Frédéric Chaslin

David Alden

David Alden

Jon Morrell

Jon Morrell

Duane Schuler

Duane Schuler

Peggy Hickey

Peggy Hickey

Jonathan Rider

Jonathan Rider

Susanne Sheston

Susanne Sheston

Maometto II 2012