I puritani – Highlights

Opera Evening

Saturday 28 August 2021
7.30 pm, Gstaad Festival Tent

This is one of the most iconic operas of Italian bel canto: the Gstaad Menuhin Festival is delighted to offer its audience a wide selection of arias, choruses and orchestral interludes from Vincenzo Bellini's “I puritani”, specially selected by conductor Domingo Hindoyan. The Zürcher Sing-Akademie and the Orchestre de la Suisse Romande will play host to a first-class cast, for this evening which, placing music at the centre, is an opportunity to go beyond the necessarily superficial knowledge of such a work based on a handful of great arias, moreover immortalised by legendary interpretations such as those of Maria Callas or Joan Sutherland, to plunge into the heart of Bellini's ultimate gem, offered to Paris and then to the world in early 1835, just a few months before the composer died at the far too early age of 33. An opera that pays more attention to details of orchestration than previous ones and requires literally “supersonic” soloists, like Elvira, “prototype of the romantic heroine driven mad by emotional shock” (Alain Perroux), whose melodies are so perfect that they were to guide Frédéric Chopin in his quest for a piano that “sings”...  

Cast Changes – I puritani
Zuzana Marková and Francesco Demuro take over for Oropesa and Camarena 

Due to illness and consequent vocal indisposition, soprano Lisette Oropesa unfortunately had to stop rehearsals this morning (Thursday, 26 August) and cancel her performance in Gstaad on Saturday, 28 August. The illness is in no way caused or related to the coronavirus. 
We are pleased to announce that the Czech coloratura soprano Zuzana Marková has agreed to take over the role of "Elvira" at short notice. Marková has already sung in previous productions of "I puritani" at the Zurich Opera House, the Frankfurt Opera or the Opéra Royal de Wallonie in Liège. She is also a regular guest at renowned houses such as the Berlin State Opera, the Royal Opera House, or the Bolshoi Theatre in Moscow. 
For personal reasons, Javier Camarena unfortunately also had to cancel his appearance in the production of "I puritani". Italian tenor Francesco Demuro will perform in his place. Demuro was singing the role of "Arturo" in "I Puritani" at the Opéra Bastille in Paris in the 2019/20 season, alternating with Javier Camarena.

26.08.2021