Roberto Devereux is not one of my absolute favourite Donizettis, my top 3 have always been Lucia Di Lammermoor, L'Elxir D'Amore and Don Pasquale. However it does move me greatly, and has typically beautiful music. I found this production to be truly brilliant, every bit as good as the classic Beverly Sills performance. It is one of the most visually stunning productions I've seen in recent memory, the sets and costumes all lavishly mounted and the colours very rich, and they are all enhanced by some really cinematic-looking video directing which always focuses on the action and not on random objects. The staging is always involving and the final scene is incredibly poignant to the point you're speechless at the end. Musically this Roberto Devereux is equally stunning, the orchestra and chorus blend wonderfully and make the most beautiful of sounds. Alain Guingal's conducting deserves much credit as well for his elegant musicality and also his sensitivity to his singers. You couldn't have asked for more perfect performances either. Alexandrina Pendatchanska is a superb Elisabetta, she commands the stage every single time you see her and she plays her final scene with such pathos as well. I equally liked the colours of her voice, the light, girlish-like sounds for the lyrical passages and a rich, full sound for the dramatic ones. Giuseppe Sabbatini matches her in every way, his performance in the title role boasts his best ever acting, basically aristocratic(in a proud way) and charismatic. His singing is also ideal for the role, it is perfect for the Bel-Canto elements yet has enough sound to project for the more dramatic elements of the vocal line. In the more supporting roles, Ildiko Komlosi is the best I've seen her as well, she is very restrained and sings with wonderful tone and musicality, showing a nice contrast between her and Pendatchanska. Roberto Servile comes off best in support. He has a beautiful warm voice with no signs of strain whatsoever, perfectly enunciated diction and immaculate phrasing, coupled with a forceful stage presence that transitions from loyal to vindictive with no hint of inconsistency. Overall, just brilliant in every way possible. One of the easiest 10/10s I've given in a while. Bethany Cox

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A tragedia lirica in three acts that takes place during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I, when Robert Devereux, Earl of Essex, has been charged with treason. Sarah, Duchess of Nottingham, is in love with Devereux, and he loves her, but Elizabeth also loves Devereux, and the plot revolves around the jealousy and anxieties of these three and the Duke of Nottingham, Sarah's husband and Devereux's friend. A blue scarf that Sarah makes for Devereux and a ring given by the Queen to Devereux are the evidences that prove to Elizabeth and the Duke that something funny is going on.

Alexandrina Pendatchanska and Giuseppe Sabbatini in Roberto Devereux (1997)

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Roberto Devereux

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