Francesco Cilea’s Adriana Lecouvreur was inspired by the real-life story of a celebrated actress at the Comédie-Française who was much admired by Voltaire. Hailed as a masterpiece, the opera was triumphantly staged in cities around the world after its premiere in 1902. The dramatically effective narrative is a passionate love triangle filled with intrigue and complicated plot twists set in the gallant 18th century. Its subtle ironies and gorgeous cantabile style of music provide a perfect vehicle for the star cast in this stunning production from the Teatro del Maggio Musicale Fiorentino.

The operatic style of Francesco Cilea’s Adriana Lecouvreur became unfashionable in the early 20th century with the rise of the ‘Generation of the 80s’ (Pizzetti, Respighi, Malipiero and others), but recent successful revivals and recorded performances with the likes of Tebaldi, Caballé, Scotto and Freni mean that it has become firmly established as Cilea’s best-known and most popular work today.

This superbly filmed and recorded Teatro del Maggio Musicale Fiorentino production was the first opera of the 83rd edition of the Maggio Musicale Festival, an event enriched by the presence of renowned conductor Daniel Harding.

The production received wide critical acclaim, with operawire.com commenting: ‘Maria José Siri, who made her role debut as Adriana earlier this year, was the true pearl of the evening. Her first appearance was striking, particularly her “Io son l’umile ancella”, and she managed to maintain that wonderful level of excellence throughout the entire night.’

I Teatri dell’Est added: ‘Daniel Harding, at the head of the Maggio orchestra – one of the best orchestral ensembles and not only in Italy – stimulated and very busy under the baton of the English conductor, who provided an exciting reading. The attention to detail, the cleanliness and precision of the attacks, the dynamics articulated in a Mozartian transparency that gives way to sound waves of a Straussian flavour.’

Cast:
- Maurizio: Martin Muehle (tenor)
- Prince de Bouillon: Alessandro Spina (bass)
- Abbe de Chazeuil: Paolo Antognetti (tenor)
- Michonnet: Nicola Alaimo (baritone)
- Quinault: Davide Piva (bass)
- Poisson: Antonio Garés (tenor)
- Major-domo: Michele Gianquinto (bass)
- Adriana Lecouvreur: Maria José Siri (soprano)
- Princess de Bouillon: Ksenia Dudnikova (mezzo-soprano)
- Mademoiselle Jouvenot: Chiara Mogini (mezzo-soprano)
- Mademoiselle Dangeville: Valentina Corò (soprano)

Stage director: Frederic Wake-Walker
Set designer: Polina Liefers
Costume designer: Julia Katharina Berndt
Lighting designer: Marco faustini
Choreographer: Anna Olkhovaya