Violetta is surprised by an Alfredo in the audience

Violetta is surprised by an Alfredo in the audience

News

norman lebrecht

November 02, 2021

During her encore of Violetta’s Sempre Libera at the Verdi Festival in Parma recently, sorano Lisette Oropesa was taken aback to be serenaded by a perfect Alfredo in the audience.

Just watch.

 

Comments

  • Harpist says:

    Doesn’t look as she was “taken aback” but more charmed by it!

  • Anon says:

    How lovely! What a delightful surprise!

  • Y says:

    Surely there’s a better video out there without the Chinese subtitles and commentary.

    • V. Lind says:

      It’s an interview with the Chinese student, who proved that classical training in China is pretty damned good.

    • poyu says:

      It‘s not “commentary”, it‘s the interview of the tenor himself. He is a vocal student in Italy. But yes, would be nice to hear the full thing.

  • BRUCEB says:

    Ha! That’s wonderful.

  • CRWang says:

    Alfredo was wearing a face mask. Did he realize that Violetta had TB? An innovative director should stage this opera in Wuhan, China.

  • caranome says:

    New Yorker cartoon: man on big stage addressing the audience: “is there a Siegfried in the house?”

  • Alviano says:

    Wonderful……I am so happy he got to go back stage and have his picture taken with her.
    No one there will forget this.

  • Ernest says:

    Oh gioia! The music of Verdi is a universal language!

  • SEIGO NAKAO says:

    What a jovial surprise. It will be interesting (or annoying) if there are two or more voluterring Alfred pop up, competing for Violetta’s attention.

    • Lisette’s Fan says:

      Exactly. It is not like there is a shortage of opera singers in Italy. For some reason, I find it hard to believe that in contemporary performance history, this guy was the first opera singer/in training in the audience. Can you imagine every singer (or conservatory student in training )in the audience would insert himself in an encore like he did – unbidden.
      That Oropesa appeared happily Ed surprise and even indulged the crasher with some backstage selfie speaks largely to her generosity. Not that she encourages this kind of act. Nor should it be encouraged.

  • poyu says:

    Just to briefly translate what the tenor says:
    He is currently a music student in Piacenza, and a big fan for Oropesa for five years. She inspired him to study La Traviatta. In that evening he waited for one bar, making sure there was no tenor behind the scene before stepping in. After that he thought his action could be either a surprise or a distracting shock for the performer, so he went to back stage to apologize. Of course Oropesa didn‘t mind and gave him a big hug.
    He sounds like a courageous but polite boy.

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