Opera live on Friday morning for people stuck in airports

 Dear Opera buffs, this morning Slippedisc, courtesy of OperaVision transmits a live stream of Il viaggio a Reims from the Rossini Opera Festival  on Friday morning – curtains up at 5:00 in New York!

Il viaggio a Reims was Rossini’s last Italian opera and the first he wrote in France for its Paris premiere in 1825 as part of the festivities for the coronation of Charles X. Conceived for the greatest voices of the time, the opera requires an exceptional cast: three prima donna sopranos, an alto, two tenors, and four baritones and basses have leading roles.  For Rossini Opera Festival’s Accademia in Pesaro, Il viaggio a Reims has become an annual summer showcase for the next generation of bel canto singers. Founded by the conductor Alberto Zedda, the Accademia Rossiniana has an international reputation for training young Rossini voices. One former student, Juan Diego Flórez, is not only one of the world’s leading tenors but the new artistic director of the Rossini Opera Festival itself.  Emilio Sagi’s production provides a beautiful platform on which young artists can shine.   OperaVision returns to Pesaro where two new young casts with perform Il viaggio a Reims. The first will be live on 18 August at 11am, the second available a few days later.

The Plot:  At the Inn of the Golden Lily, the most illustrious figures in Europe converge to celebrate a royal French coronation. But between lost luggage, missing horses, and some amorous antics, nothing will happen as planned.

Singers include Martina Russomanno as Corinna, Saori Sugiyama as Marchesa Melibea, Vittoriana de Amicis as Contessa di Folleville and Maria Rita Combattelli as Madama Cortese.

Sung in Italian with subtitles in English and Italian.

Live on18 August 2023 at 11:00 CET/ 10:00 London/ 5:00 NY