Adriana Lecouvreur is one of the most coveted roles for great dramatic sopranos, those forces of nature who combine lyricism and strength, the same ones who have built glorious careers with similar high-stakes roles like Tosca, Mimì, Violetta (La traviata), or Madama Butterfly.
The key lies in the continuous beauty that Cilèa provided to the character, gifting her with a heartbreaking aria (Poveri fiori), an apotheosis entrance (Io son l’umile ancella), several colossal duets, and something more: two declamatory parts – in her appearance in the first act and at the end of the third – that allow sopranos to go beyond their limits and demonstrate that, besides being great singers, they can also be excellent actresses.
In other words, a triumph with Adriana Lecouvreur guarantees achieving the status of a diva, the highest excellence in the opera's Olympus. And, as it could not be otherwise, these upcoming seven dates at the Liceu will feature two leading dramatic sopranos, the Polish Aleksandra Kurzak and the Italian Valeria Sepe.
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The role of Adriana is so overwhelming that the other characters orbiting around her must be at the same level, especially Maurizio, for spinto tenor. This role will be shared by the American Freddie De Tommaso and the French Roberto Alagna, two great talents from two different generations. Michonnet, a comic role for bass, will be sung by Ambrogio Maestri on five dates and Luis Cansino on June 17 and 20.
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The intriguing roles of the Prince of Bouillon and the Abbé de Chazeuil will be performed in all the shows by baritone Felipe Bou and tenor Didier Pieri, respectively. The third central role in the opera, that of the Princess of Bouillon, Adriana’s rival, will be taken on by two high-caliber mezzo-sopranos, the Italian Daniela Barcellona and the French Clémentine Margaine.
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American maestro Patrick Summers will conduct all performances, thus extending his fruitful collaboration with the Liceu, where he has led several productions as a guest conductor, always bringing a wise balance between passion and rational understanding of what each score demands. In short, an ideal baton to find the perfect connection between form and soul of a major work of 20th-century opera.