The Gran Teatre del Liceu presents La sonnambula by Vincenzo Bellini, directed by Bárbara Lluch, in a co-production with Teatro Real, New National Theatre Tokyo, and Teatro Massimo di Palermo. Nadine Sierra and Xabier Anduaga lead the cast as Amina and Elvino, with Fernando Radó, Carmen Artaza, and Sabrina Gardez in the main roles.
In a co-production with Teatro Real, New National Theatre Tokyo, and Teatro Massimo di Palermo, the Gran Teatre del Liceu presents a realistic take on Bellini’s La sonnambula, directed by the distinguished stage director Bárbara Lluch. Lluch offers a production with a raw and pragmatic vision of the libretto, portraying the sleepwalker as a victim of unjust social intolerance. This production will be staged in a total of seven performances from April 22 to May 8, in addition to an exclusive show for the Under35 community on April 16.
Renowned American soprano Nadine Sierra will perform the role of Amina, alongside celebrated Basque tenor Xabier Anduaga as Elvino. The principal cast also includes bass-baritone Fernando Radó as Count Rodolfo, mezzo-soprano Carmen Artaza as Teresa, soprano Sabrina Gardez as Lisa, baritone Isaac Galán as Alessio, and tenor Gerardo López as the Notary. The second cast will feature soprano Caterina Sala as Amina and tenor Omar Mancini as Elvino on April 16 and May 7.
Stage director Bárbara Lluch, along with musical direction by Lorenzo Passerini, set design by Christof Daniel Hetzer, costumes by Clara Peluffo Valentini, and lighting by Urs Schönebaum, transports the story to a dark and Gothic stage where the protagonist must fight against her own fears and the relentless intolerance surrounding her.
A reflection on abuse and toxic relationships
Bárbara Lluch offers a serious and deeply reflective take on La sonnambula, where Amina is no longer the fortunate young woman with an idyllic ending but becomes a victim of an intolerant and thoughtless society. The action takes place over 24 hours of her life, with a set design by Christof Daniel Hetzer that invites each spectator to freely interpret the time and space in which the story unfolds. This atmosphere of mystery is enhanced by the lighting design of Urs Schönebaum, which alternates red textures and shadowed areas to evoke nocturnality and literary terror.
Following Bellini’s original music and plot, Lluch focuses on the darker elements of the libretto. Amina, a victim of her sleepwalking, is accused of infidelity after appearing unconscious in Count Rodolfo’s room. Without the right to defend herself, she is judged by the village while he remains unscathed. This critical perspective is embodied in the presence of sinister figures—the shadows that symbolize Amina’s inner demons—portrayed by the dancers of the Metamorphosis Dance company under the direction of Iratxe Ansa and Igor Bacovich. The choreography adds tension and dynamism to the scene, highlighting Amina’s confusion between sleep and wakefulness and her constant vulnerability.
Lluch transforms La sonnambula into a contemporary nightmare that denounces the cruelty of a community that judges without evidence. Amina is not only a victim because she is a woman, but also of an environment that prefers prejudice over understanding. The terror here does not come from ghosts, but from a society incapable of listening.
Nadine Sierra and Xabier Anduaga star in La sonnambula at the Liceu.
The role of Amina in La sonnambula is still considered one of the most challenging in the entire operatic repertoire, only within the reach of exceptional voices that can combine the agility of youth with the technique that can only be achieved through experience. In this co-production with the Gran Teatre del Liceu, this responsibility will fall to the American soprano Nadine Sierra, one of the finest light voices of her generation, who has solidified her rising career as a prodigy of vocal technique and emotion, and who returns to the Liceu stage after captivating the Barcelona audience with her unforgettable portrayal of Violetta Valéry in Verdi’s La traviata.
Nadine Sierra will sing in six of the seven scheduled performances of La sonnambula, with the Italian Caterina Sala portraying Amina in the performance on May 7, as well as in the special performance on April 16, dedicated exclusively to the LiceUnder35 community. In the role of Elvino, Basque tenor Xabier Anduaga also joins these performances at a brilliant point in his career. For the performances on April 16 and May 7, Anduaga’s role will be taken over by the Italian Omar Mancini.
The other characters in La sonnambula, also highly demanding, will be portrayed by renowned artists: Argentine bass-baritone Fernando Radó (Count Rodolfo), mezzosoprano Carmen Artaza (Teresa), and Barcelona soprano Sabrina Gardez (Lisa). The supporting roles of Alessio and the Notary will be interpreted by baritone Isaac Galán and tenor Gerardo López, respectively.
The opera will be conducted by the young maestro Lorenzo Passerini, one of the rising stars in the ongoing revitalization of the Italian lyric repertoire.