Stiffelio - DVD

Verdi's Stiffelio is a tense moral drama in which a Protestant minister learns of his wife's betrayal and is torn between a thirst for revenge and his religious duty of forgiveness. These themes of adultery and divorce were social taboos in 1850, and Stiffelio was met with such censorship and disapproval that it was soon withdrawn. Today we can appreciate both the title character's significance as the first true Verdi tenor, and the many wonderful moments in this 'most unjustly neglected of Verdi's operas'. This unique and dynamic production from Parma was acclaimed for taking us to Incha whole new theatrical worldInch (Huffington Post), and as Inchnothing short of a coupInch (bachtrack. Com).

When the wife of a Protestant preacher is an adulterer, problems are inevitable from the outset of Verdi's Stiffelio. Even today the finale seems astonishingly bold superficially it deals with forgiveness and reconciliation, but the orchestral writing is in such striking contrast that Verdi appears to toll the death knell of the protagonists' marriage.

Melanie Diener, Roberto Sacca, Kresimir Strazanac, Lucio Gallo, Alfred Mugg, Sandra Trattnigg, and Christoph Strehl star in this Zurich Opera production of the Beethoven opera conducted by Bernard Haitink.