False accusation, unjust imprisonment, torture and a death sentence: such was the unfortunate fate of Beatrice di Tenda, a real character who became the heroine of Vincenzo Bellini’s opera.

The work was first performed at Venice’s La Fenice in 1833 without any real success, to the great displeasure of the composer who tackled powerful themes such as justice and the aspiration for freedom, in a score with crystaline and lyrical lines.

For its entry into the Paris Opera repertoire, Peter Sellars is directing this little-known score, his first Italian opera. With set designer George Tsypin, he sets the work in a steel-walled palace, evoking the domination and surveillance exercised by a ruthless dictatorship.

The Paris Opera Orchestra and Chorus

With the support of the Orange Foundation, sponsor of the Paris Opera's audiovisual broadcasts.
© Opéra national de Paris – 2024
Director: Peter Sellars