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Verdi's The Sicilian Vespers from the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden.

Speranza Scappucci makes her debut as the Royal Opera's Principal Guest Conductor in one of Verdi's grandest scores, written for the Paris Opera in 1855 and performed here in the original French version starring starring soprano Joyce El-Khoury, tenor Valentyn Dyiuk, baritone Quinn Kelsey and bass-baritone Ildebrando D'Arcangelo. Set in 13th Century Palermo, The Sicilian Vespers is a historical but timeless tale of fragile human relationships and the revolutionary fight for freedom of an oppressed people.

Presented by Andrew McGregor with guest Flora Willson.

Verdi: The Sicilian Vespers

Hélène ... Joyce El-Khoury (soprano)
Henri ... Valentyn Dytiuk (tenor)
Jean Procida ... Ildebrando D'Arcangelo (bass-baritone)
Guy de Montfort ... Quinn Kelsey (baritone)
Le Sire de Béthune ... Blaise Malaba (bass)
Le Comte de Vaudemont ... Thomas D Hopkinson (bass)
Robert ... Vartan Gabrielian (bass-baritone)
Thibault ... Neal Cooper (tenor)
Ninetta ... Jingwen Cai (mezzo soprano)
Daniéli ... Michael Gibson (tenor)
Mainfroid ... Giorgi Guliashvili (tenor)
Royal Opera Chorus
Orchestra of the Royal Opera House
Speranza Scappucci (conductor)

Sicily, 1282, is living under French occupation. Hélène, a Sicilian noblewoman, seeks revenge for her brother’s execution at the hands of the French. Meanwhile her lover, Henri, is torn between his Sicilian roots and his loyalty to Montfort, the French governor – whom he discovers is his father. As the young couple’s romance begins to fracture and political tensions rise, the Sicilians plot a rebellion against their French occupiers, culminating in a climactic confrontation during the evening prayers.