L’Italiana in Algeri

• Conductor: Alessandro De Marchi
  
• Director: Rolando Villazón
  
• Starring: Tommaso Barea, Jonah Hoskins, Aigul Akhmetshina, Misha Kiria, and others
  

About the piece

When Rossini premiered L'Italiana in Algeri in 1813, he was just 21 years old – and his opera was a triumph. Composed in just a few weeks, he combined virtuoso bel canto with satirical wit and exotic color – a mixture that delighted audiences.


At the center of the plot are the power-hungry Mustafa, who wants to get rid of his wife, and Isabella, a clever, self-confident woman who, with great charm, courage, and cunning, intends to free her lover Lindoro from Mustafa's palace.

The success of L'Italiana in Algeri lies not least in Rossini's masterful music: His melodies are elegant, full of surprises, and peppered with vocal challenges – such as Lindoro's aria "Languir per una bella" or Isabella's famous entrance "Cruda sorte," which are among the highlights of bel canto.


Rossini achieved his musical breakthrough with this opera, which made him a leading exponent of opera buffa – a reputation that endures to this day.


About the Production

Rolando Villazón approaches the piece with a keen sense of comedy and timing, but also with an eye for the social undertones of the plot. Amidst confusion, clichés, and cultural winks, he stages a fast-paced operatic comedy in which strong women and weak men take over the stage.


Spotlight

Aigul Akhmetshina, celebrated for her Carmen at the world's most prestigious opera houses, makes her debut as Isabella in this production. At the Deutsche Oper Berlin, she was already an audience favorite as Rosina in The Barber of Seville. After numerous awards – including the International Opera Award 2023 and the OPER! AWARD 2025 – the young mezzo-soprano can now be seen in another signature role.

• Duration: approx. 3 hours / One intermission