‘Roberto Devereux’ at Teatro di San Carlo

This month, René Barbera makes his eagerly anticipated debut in the title role of Roberto Devereux at Teatro di San Carlo. The production serves as the final chapter in director Jetske Mijnssen’s exploration of Gaetano Donizetti’s trilogy inspired by the Tudor queens. Conducted by Riccardo Frizza, the celebrated cast also features Roberta Mantegna as Elisabetta, Annalisa Stroppa as Sara, and Nicola Alaimo as the Duke of Nottingham.

In this new staging, co-produced with Dutch National Opera and Palau de les Arts Reina Sofía, Jetske Mijnssen reimagines Roberto Devereux as “a drawing-room play where all the action takes place in an enclosed room … somewhat reminiscent of Chekhov, or even Pinter.” In discussing the production, she reflects: “By the time the curtain falls, we are looking at four people who have lost everything. These are timeless stories about human powerlessness and pain. Presenting these narratives and letting you empathize with these people is what opera is all about.”

This engagement marks René Barbera’s return to Teatro di San Carlo following his acclaimed 2023 performances as Lord Riccardo Percy in Anna Bolena, the first production of Jetske Mijnssen’s Donizetti cycle. He now takes on one of the composer’s most demanding tenor roles in a contemporary staging that brings Mijnssen’s incisive interpretation of the Tudor operas to a powerful close.

Performances will take place on July 16, 19, 22, and 25 at the historic Teatro di San Carlo in Naples.