The Munich Radio Orchestra and Bavarian Radio Chorus are featured on this week’s Sunday Opera (7/30 3:00 p.m.) and a performance of Giuseppe Verdi’s “I Lombardi alla Prima Crociata.”
Ivan Repusicj conducts this tale about brothers Arvino and Pagano who have been reconciled after Pagano’s attempted murder of Arvino. They were both suitors for the hand of the beautiful Viclinda. Pagano was rejected. Arvino has been appointed leader of the Lombard contingent which is going to the Holy Land on a crusade for the deliverance of Jersualem.
The plot complications just multiply from there and include patricide, abduction, battles, a helpful hermit, and a little bit of love.
The cast includes Galeano Salas as Arvino and Michael Pertusi as Pagano with Nino Machaidze, Piero Pretti, Miklos Sebestyen, Andreas Burkhart, and Ruth Volpert.
After the opera, we’ll be turning to a contemporary of Verdi and some wonderful instrumental music.
Emelie Mayer isn’t nearly as well known as Verdi, but she wrote some absolutely lovely music, and we’ll be listening to two of her symphonies and a piano quartet. We’re hoping that this program will be a wonderful reminder of Verdi at his epic best and an introduction to relatively unknown composer who created some glorious music of her own.