Verdi's I Masnadieri

Between the 1860s and 1950s, Verdi's I Masnadieri (The Bandits) fell into obscurity for nearly a century. After decades of increasingly acclaimed revivals, it arrived at the most legendary of all opera houses in this 2019 production by the provocative director David McVicar—which notably features the La Scala debut of the sensational Lisette Oropesa, praised for her "magnificent silvery voice, beautiful vibrato and impeccable coloratura" alongside the "noble vocal presence and intensity" of Michele Pertusi (Bachtrack). Verdi's gorgeous score resounds majestically under the baton of Michele Mariotti, ably leading the storied orchestra of La Scala.

I Masnadieri follows Carlo (an excellent Fabio Sartori), son of Count Massimiliano (Pertusi), who has fallen in with a gang of notorious thieves and finds himself torn between his new gang and his peaceful former life with his betrothed, Amalia (Oropesa). His attempts at reconciliation are undone by the machinations of his brother Francesco (Massimo Cavalletti), who wishes to inherit their father's title—leading to tragic results...