The Sicilian Vespers is an opera in five acts by Verdi, and was performed for the very first time at the Paris Opera on June 13th 1855 as part of the 1855 Universal Exposition. Although this work followed three of Verdi's biggest successes—Rigoletto, Il Trovatore and La Traviata—The Sicilian Vespers never reached the same level of popularity as its predecessors.
Verdi’s opera recounts the historic event of the "Sicilian Vespers", when during Easter in 1282 A.D., the Sicilian population rose up against King Charles of Anjou. The staging by Christof Loy modernizes the opera, with armor and other 13th-century props replaced by costumes of different eras. Apart from the red curtain and choirs, the staging consists entirely of videos projected on a screen. The leading vocal roles are sung by Barbara Haveman, Livia Ághová and Burkhard Fritz, accompanied by the Netherlands Philharmonic Orchestra under the baton of Paolo Carignani.
Photo © Monika Ritterhaus