Paolo il Bello
This 2021 Deutsche Oper Berlin performance is directed by Christof Loy and stars soprano Sara Jakubiak in the title role. Riccardo Zandonai’s Francesca da Rimini is a four-act opera set during the Renaissance period. The plot concerns an arranged marriage between Francesca and Giovanni, also known as Gianciotto, who is impersonated by his handsome brother Paolo, and with whom Francesca falls passionately in love.
In the cold of winter, an exuberant poet lives in poverty with his three bohemian flatmates. His heart is warmed when he falls in love with his fragile neighbour, but then her illness takes a turn for the worse. In this new production, Barrie Kosky stages a portrait of life caught between art, unrequited love and modern isolation in the face of death. German soprano and Komische Oper Berlin Ensemble member Nadja Mchantaf plays Mimì alongside the young Austrian-Australian tenor Gerard Schneider as Rodolfo.
