Athens: “La forza del destino” back at the Greek National Opera after 27 years

On January 26, 2025, the Greek National Opera will present the eagerly awaited new production of Giuseppe Verdi's masterpiece La forza del destino, which will finally return to the stage in Athens after 27 years. The renowned conductor Paolo Carignani will take over the musical direction, while the artistic staging will be in the hands of the internationally acclaimed Greek director Rodula Gaitanou. Further performances will follow on January 29 and February 2, 6, 9, 12, 15 and 18, 2025 in the SNFCC's Stavros Niarchos Hall. Dimitri Platanias, Cellia Costea and Marcelo Puente will be singing the leading roles.

After twenty-seven years, La forza del destino is coming back to the Greek National Opera in a new, highly ambitious production carrying the signature of a team of world-class creatives. Internationally acclaimed Greek opera director Rodula Gaitanou is responsible for the stage direction, George Souglides designed the sets and costumes, Dimitra Kastellou was in charge of the movement, Giuseppe di Iorio handled the lighting, and Dick Straker created the videos.

Assisted by her creative team, Gaitanou chose to set the action in the early 20th century, referencing the two World Wars. The heroes’ story unfolds alongside the progression of the war. In line with the chiaroscuro aesthetic, the performance –balancing light and shadow– maintains the necessary realism while also using symbolisms to achieve poetic freedom. The concept of “destiny” is portrayed on stage through the emphasis on war’s horrific nature and its dramatic impact on people, as well as through references to works by Theo Angelopoulos, Michelangelo, and Hieronymus Bosch.

As the director notes: “La forza del destino is a story about an original sin, which perpetuates and defines the actions and choices of the members of a dysfunctional family to the very end. It is also an exploration of the consequences of psychological traumas, obsessions, and the power of revenge. The story is set before, during, and after the end of a war. The desire to destroy the opponent, hostility, misanthropy, and the horrors that come with war, as well as the need to survive, draw parallels to one of the plot’s major lines: the hatred expressed by Don Carlo, who wants to take revenge for his father’s death. Therefore, the story can be read on two levels: inner turmoil is reflected in external chaos, increasing in both scale and intensity. The trajectory of the three main characters ultimately leads to a frantic pursuit of personal peace and redemption.”

Rodula Gaitanou returns to the GNO ten years after two successful stage directions of Cinderella and Così fan tutte at the Olympia Theatre, in 2013 and 2014, respectively. She is considered as one of the most inspired opera directors of the younger generation. Her work has been showcased at venues such as the Royal Opera House in London (Linbury Studio) and the Opera Houses of Gothenburg, Oslo, Trieste, Liège, Bergen, and Lisbon. She has also been featured in festivals such as those in Savonlinna, Spoleto, and Wexford, along with various other opera houses in America and Asia.

Following his compelling conducting in GNO’s recent production of Nabucco, presented at the Odeon of Herodes Atticus in the summer of 2023, renowned Italian conductor Paolo Carignani is back to lead the musically and performatively challenging opera La forza del destino. Carignani has established a remarkable international career, frequently collaborating with world-class venues such as the New York Metropolitan Opera, the Vienna State Opera, La Scala in Milan, the Berlin State Opera, the Deutsche Oper Berlin, the Bavarian State Opera, the San Francisco Opera, the Gran Teatre del Liceu in Barcelona, the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam, the Royal Opera House in London, the Bastille Opera, the Oslo Opera, as well as other locations in Brussels, Antwerp, Glyndebourne, and more.

In the leading role, loaded with tremendous vocal and interpretative demands, we will have the chance to enjoy three top-tier, internationally celebrated soloists. Cellia Costea, the remarkable soprano from the GNO, known for her successful career on the international stage, will perform as Leonora. Making his debut in the role of Don Carlo will be the Greek baritone of international fame Dimitri Platanias. Distinguished Argentinian tenor Marcelo Puente, known to the GNO audience from his performances in Andrea Chénier and Don Carlo, will portray Don Alvaro. Puente has already successfully performed this role in Zurich, Dresden, and Cologne. The bass from the GNO Petros Magoulas will take on the roles of the Marquis of Calatrava and Padre Guardiano, Belarussian mezzo-soprano Oksana Volkova will perform as Preziosilla, and the bass from the GNO Yanni Yannissis will embody Fra Melitone. Accompanying them on stage will be Ioanna-Vasiliki Koraki, Georgios Papadimitriou, Yannis Kalyvas, and Maxim Klonovskiy. The GNO Chorus will be conducted by Agathangelos Georgakatos.

The Greek National Opera first mounted this opera at the old Olympia Theatre, Athens, in 1954, marking the company’s relaunch after a months-long interruption due to a cut in state funds. Two more stagings followed: at the Odeon of Herodes Atticus in 1970 and at the new Olympia Theatre in 1981, respectively. The last time it was presented by the GNO was at the Odeon of Herodes Atticus in 1998.

Introductory event
On Sunday, January 26, 2025, one hour before the start of the premiere, Piraeus Bank, the sponsor of the production, and the Greek National Opera (GNO) invite you to an introductory event. In the VIP hall on the second floor of the GNO foyer in the SNFCC, the distinguished author and journalist Helena Matheopoulos will give a speech about La forza del destino. She will shed light on the adventurous genesis of the work, the revision of the libretto, the famous overture and the musical and dramatic challenges of the main roles. She will also discuss the iconic arias and the enduring fame of this opera. Giorgos Koumendakis, Artistic Director of the GNO, and officials of Piraeus Bank will also give addresses.

 

Opera – New production
La forza del destino
Giuseppe Verdi

26, 29 January & 2, 6, 9, 12, 15, 18 February 2025
Stavros Niarchos Hall of the GNO – SNFCC

Conductor: Paolo Carignani
Stage director: Rodula Gaitanou
Sets, costumes: George Souglides
Movement: Dimitra Kastellou
Lighting: Giuseppe di Iorio
Video: Dick Straker
Chorus master: Agathangelos Georgakatos

The Marquis of Calatrava: Petros Magoulas
Leonora: Cellia Costea
Don Carlo di Vargas: Dimitri Platanias 
Don Alvaro: Marcelo Puente
Preziosilla: Oksana Volkova 
Padre Guardiano: Petros Magoulas
Fra Melitone: Yanni Yannissis
Curra: Ioanna-Vasiliki Koraki
Mayor: Georgios Papadimitriou
Mastro Trabuco: Yannis Kalyvas
A surgeon: Maxim Klonovskiy

With the Orchestra and Chorus of the Greek National Opera

Production sponsor: Piraeus Bank
Lead Donor of the GNO: Stavros Niarchos Foundation (SNF)


Photo 1: Picture from the rehearsals for La forza del destino, Andreas Simopoulos
Photo 2: Andreas Simopoulos

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