Adriana Lecouvreur: Theatre Becomes Life

0000: Passion and art collide in Adriana Lecouvreur, where Cilea’s music and McVicar’s vision turn theatre into living emotion.

A storm of emotion, beauty, and intrigue sweeps through Madrid for Adriana Lecouvreur at Teatro Real, finally recorded for the TV screen. In David McVicar’s celebrated production, seen from London to Milan, theatre and reality merge in a sumptuous tribute to the power of art and passion. Beneath the watchful eyes of Molière, Charles Edwards’ revolving stage turns illusion into truth, while Brigitte Reiffenstuel’s exquisite costumes and Adam Silverman’s chiaroscuro lighting reveal a world where love, jealousy, and ambition collide.

At the heart of this revival, Francesco Cilea’s score unfolds with intoxicating lyricism, an elegant balance of intimacy and grandeur, where delicate solos for violin, oboe, and clarinet shimmer before giving way to feverish orchestral outbursts. Under the refined direction of Nicola Luisotti, the Coro y Orquesta Titulares del Teatro Real bring every emotion to life, from whispered tenderness to tragic exaltation.

With Ermonela Jaho, Maria Agresta, and Elīna Garanča embodying the opera’s complex characters, Adriana Lecouvreur transcends the stage. It becomes a mirror of art itself, dazzling, fragile, and eternally human.

Genre Live Show
Recording location Teatro Real de Madrid
Production year 2024
Choreography by Andrew George
Stage Director David McVicar
Conductor Nicola Luisotti
Chorus Master José Luis Basso
Costumes Brigitte Reiffenstuel