At half mast: Simon Boccanegra revived in Vienna

Federica Lombardi (Amelia), Ludovic Tézier (Simon Boccanegra), Charles Castronovo (Gabriele Adorno)

Ludovic Tézier (Simon Boccanegra) and Kwangchul Youn (Jacopo Fiesco)

Federica Lombardi (Amelia) and Charles Castronovo (Gabriele Adorno)

Ludovic Tézier (Simon Boccanegra)

By Orsolya Gyárfás, 20 April 2026

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“Armiliato conducted with genuine feel for the drama in a well-paced and passionately phrased reading”

Reviewed at Wiener Staatsoper, Vienna on 19 April 2026

Verdi, Simon Boccanegra

Vienna State Opera

Marco Armiliato, Conductor

Peter Stein, Director

Stefan Mayer, Set Designer

Moidele Bickel, Costume Designer

Orchestra of the Vienna State Opera

Concert Association Vienna State Opera Chorus

Ludovic Tézier, Simon Boccanegra

Kwangchul Youn, Jacopo Fiesco

Federica Lombardi, Amelia Grimaldi

Charles Castronovo, Gabriele Adorno

Attila Mókus, Paolo Albiani

Evgeny Solodovnikov, Pietro

Maria Zherebiateva, Amelia's maid

Andrew Turner, Captain

Anna Netrebko shines in Vienna’s timeless Tosca

Laura Servidei, 18th April

In a world where opera productions often stray into the abstract, the Wiener Staatsoper’s Tosca offers a refreshing return to tradition – and Anna Netrebko delivers a splendid performance.

****1

Tragedy in the mirror: Minghella’s Madama Butterfly in Vienna

Laura Servidei, 14th March

Ermonela Jaho returns to one of her signature roles as Cio-Cio-San, delivering a searing and deeply nuanced portrayal.

****1

Too much and too little: Jan Lauwers’ restless Clemenza in Vienna

Chanda VanderHart, 12th March

The creative team behind the new Staatsoper Clemenza is unwilling to trust that Mozart’s opera is interesting enough to stand on its own.

***11

An Idomeneo shattered to pieces at the Wiener Staatsoper

Orsolya Gyárfás, 23rd January

A committed cast struggles to lend a spark of life to Kasper Holten's static staging of Mozart's first mature opera.

**111

A holiday Bohème: Puccini, Zeffirelli and tradition in Vienna

Laura Servidei, 21st December

Giacomo Sagripanti conducts a luxuriant reading with a cast anchored by Juan Diego Flórez and Nicole Car, in Zeffirelli’s familiar, generous, unabashedly emotional production.

***11

Stikhina, Tézier and Tetelman outstanding in classic Vienna Tosca

Mark Pullinger, 20th September

It may be on its 663rd outing, but Margarethe Wallmann's Tosca is a classic for a reason, as proved in this outstanding performance at the Wiener Staatsoper.

*****

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Orsolya Gyárfás

A university student in Budapest, currently pursuing a degree in Aesthetics, Orsolya is an opera fan, particularly interested in the works of Mozart and Wagner.

At half mast: Peter Stein's Simon Boccanegra revived at the Wiener Staatsoper