| Puccini, Giacomo (1858-1924) | La rondine (concert performance with surtitles) | Livret de Giuseppe Adami |
| Sir Antonio Pappano | Direction | |
| London Symphony Orchestra | ||
| London Symphony Chorus | ||
| Carolina López Moreno | Soprano | Magda |
| Serena Gamberoni | Soprano | Lisette |
| Paul Appleby | Ténor | Prunier |
| Michael Fabiano | Ténor | Ruggero |
| Angela Schisano | Mezzo-soprano | Bianca |
| Sarah Dufresne | Soprano | Yvette |
| Marvic Monreal | Mezzo-soprano | Suzy |
| Ashley Riches | Baryton | Rambaldo |
Sir Antonio Pappano’s first encounter with the LSO was recording La rondine at Abbey Road Studios in 1996. ‘I’ll never forget the first down beat,’ he says, ‘when the Orchestra just exploded with activity and panache and derring-do.’
He returns to this work nearly 30 years later, in his first season as Chief Conductor, sharing his love of Italian opera in this full-bloodedly romantic score, with a matchless cast of singers. The opera explores longing for love against a background of family disapproval – a theme brilliantly captured in a famous scene from the film A Room with a View, set to the aria ‘Chi il Bel Sogno di Doretta’.
Change of artistNadine Sierra has had a recent medical procedure, the recovery from which is taking longer than anticipated. She has therefore had to withdraw from the LSO’s performances of La rondine on 10 and 12 December. The role of Magda will now be sung by Carolina López Moreno.