Performer: Silvia Tro Santafé

Lorenzo Amato penetrates deep into the recesses of Bellini's opera. 

The Teatro Real opened its 200th anniversary season with a revival of Claus Guth's brilliant production and a great cast, led by Kurt Streit and Silvia Tro Santafé.

One might have hoped for a memorable performance of the work for its absolute première at the Carlo Felice. Instead, this was an experience to quickly forget.

In a staging new to Florence, the action is often merely a set of friezes, singers immobilised on a pair of moving plinths. 

In the opening night of Teatro Real's new season, Mariella Devia proved why she is one of the best bel canto singers of the last decades.

67-year-old diva Edita Gruberova presents a devastating portrayal of a desperate mother supported by a strong cast in a stark modern production.