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The Greek National Opera kicks off 2025 with an ambitious new production of one of Verdi's most popular works, La forza del destino. The new production of the opera, 27 years after it was last presented at the GNO, will be directed by the internationally acclaimed Greek director Rodoula Gaitanou. The production will feature sets and costumes designed by George Souglides and lighting designed by Simon Corder. Conducting will be one of the most renowned conductors of our time, Paolo Carignani.
La forza del destino was written in a time when Verdi was already a famous and established composer. Just as in Il trovatore and Don Carlo, Verdi continues his exploration of Spanish themes in La forza del destino, as Spain has always been a timeless source of inspiration for him. The opera is based on Ángel de Saavedra's play Don Álvaro o La fuerza del sino [Don Alvaro or The Force of Destiny], while also drawing upon the first part of the drama trilogy Wallensteins Lager [Wallenstein's Camp] by Friedrich Schiller, a work dedicated to General Albrecht von Wallenstein. Verdi was commissioned to write the opera by the Imperial Theatre in Saint Petersburg, where the opera was eventually staged on 29 October 1862. After that, it was presented in numerous places around the world, from Madrid and Vienna to New York and Buenos Aires. For each new staging Verdi made revisions to the score. In 1869, La forza del destino was performed at La Scala, Milan. On this occasion, the composer gave the opera what is now considered as its final form. Apart from its well-known overture, which is often performed as an independent piece during symphonic concerts, La forza del destino is full of highly melodious arias and duets, mostly for the three leading roles: Leonora, her brother, Don Carlo, and her beloved, Don Álvaro. In this opera, Verdi maintains a fine balance between tragic and dramatic elements and a comic flair, featuring extensive scenes that highlight the large chorus as a central character.
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 these three main characters ultimately leads to a frantic pursuit of personal peace and redemption.
