Join Paul Herriott live from the National Opera House, Wexford for the 2022 Wexford Festival Opera. Tonight, Paul brings us what was Dvorak’s last opera, an opera which has been long neglected. Armida, the story of the Saracen sorceress that inspired around 100 operas and ballets, tells of her love for the Christian warrior Rinaldo. Dvorák’s version was premiered four years after the much more famous Rusalka, with the same soprano creating both title roles. Based on Torquato Tasso’s Gerusalemme liberata, a largely mythified account of the Crusades, the story tells of the love of Armida, sung by Jennifer Davis, for the Christian warrior Rinaldo performed by Gerard Schneider. Norbert Baxa conducts the Wexford Festival Opera Orchestra and Chorus. Paul welcomes listeners from around the European Broadcasting Union joining us live for this broadcast in Spain, Czech Republic, Germany, Poland, UK, Estonia, Croatia, Slovakia, Sweden, The Netherlands and Italy.
RTÉ lyric fm, Saturday 5th November, 7pm-10pm