Grange Park Opera

Witness world-renowned baritone Simon Keenlyside in Verdi’s masterpiece of impossible love and dark personal histories

A girl disappears; the people elect a pirate to become Doge of Genoa; who poured poison into his drinking water? Visionary designer Ralph Koltai and director David Pountney create a bewitching staging to serve Verdi’s superb music.

Sung in Italian with English surtitles

Cast & Creatives

SIMON BOCCANEGRA ∙ SIR SIMON KEENLYSIDE     Sponsored by Ruth Markland
JACOPO FIESCO, a nobleman ∙ JAMES CRESWELL
AMELIA GRIMALDI, his daughter ∙ ELIN PRITCHARD
GABRIELE ADORNO, a gentleman ∙ LEONARDO CAPALBO
PAOLO ALBIANI, the Doge’s friend ∙ JOLYON LOY
PIETRO, a popular leader ∙ DAVID SHIPLEY

CONDUCTOR ∙ GIANLUCA MARCIANO
                          MARK SHANAHAN (11 July)
REVIVAL DIRECTOR ∙ ROBIN TEBBUTT
ORIGINAL DIRECTOR ∙ DAVID POUNTNEY
ORIGINAL SET DESIGN ∙ RALPH KOLTAI
ORIGINAL COSTUME DESIGN ∙ SUE WILLMINGTON
LIGHTING DESIGNER ∙ TIM MITCHELL

THE GASCOIGNE ORCHESTRA

“Come in quest’ora bruna” is sponsored by Nick & Lesley Dumbreck
This production is sponsored by a syndicate led by David & Amanda Leathers

Synopsis

Simon Boccanegra and Maria Fiesco have had an illegitimate daughter. The child lived with Boccanegra but at some point vanished.

Prologue

Genoa

Paolo and Pietro, commoners, vie to end aristocratic rule. They persuade Simon Boccanegra to stand for election as Doge. A former pirate, Boccanegra hopes that as Doge he would be allowed to wed his beloved Maria, daughter of the aristocrat Jacopo Fiesco.

Fiesco conceals the news that Maria has died. He insists Boccanegra return the child to the maternal home; he learns that the child has vanished. On entering Fiesco’s palace, Boccanegra discovers Maria’s corpse. The crowds hail him Doge – an office held for life.

Act 1

25 years later

Fiesco takes on the pseudonym Andrea Grimaldi and plots revenge. He is guardian to Amelia, the adoptive heiress of the Grimaldi fortune.

No one knows that she is the long-lost daughter of Boccanegra and Fiesco’s daughter.

Amelia is in love with the nobleman Gabriele Adorno, who is Boccanegra’s enemy. Boccanegra himself plans to marry her off to his friend, Paolo.

Fiesco blesses Amelia’s union with Adorno, who has no idea that she is Fiesco’s granddaughter.

The Doge (Boccanegra) in conversation with her, realises from a set of portraits that this is his daughter. He abandons the idea of her marriage to Paolo. Paolo is furious.

Amelia is kidnapped.

A crowd rushes in, chasing Adorno who has killed the kidnapper. Adorno believes the Doge is behind it, but it is Paolo who has organised the kidnapping.

The Doge calls on the people – including Paolo – to swear vengeance on the kidnapper.

Amelia must be found.

LONG DINING INTERVAL

Act 2

Paolo has taken Fiesco captive and plans to get rid of the Doge. He is poisoning Boccanegra’s water and asks Fiesco and Adorno to join the plot. They refuse.

Paolo spreads a rumour that Amelia is Boccanegra’s mistress. Adorno is about to stab the sleeping Doge when Amelia intervenes, telling him Boccanegra is her father.

Paolo is stirring up a rebellion. Boccanegra will allow Adorno to marry Amelia if he can crush the rebels.

Act 3

The rebellion has been crushed and Paolo will be hanged. On his way to the gallows, he brags to Fiesco about the poison.

Close to death, Boccanegra realises Grimaldi is his old enemy Fiesco and tells him that Amelia is his granddaughter. The pair are reconciled and Boccanegra declares Adorno his successor.