Rossini Opera Festival: La Donna del lago

The annual Rossini Festival in Pesaro, of course, could not ignore such a pearl as La Donna del lago, a rarely performed but brilliant opera by the composer, difficult to perform due to two major parts for virtuoso tenors.

The action takes place in Scotland in the 16th century, during the reign of King James V. Elena, the daughter of the exiled Douglas, walks all day by Loch Katrine, for which she received the nickname of the Lady of the Lake. Her father intends her to be the wife of his ally, the leader of the Highland rebels Roderick Dew (Rodrigo), but she loves another rebel, Malcolm Graham. At the lake, Elena meets the king, who has fallen behind his retinue while hunting. He is enchanted by the stranger and introduces himself to her as Uberto. But it turns out that she is the daughter of his enemy and the fiancée of another rebel...