Verdi: Oberto

A betrayed bride, a jealous lover, a vengeful father: Verdi's very first opera Oberto contains all the ingredients of a great Romantic melodrama. It was only a qualified success in Verdi's own lifetime, but in recent decades this drama of passion and revenge in medieval Italy been reappraised – with contemporary productions revealing the freshness and urgency of Verdi's youthful inspiration. First seen in 2007, this striking production from the Teatro Arriago puts emotion centre stage, with intensely dramatic performances from a cast that includes Evelyn Herlitzius as the jilted bride Leonora and Ildar Abdrazakov in Verdi's first great title role.