Murder in the Cathedral by Ildebrando Pizzetti

Date: March 30 - April 7, 2013

Time: 7:00 PM to 10:00 PM
Saturday, Tuesday and Friday at 7 PM, Sunday at 2 PM. There is no late seating to San Diego Opera performances.

Price: $35-$275

Venue: San Diego Civic Theatre

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Murder in the Cathedral by Ildebrando Pizzetti

West Coast Premiere. Archbishop Thomas Becket, brutally murdered in Canterbury Cathedral in December 1170 defending his church against the intrusions of King Henry II, became a Christian martyr and Saint at whose tomb Henry was forced to pay penance. Did Henry order the murder or did his knights take matters into their own hands? Based on the T. S. Eliot play, the opera covers the last month of Becket’s life as he struggles with politics, religion and temptation.

The lyrical and melodic score reminiscent of Puccini with extraordinary choruses rivaling Turandot is a tour-de-force for the great bass Ferruccio Furlanetto who is “…strong in rejecting the temptations and in rebutting the assassins’ charges of treasonous behavior toward the king, yet his singing in the sermon has a touching eloquence…” (The New York Times review of his La Scala performance as Becket). Susan Neves and Helene Schneiderman lead the women of Canterbury commenting on the action while unable to interfere with events which seem ordained to happen. Conducted by La Scala’s Donato Renzetti, in his debut here, and directed by Ian Campbell, this is the first professional performance of Murder in the Cathedral in America, combining faith, passion, tragedy and hope.

Sung in Italian with English translations above the stage.