Luisa Miller has fallen in love with Rodolfo, a man from the upper classes. Luisa’s father defends his daughter’s right to decide whom she wants to spend her life with, but power is all that matters to Rodolfo’s father, so he resists their romance. Luisa is soon caught in a web of lies, jealousy and ambition – where her freedom hangs on a choice between truth or submission. Is their love strong enough to resist wealth and power?
The setting for this new Verdi production is aboard a private yacht. Luisa and her father are part of the crew, where the boundary between the staff below decks and the opulence of the glittering salons above is as clearly defined as the difference between control and freedom.
Verdi composed Luisa Miller between Macbeth and Rigoletto, and this opera is every bit as powerful. The passionate music is suffused with dark undertones – tender love and white-hot fury are masterfully interwoven as the music drives the drama inexorably towards its tragic conclusion.
