Ermonela Jaho and Barno Ismatullaeva in Maria Stuarda at Staatsoper Hamburg in 2025 / Photo: © Brinkhoff-Mögenburg

Next month, Donizetti’s Maria Stuarda returns to the Met for the first time in ten years with Lisette Oropesa and Angela Meade as its central dueling queens. Parterre Box takes the return of this Tudor favorite to highlight two other divas as well as pay tribute to the late conductor Antonino Fogliani.

Fogliani, who died suddenly after a severe illness in August at only 50, was especially distinguished in bel canto repertoire. After studying at the conservatory in Bologna and debuting professionally at the Rossini Festival in Pesaro, he lead operas at La Scala, Rome Opera, Deutsche Oper am Rhein, La Fenice, and the Hamburg Opera, where today’s featured performance was captured last year. Fogliani’s death received an outpour of saddness on social media from artists who worked with him, including Ailyn Pérez, Olga Peretyatko, and Saioa Hernandez. “He was not only a wonderful and expressive musician and artist, reflected tenor Charles Castronovo, “but a gentle and kind human.”

“He knew how to shape a vocal line like almost no one else,” Sondra Radvanovsky said. “He felt the music. He shaped every phrase like it was his last breath. There are no words as strong as the feelings he could create with it. The opera world is smaller today without him in it.”

Maria Stuarda remains essentially the only bel canto role left in the repertoire of verista Ermonela Jaho, who returns to her signature role of Madama Butterfly next week in Vienna. Meanwhile, Uzbek soprano Barno Ismatullaeva sings a slightly more varied repertoire. She’ll be Glinka’s Lyudmila in Hamburg later this month and she’ll be the virtuous Fidelia in Puccini’s rare Edgar in January in Turin.

The Met is not laying sole claim this Donizetti title next month; Marina Rebeka will sing the title role next month in Munich (replacing Nadine Sierra, who was scheduled to make her debut in the title role but canceled because of illness) opposite Anastasia Bartoli. The opening performance will broadcast on 20 December.

Donizetti: Maria Stuarda, “Deh! l’accogli… Morta al mondo… Va, preparati, furente”

Maria Stuarda: Ermonela Jaho
Elisabetta: Barno Ismatullaeva
Anna Kennedy: Aebh Kelly
Roberto: Long Long
Talbot: Alexander Roslavets
Cecil: Gezim Myshketa

Conductor: Antonino Fogliani
Staatsoper Hamburg
16 March 2025
In-house recording