Welsh National Opera

‘I puritani epitomises bel canto at its best – exploring and depicting characters, situations, and emotions through the singing voice’ Francesco Izzo (Associate Professor of Music at the University of Southampton).

Bellini’s English Civil War drama is the most purely entertaining of all bel canto operas. There are vocal fireworks aplenty. But they are never at the cost of character, story and emotional depth. I puritani contains a cavalcade of great opera moments. One such moment is the scene in which our heroine Elvira, having lost her mind, longs for her lover Arturo. Elvira’s spectacular high notes reveal her emotional distress. Another is the duet in which the reunited lovers share what they believe will be their final embrace.