Opera in three acts (1917)
New Production! Maestro Riccardo Chailly and renowned theatre director Irina Brook bring to La Scala a colourful new production of Puccini’s bittersweet love story.
The story follows Magna de Civry (soprano Mariangela Sicilia) – the swallow (or rondine) of the title – a kept woman who defies convention to chase a dream of romantic love with Ruggero (tenor Matteo Lippi), an earnest, if naïve, young man.
The central relationship unfolds in colourful locales in Paris and the south of France, all evoked with superb musical details. All the while, the agonising desperation of Puccini's melancholic score runs under a surface of sublime elegance. The music is ravishing, full of lush orchestration and sweeping melodies, including the dreamy Act II ensemble Bevo al tuo fresco sorriso, a full-cast toast to love, and Magda’s Chi il bel sogno di Doretta, one of Puccini’s best-known soprano arias.
