Anne Sophie Duprels/Vickers - Franco Alfano: Risurrezione

Franco Alfano�s opera Risurrezione draws its inspiration from Tolstoy�s novel Resurrection and was the work that ensured Alfano�s considerable success as a composer. The plot narrates the story of Katiusha and her tragic love for prince Dimitri who seduces and abandons her, condemning her to a life of sacrifice and desperation. Seen here in Fancesco Lanzillotta�s acclaimed Florence production, Risurrezione recalls Richard Strauss and Puccini � the drama evolving in an uninterrupted flow with moments of soaring lyricism alongside striking and evocative orchestration. The work gives voice to an idea that Alfano left in his memoirs: �Recoiling from catastrophes, I believed and still believe in the renovation, regeneration, and final purification of human passions from evil to goodness.�