L'italiana in Londra, the twelfth opera by Domenico Cimarosa (1749-1801), is considered the first international success of the composer, who came from near Naples. After its premiere in 1778 at the Teatro Valle in Rome, the cheerful intermezzo in musica was soon performed all over Europe. This was due not only to the lovingly crafted arias and duets characterizing their performers, but also to the ensembles within which the plot is advanced. This created great enthusiasm, and it was only with Il matrimonio segreto 1792 that Cimarosa was able to surpass the success of L'italiana in Londra.
The musical director of this new production is the internationally active conductor Leo Hussain. After his debut at Oper Frankfurt in 2010/11 with Ravel's L'Heure espagnole and de Falla's La vida breve, the Briton later took the podium of the Frankfurt Opera and Museum Orchestra for Weinberg's The Passenger. To direct, American director R.B. Schlather returns to Frankfurt, where he made his European debut in 2019/20 with Handel's Tamerlano at the Bockenheimer Depot; now he will direct at the Opera House for the first time. With his concentrated style, which always stays close to the characters, and preference for Baroque works, he has made a name for himself not only in his home country. The cast includes ensemble members Angela Vallone (Livia), Bianca Tognocchi (Madama Brillante), Theo Lebow (Sumers), Iurii Samoilov (Milord Arespingh) and Gordon Bintner (Don Polidoro).
