Roberto Devereux

Melbourne Opera completes its acclaimed Donizetti Tudor trilogy with the exciting Australian premiere of Roberto Devereux, starring Australian diva Helena Dix as the aging Queen Elizabeth, following her huge success in Lohengrin earlier this year and direct from engagements at New York's Metropolitan Opera House. The company has assembled a superb supporting cast including Henry Choo as Roberto, Danielle Calder as Sara, Phillip Calcagno as the Duke of Nottingham, Jason Wasley as Lord Cecil and Eddie Muliaumaseali’i as Sir Walter Raleigh.

Suzanne Chaundy directs and Greg Hocking and Raymond Lawrence conduct the superb Melbourne Opera Chorus and Orchestra.

Based very loosely on the career of the Earl of Essex, Robert Devereux, Donizetti and his librettist Salvatore Cammarano created for the opera a version of the eternal quadrilateral.

Elizabeth the Queen loves Robert, the Earl, who loves Sara, Elizabeth's favourite, who is married to Nottingham, Elizabeth's counselor and Devereux's best friend. Eventually, Robert's refusal to renounce Sara will lead to his death, as a jealous Elizabeth refuses to pardon him for treason, despite Nottingham's pleading on his behalf (unaware that his wife and Devereux are a number).