Lucrezia Borgia at La Monnaie

The infamous and scheming poisoner, the sulfurous Lucrezia, inspires both rejection and fascination among the men drawn to her. Only a son, abandoned at birth, seems to have escaped her criminal excesses unscathed, but she mistakenly ends his life while trying to save him. The secret of her identity is not revealed to him until the moment of his death. Romantics were captivated by the scandalous and evil aura of Lucrezia Borgia. The young Victor Hugo made of her a beguiling heroine. Donizetti was taken by her and, despite ‘corrections’ dictated by censorship, conferred a dazzling force on this sinister melodrama. Considerable success ensued thanks primarily to the virtuosity called for in the title role with one of the repertoire’s most demanding scores. Following on from Lucia di Lammermoor, Elektra and Salome, Guy Joosten adds a new chapter to his exploration of violent and passionate female characters.