MURDER IN THE CATHEDRAL at San Diego Opera

Archbishop Thomas Becket, brutally murdered in Canterbury Cathedral in December 1170 defending his church against the intrusions of King Henry II, became a Christian martyr and Saint at whose tomb Henry was forced to pay penance. Did Henry order the murder or did his knights take matters into their own hands? Based on the T. S. Eliot play, the opera covers the last month of Becket’s life as he struggles with politics, religion and temptation. The lyrical and melodic score reminiscent of Puccini with extraordinary choruses rivaling Turandot, is a tour-de-force for the great bass Ferruccio Furlanetto who is “…strong in rejecting the temptations and in rebutting the assassins’ charges of treasonous behavior toward the king, yet his singing in the sermon has a touching eloquence…” (The New York Times review of his La Scala performance as Becket). Susan Neves and Helene Schneiderman lead the women of Canterbury commenting on the action while unable to interfere with events which seem ordained to happen. Conducted by La Scala’s Donato Renzetti, in his debut here, and directed by Ian Campbell, this is the West Coast Premiere of Murder in the Cathedral in America, combining faith, passion, tragedy and hope.