La Forza del Destino at Grand Théâtre de Genève

It took all the persuasion of Verdi’s wife Giuseppina to convince him to write this work in which the pursuit of Destiny encounters the power of Mercy. Both themes can be heard intermingling in the overture, famous for its ominous three strokes and sinister music. The plot is about a love story that is horribly threatened by the accidental murder by the lover of his mistress’ father. The heavy hand of Fate that crushes the whole work is emphasized by Verdi’s alignment of contrasting scenes. Composing for Saint Petersburg’s Bolshoi Kamenny Theatre, Verdi would have loved to take a Victor Hugo play once again as the subject of his opera, but the Czar’s censors rejected Ruy Blas and he had to use a Spanish Romantic drama, Don Álvaro o La fuerza del sino, instead. Full of Romantic ideals, which a concert performance can only enhance, La Forza del destino is often criticised as incoherent. But could this not also be Verdi’s way of drawing attention to the personal tragedies of his characters?