La forza del destino

Giuseppe Verdi’s iconic opera La forza del destino will debut in the Stavros Niarchos Hall at the SNFCC on 26 and 29 January and on 2, 6, 9, 12, 15 and 18 February 2025 in a production conducted by Paolo Carignani and directed by Rodula Gaitanou.




Just a few notes from the Overture of La forza del destino are all it takes to convey the mesmerising quality of Italian opera and reveal the grandeur of Giuseppe Verdi’s musical genius. The renowned composer’s masterpiece is full of melodious arias and duets while maintaining a wondrous balance between tragic and dramatic elements on the one hand and a comic flair on the other. Along with the three main characters –Leonora, her brother, Don Carlo, and her beloved, Don Alvaro– the chorus plays a leading role in the extensive crowd scenes.

The story begins with a lovestruck couple, Don Alvaro and Leonora. Leonora has decided to elope with him, although she is well aware that her father, the Marquis of Calatrava, strongly opposes their relationship. However, the plot takes an unexpected turn when Don Alvaro accidentally kills the Marquis. The two lovers are forced to separate, while Don Carlo, Leonora’s brother, swears to take revenge for his father’s death. Several years later, Carlo and Alvaro meet by chance. They are both unaware of each other’s true identity. After a line of earthshaking events, the two men fight each other in a duel, in which Alvaro delivers a fatal strike to Carlo. Leonora arrives to take care of her brother, yet he stabs her in the heart.

Twenty-seven years later, La forza del destino is coming back to the Greek National Opera in a new, highly ambitious production carrying the signature of a team of world-class creatives. Internationally acclaimed Greek opera director Rodula Gaitanou is responsible for the stage direction, George Souglides designed the sets and costumes, Dimitra Kastellou was in charge of the movement, Giuseppe di Iorio handled the lighting, and Dick Straker created the videos.

Assisted by her creative team, Gaitanou chose to set the action in the early 20th century, referencing the two World Wars. The heroes’ story unfolds alongside the progression of the war. In line with the chiaroscuro aesthetic, the performance –balancing light and shadow– maintains the necessary realism while also using symbolisms to achieve poetic freedom. The concept of “destiny” is portrayed on stage through the emphasis on war’s horrific nature and its dramatic impact on people, as well as through references to works by Theo Angelopoulos, Michelangelo, and Hieronymus Bosch.

Duration: approximately 3 hours
Interval: 20 minutes