The Athens Concert Hall (Megaron) will present a free open-air screening of Gaetano Donizetti’s “Maria Stuarda” on Tuesday, July 7, at 8:30 p.m., as part of its annual summer film series in the Megaron Garden.
Now in its fourth year, the program is organized in collaboration with Unitel, one of the world’s leading producers and distributors of classical music and opera recordings. The series brings acclaimed opera productions, landmark symphonic performances, and celebrated artists from some of the world’s most prestigious concert halls to audiences under the Athenian summer sky.
The screening features the Salzburg Festival production of “Maria Stuarda”, directed by Ulrich Rasche, whose visually striking staging highlights the opera’s emotional intensity and political conflict. The Vienna Philharmonic, conducted by Antonello Manacorda, delivers a performance that combines lyrical elegance with dramatic precision, while the Salzburg Experimental Academy of Dance (SEAD) adds a distinctive visual dimension to the production through choreography.
The cast is led by internationally acclaimed soprano Lisette Oropesa in the title role, alongside Kate Lindsey as Queen Elizabeth I in a performance that has received widespread critical acclaim. They are joined by Bekhzod Davronov, Aleksei Kulagin, Thomas Lehman, and Nino Gotoshia.
One of Donizetti’s most emotionally charged operas and among the most demanding works in the bel canto repertoire, “Maria Stuarda” is based on Friedrich Schiller’s play of the same name. It dramatizes the legendary rivalry between Mary, Queen of Scots, and Queen Elizabeth I of England. Although the two monarchs never met in real life, Donizetti imagines a confrontation that has become one of opera’s most unforgettable scenes, driven by pride, power, jealousy, love, and death.
The screening will be presented with English subtitles, making it accessible to international audiences.
Admission is free.
