Verdi - I Lombardi - Warner Music Group Germany

Recorded live at La Scala, Milan
Verdi was commissioned to write "I Lombardi" as a direct result of the success of "Nabucco" the year before. It was first produced at La Scala, Milan, in 1843 at a time when Verdi was beoming increasingly popular both in Italy and abroad.
The opera is set at the time of the time of the first Crusade and tells of the rivalry of two brothers, Arvino and Pagano, for the love of Viclinda. Pagano, in an attempt to abduct Viclinda and kill his brother, in error murders his father. He is exiled to the Holy Land to live as a hermit. Giselda, Arvino's daughter, has gone with her father on the Crusade, but is captured by Acciano, tyrant of Antioch. She falls in love with his son Oronte. They escape, but Oronte is wounded and dies. The hermit leads the attack on Jerusalem and then reveals his identity to Arvino, dying forgiven in his brother's arms.
Producer Gabriele Lavia and designer Giovanni Agostinucci have devised sets of Spartan grandeur, using the motif of a blood-red cross as a double edged symbol for the Crusades.

Libretto - Temistocle Solera
Conductor - Gianandrea Gavazzeni
Producer - Gabriele Lavia
Set Designer - Giovanni Agostinucci
Costume Designer - Andrea Viotti

Oronte - José Carreras
Giselda - Ghema Dimitrova
Pagano - Silvano Carroli
Arvino - Carlo Bini
Viclinda - Luisa Vannini
Pirro - Luigi Roni
Priore - Gianfranco Manganotti
Acciano - Giovanni Foiani
Sofia - Laura Bocca

Choir und Orchestra - Chorus of La Scala / Orchestra of La Scala, Milan