Halevy: La Juive (BLURAY)

Fromental Halévy's five-act grand opera "La Juive" (The Jewess) is one of the most popular operas of the 19th century and has delighted audiences since its premiere at the Opéra de Paris in 1835. Set in the 15th century, the sumptuous work is about the forbidden love between a Christian man and a Jewish woman and the tragedy that ensues. Oper Frankfurt's contemporary production was received with great acclaim, with the increasingly sought-after Canadian soprano Ambur Braid praised for her "radiant soprano voice" as the heroine Rachel and the "vocal phenomenon" John Osborn in the role of her father Éléazar praised as "eerily moving". Conductor Henrik Nanasi and the orchestra are at their best and the opera chorus is also convincing. Tatjana Gürbaca, opera director at the Staatstheater Mainz for several years, staged the story with psychological sophistication. She works at major opera houses in German-speaking countries and beyond.