Opera's hottest couple + a dead conductor's final masterpiece = summer magic in Dresden.
Classics on a Summer's Evening is an outdoor concert for an enormous audience which was staged in an architecturally striking public square in Dresden in July 1999. It features the most glamorous young husband and wife currently active on the international operatic scene, soprano Angela Gheorghiu and tenor Roberto Alagna. Along with these fine performances comes Giuseppe Sinopoli--before his untimely death at age 54--who was considered one of Europe's finest opera conductors, and, in the Dresden orchestra and chorus, performers who match his creative energy.
Acting
Gheorghiu and Alagna's real-life chemistry electrifies every duet.
Direction
Hulscher captures the massive scale without losing intimacy.
Production
Dresden's baroque architecture as the ultimate opera set.
Director
Hans Hulscher
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
This was Sinopoli's last filmed major performance before his fatal heart attack conducting 'Aida' in 2001. The camera lingers on him during curtain calls with eerie prescience.
Gheorghiu and Alagna were opera's 'it couple'—their eventual 2013 divorce involved public accusations, canceled performances, and Gheorghiu banning Alagna from her dressing room. This concert captures them at peak romantic and professional fusion.
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