L’Italiana in Algeri - Schedule, Program & Tickets
L’Italiana in Algeri
Date:
Time:
Location:
28.03.2026 , Saturday
19:30
Deutsche Oper, Bismarckstraße 35, 10627 Berlin, Germany
Seating plan
Dramma giocoso per musica in two acts
Libretto by Angelo Anelli
World premiere on May 22, 1813, at the Teatro San Benedetto in Venice
Premiere at the Deutsche Oper Berlin on March 8, 2026
3 hours / One intermission
Sung in Italian with German and English surtitles
45 minutes before the performance: Introduction in the right-hand foyer
Recommended for ages 13 and up
After Puccini's LA RONDINE and Johann Strauss's DIE FLEDERMAUS, Rolando Villazòn returns to the Deutsche Oper Berlin as a director to demonstrate his humorous talent with one of the great operatic comedies of bel canto. L'ITALIANA IN ALGERI remains one of Gioacchino Rossini's most successful and popular works. According to tradition, it took him less than a month to complete it and he was just 21 years old at the celebrated premiere in 1813 at the Teatro San Benedetto in Venice. It is a testament to the young composer's boldness that he chose a subject that had been set to music just a few years earlier by his more experienced colleague Luigi Mosca. The risk paid off: thanks to its tremendous success, Rossini quickly achieved fame throughout Italy and soon became popular in other European countries as well. The satirical plot, centered on the desires of the leader Mustafa, who has grown weary of his wife Elvira, and the scheming attempts at liberation by the reunited lovers Lindoro and Isabella, combined with the exotic flair of the subject, struck a chord with the times.
The fascination with non-European cultures, which had grown stronger since the 18th century, inspired the art world and gradually began to conquer the operatic stage as well. The fact that L'ITALIANA still captivates audiences today is undoubtedly due to the musical refinement that made Rossini the undisputed king of opera buffa. Many of the numbers are prime examples of bel canto, such as Lindoro's expansive cavatina "Languir per una bella," which demands all the finesse of vocal acrobatics from a tenor, or Isabella's famous entrance aria "Cruda sorte," with its rich low notes and sweeping coloratura. Thus, with L'ITALIANA, Rossini achieved the style for which he is still revered today.
Spotlight
At just 21 years old, Aigul Akhmetshina experienced her international breakthrough as Carmen on the stage of the Royal Opera in London, a role she has since performed, among others, in Vienna. She has performed at the Salzburg Festival, the Arena di Verona, the Vienna State Opera, the New York Metropolitan Opera, and the Deutsche Oper Berlin. At the Bismarckstrasse opera house, the mezzo-soprano also thrilled audiences in Katharina Thalbach's popular production of Rossini's BARBIERE DI SIVIGLIA as Rosina, another signature role for the young star. The exceptional singer has received numerous awards, winning the International Opera Award for Singer of the Year in 2023 and the OPER! AWARD in 2025 for her highly acclaimed first solo album. She is now celebrating her debut as Isabella in the new production of L'ITALIANA IN ALGERI.
Subject to change.
Libretto by Angelo Anelli
World premiere on May 22, 1813, at the Teatro San Benedetto in Venice
Premiere at the Deutsche Oper Berlin on March 8, 2026
3 hours / One intermission
Sung in Italian with German and English surtitles
45 minutes before the performance: Introduction in the right-hand foyer
Recommended for ages 13 and up
After Puccini's LA RONDINE and Johann Strauss's DIE FLEDERMAUS, Rolando Villazòn returns to the Deutsche Oper Berlin as a director to demonstrate his humorous talent with one of the great operatic comedies of bel canto. L'ITALIANA IN ALGERI remains one of Gioacchino Rossini's most successful and popular works. According to tradition, it took him less than a month to complete it and he was just 21 years old at the celebrated premiere in 1813 at the Teatro San Benedetto in Venice. It is a testament to the young composer's boldness that he chose a subject that had been set to music just a few years earlier by his more experienced colleague Luigi Mosca. The risk paid off: thanks to its tremendous success, Rossini quickly achieved fame throughout Italy and soon became popular in other European countries as well. The satirical plot, centered on the desires of the leader Mustafa, who has grown weary of his wife Elvira, and the scheming attempts at liberation by the reunited lovers Lindoro and Isabella, combined with the exotic flair of the subject, struck a chord with the times.
The fascination with non-European cultures, which had grown stronger since the 18th century, inspired the art world and gradually began to conquer the operatic stage as well. The fact that L'ITALIANA still captivates audiences today is undoubtedly due to the musical refinement that made Rossini the undisputed king of opera buffa. Many of the numbers are prime examples of bel canto, such as Lindoro's expansive cavatina "Languir per una bella," which demands all the finesse of vocal acrobatics from a tenor, or Isabella's famous entrance aria "Cruda sorte," with its rich low notes and sweeping coloratura. Thus, with L'ITALIANA, Rossini achieved the style for which he is still revered today.
Spotlight
At just 21 years old, Aigul Akhmetshina experienced her international breakthrough as Carmen on the stage of the Royal Opera in London, a role she has since performed, among others, in Vienna. She has performed at the Salzburg Festival, the Arena di Verona, the Vienna State Opera, the New York Metropolitan Opera, and the Deutsche Oper Berlin. At the Bismarckstrasse opera house, the mezzo-soprano also thrilled audiences in Katharina Thalbach's popular production of Rossini's BARBIERE DI SIVIGLIA as Rosina, another signature role for the young star. The exceptional singer has received numerous awards, winning the International Opera Award for Singer of the Year in 2023 and the OPER! AWARD in 2025 for her highly acclaimed first solo album. She is now celebrating her debut as Isabella in the new production of L'ITALIANA IN ALGERI.
Subject to change.