With the return of Simon Boccanegra to The Royal Opera, Plácido Domingo makes his Royal Opera baritone debut in one of Verdi’s most demanding and passionate roles.

Set against the class driven battle for the control of 14th century Genoa, the opera sympathetically portrays the embattled Doge of the city as the consequences of his past lead – through an estranged daughter, her competing suitors and a life-long enemy – to his own death.

The Music Director of the Royal Opera, Antonio Pappano, conducts a formidable international cast in the 1881 version of Simon Boccanegra, staged in Elijah Moshinsky’s classic production.

The tones of fine period painting appropriate to the story of Simon Boccanegra create rich stage images, matching the rich orchestral colour of Verdi’s score of melody and atmosphere.

Confrontations and curses, public drama and private turmoil; running through it all is the poignant situation of a father and daughter, long parted yet rediscovering each other when it is too late for anything but tragedy to be the outcome. It all makes for a potent operatic combination of family drama and political intrigue.

Simon Boccanegra  is sung in Italian with English surtitles.

Learn more about London operas within the West End.