I Puritani

Bellini’s last opera, set during the time of the English Civil War, is a glorious treasure of melody. Ruth Ann Swenson is Elvira, the lovely Puritan heroine who goes mad when she thinks she has been jilted by her lover, Arturo (Stuart Neill). But he has only been doing his duty as a Cavalier in saving his queen, the widow of King Charles I, from the death sentence imposed by the Puritans. His good deed, and his love for Elvira, condemn him to be executed—a fate from which he is spared by a general amnesty. The shock of joy restores Elvira’s sanity and it all ends happily. Thomas Hampson is Riccardo, Arturo’s political enemy and rival for Elvira’s affection.