I travelled to Seville almost entirely for one reason: to see Marina Rebeka in her role debut as Lucrezia Borgia. I had been excited for months—truly convinced that this role was written for her—and after finally hearing her live in it, I can say without hesitation that I was right.

It was also my very first time at the Teatro de la Maestranza, and before speaking about the music, I have to admit I was rather disappointed by the overall audience experience. The staff at the entrance and in the corridors were few, not particularly welcoming, and the atmosphere felt strangely cold. The bar was depressingly bland, the vibe was more “conference centre” than opera house, and while the acoustic wasn’t terrible, it certainly wasn’t memorable either. It’s not a historical theatre; it’s more of an auditorium, and I genuinely felt like I slipped in and out without crossing a single human being. A very odd, impersonal experience.

But fortunately—musically, I was not disappointed at all.

Marina Rebeka: a volcanic role debut

Marina Rebeka delivered exactly what I came for. She is made for this role. Even the disastrous staging couldn’t dim her brilliance. And when I say the staging was disastrous, I really mean it: the whole opera took place in a grim, filthy slaughterhouse-turned-abattoir with a messy orgy aesthetic that tried very hard to be provocative but ended up being simply unpleasant. I don’t mind darkness or provocation—Lucrezia Borgia is full of it anyway—but the visual concept was ugly, confusing, and left me feeling dirty as I walked out. The only clever idea was the Christmas tree that transformed into an enormous ghostly tree—but even that couldn’t save the overall concept.

Despite all of this, Marina Rebeka rose above it all. Her singing was magnificent from start to finish—monumental high notes, powerful phrasing, dramatic intensity, and love duets that were breathtaking. Her standing ovation at the end was one of the loudest I’ve ever heard in a theatre. You could feel the entire Spanish audience waiting for that moment, waiting for her to step out so they could explode.
For me, she is the greatest soprano we have today in 2025. No question. And I already can’t wait to see her again in Nabucco this January in Naples.

The rest of the cast was very solid as well:

• Krzysztof Bączyk as Don Alfonso — a steady, commanding presence, vocally reliable throughout the evening.
• Teresa Iervolino as Maffio Orsini — a fantastic mezzo once she warmed up. The beginning of the opera was a bit restrained, but she quickly took off into explosive high notes, especially in the big duet beneath the great tree.
• Duke Kim, Jorge Franco, Julien Van Mellaerts, Cristiano Olivieri, Matías Moncada, Moisés Marín, and Alejandro López all formed a strong ensemble that supported the drama well.

But let’s be honest: the evening was carried—completely—by Marina Rebeka.

Orchestra & Musical Direction

The orchestra had its ups and downs. At times the playing was too light, even hesitant; at other moments, it burst into brilliant, fiery colours worthy of Donizetti. The musical direction by Maurizio Benini was overall correct, but lacked a little personality and consistency. Still, the big moments landed well, and the orchestra delivered where it mattered

Despite a deeply disappointing staging and an underwhelming audience experience, this Lucrezia Borgia will stay in my memory for a long time—because of Marina Rebeka. Her role debut was electrifying, overwhelming, and worth every kilometre of travel. She transformed an otherwise uneven evening into a triumphant one.

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CAST

Don Alfonso: Krzysztof Bączyk

Lucrezia Borgia: Marina Rebeka

Gennaro: Duke Kim

Maffio Orsini: Teresa Iervolino

Jeppo Liverotto: Jorge Franco

Don Aposto Gazella: Pablo Gálvez

Ascanio Petrucci: Julien Van Mellaerts

Oloferno Vitellozzo: Cristiano Olivieri

Gubetta: Matías Moncada

Rustighello: Moisés Marín

Astolfo: Alejandro López

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Musical director: Maurizio Benini

Stage Director: Silvia Paoli