Il Letto (The Bed): An invitation to a fabulous night of Puccini at the Actor’s Church in Covent Ga

Il Letto is the story of the Puccini scandal which took place in 1909 in . There are so many twists and turns to this story, researching it in its entirety is slightly surreal. Every new detail you hear just gets weirder and more unbelievable. This production focuses on the relationship between Elvira Bonturi (Puccini’s long-suffering mistress and, eventually, wife) and her young maid Doria Manfredi. Puccini’s music is performed throughout the production; the music having influenced the events just as any human activity ... a character in its own right!

Myself, fellow soprano Emma Walsh and, Music Director, Noah Mosley, will tell you this side of the story which has been written by Chris Hogg and directed by Richard Shannon.

I have a brief introduction to the show and to my character in the following video:

I also have a teaser of a music rehearsal with Noah Mosley - we were having a blast and wanted to share some of what we were working on.

This aria is Liu's most famous aria from Turandot. Puccini actually wrote the lyrics to this aria himself as he was getting frustrated by the delay from his writers. The Librettists themselves agreed they could not have improved on it.

In the opera, Liu is being tortured by a cruel princess, refusing to give the name of her love.

She says defiantly:

You who are girdled with ice

Who have been conquered by so much flame

You will love him too!

Before this dawn

I will close my weary eyes

So that he may win again

He may win again...

To not, to not see him any more!

Before this dawn, this dawn

I will close my weary eyes