Sometimes, as an opera lover, you have to accept that some of the music you love is tied to stories that were written in a “different time” (i.e., the treatment of women and minorities does not align with today’s values). Since most opera companies require that there are no changes to the libretto, smart directors try to minimize this by handling certain scenes sensitively and portraying characters as evil vs. a funny roguish villain (consider the 2023 productions of Don Giovanni at the Met vs. Opera Colorado).
Bellini’s La Sonnambula can suffer because the main character, the sleepwalking Amina, takes her fiancé back after he and the town treat her poorly. Director Rolando Villazón sidesteps this problem by leaving the ending ambiguous. He doesn’t change the libretto, but changes enough of the staging such that the audience can believe she escapes her small town. Do I think it 100% works? No, but I really appreciated him taking the risk and trying something new. This is how we keep opera fresh.
I’ve written a lot about the staging, but the real star was the absolutely incredible vocalism of soprano Nadine Sierra in the title role. After seeing this, I completely understand why this role is considered one of the most difficult in opera. She nailed the incredibly difficult singing and her acting was beautiful. She’s my new soprano to watch. Tenor Lawrence Brownlee stepped in at last minute to sing the fiancé Elvino. His singing was great (as expected), but the acting was a bit off; however, he gets a pass given the circumstances.
I’d definitely love to see another production of La Sonnambula, but I know the most important factor will be the skill of the soprano. This opera lives and dies on her skill.
Opera: La Sonnambula
Composer: Vincenzo Bellini
Venue: The Metropolitan Opera
Date: October 11, 2025
Link: https://www.metopera.org/season/2025-26-season/la-sonnambula/
Opera Nerd 
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