A rollicking French farce set in the Middle Ages... The men are away on crusade whilst the women wait for their return. That legendary seducer, Count Ory, tries several different ways to seduce the lady of the castle, even disguising him and his men as nuns on the run from lecherous bandits... The music bubbles and fizzes along as only a Rossini comedy can. High flying coloratura arias and duets of extreme virtuosity are littered in the score.
The highlight is the trio for the soprano Countess Adele, tenor Count Ory and mezzo en transvesti Isolier towards the end of Act 2. Count Ory, sneaks into Countess Adele's room disguised as a nun to seduce her. His page, Isolier, played by a mezzo soprano dressed as a young man, sneaks into Adele's room to stop the Count. The tenor dressed as a nun, the mezzo playing a boy and the soprano end up together in a bed in the darkness and hilarity ensues...
Here is that trio from the Metropolitan Opera's production of 2011, starring Juan Diego Florez, Joyce DiDonato and Diana Damrau... This is just so much fun!
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