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Semiramide review: Stupendous singer triumphs in baffling modern Babylon

Soul-searching: Joyce DiDonato is astounding as Semiramide: Alastair Muir
Soul-searching: Joyce DiDonato is astounding as Semiramide: Alastair Muir

Rossini's last Italian opera, Semiramide, has over the years served as a vehicle for such divas as Joan Sutherland (La Stupenda), June Anderson and Montserrat Caballé.

Their modern counterpart is the US mezzo-soprano Joyce DiDonato, no less stupendous in the role. Whether incandescent with anger, haughty in triumph or tender in love, she delivers an account of the troubled queen that is both technically astounding and soul-searching.

Nobody else is quite in the same class, though Lawrence Brownlee, with his superbly flexible high tenor, comes close as Idreno.

Daniela Barcellona is a very impressive Arsace and Mirco Palazzi, who took over the role of Assur mid-performance — he was scheduled later in the run — from an indisposed Michele Pertusi, excelled himself in his Royal Opera debut.

The sumptuous textures drawn from the orchestra by Antonio Pappano offered a rich backdrop to these vocal talents; brisk tempi in the cabalettas provided an exhilarating springboard for the pyrotechnical displays.

Semiramide is set in Babylon and David Alden’s production, designed by Paul Steinberg with costumes by Buki Shiff, updates the action to a 20th-century Middle Eastern autocracy.

Satirising Baal worshippers as shuffling Islamic fundamentalists is a risky strategy, but with imperialist occupying forces, turbanned Indians and America’s First Family making appearances, you had to work hard to keep up.

At times, too, Alden comes perilously close to self-parody. But there are some memorable images. One of them is that of the princess Azema (Jacquelyn Stucker) trussed in gold and flapping her sleeves: a pawn in the royal power play, she is told who she will love.

Until Dec 16 (020 7304 4000, roh.org.uk)