Simon Boccanegra, Royal Opera House

Sumptuous to look at, packed with soaring melodies and powerful choruses, Verdi's tragic opera Simon Boccanegra recreates the power and glory of the Italian Renaissance at the Royal Opera House.

Elijah Moshinsky's magnificence production, first created for Covent Garden in 1991, revels in this grandest of operas, with its setting in the palaces of Genoa.

At the heart of the opera is the tender relationship between the ruler of the title, the Doge of Genoa, and his illegitimate daughter Amelia, with whom he is reunited after many years. But she is in love with one of the men who is plotting the downfall of Simon Boccanegra, Gabriele Adorno....

Armenian soprano Hrachuhi Bassenz sings the role of Amelia Grimaldi. Photo: Ludwig Olah

The wonderful Armenian soprano Hrachuhi Bassenz sings Amelia, with the Spanish baritone Carlos Alvararez in the title role, and Italian tenor Francesco Meli (born in Genoa, appropriately enough) as Adorno. Add the fine Italian bass Ferruccio Furlanetto, and you have a very powerful cast indeed.

The opera is conducted by the young Hungarian Henrik Nánási, who had a big success at Covent Garden earlier this year with Richard Strauss's equally dramatic Salome.

Listen out for the Act One duet between father and daughter, 'Orfanella, il tetto umile...'. Not a dry eye in the house.

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'Simon Boccanegra' is sung in Italian with English surtitles. Booking opens at 9AM, Wed 25 July