Please be aware, this production contains scenes of a violent and explicit nature. Viewer discretion is advised. For more from RTÉ Culture visit http://www.rte.ie/culture Two Women is a powerful and poignant opera that highlights the strength of the human spirit in the most challenging of circumstances. In its evocative music and compelling storytelling, it reminds us of the indomitable nature of the human spirit. Second World War. 1943. Italy is under the crossfire of the Nazi and Allied armies. Rome has been evacuated to prevent civilian casualties. Bombs and hunger don't make it tempting to stay in the city. So Cesira decides to embark on a journey to her hometown. She closes the shop, takes her 14-year-old daughter Rosetta with her and what she can fit in a couple of suitcases. She doesn't know she is setting off on foot for a much longer and more tormented journey than she imagined. On this journey through Ciociarìa she will encounter a lot of misery, a lot of solidarity but also a lot of selfishness from other people. Above all, she will meet Michele, a handsome intellectual, who will eventually be captured and killed by Nazi troops. She will know all the horrors of war: raped by a group of passing Moroccan soldiers belonging to the allied forces), Cesira and Rosetta will have to change forever their approach to conflicts, humanity and life. Francesco Cilluffo | Conductor Rosetta Cucchi | Director Tiziano Santi | Set Designer Claudia Pernigotti | Costume Designer Daniele Naldi | Lighting Designer Cast Na'ama Goldman | Cesira Jade Phoenix| Rosetta Leonardo Caimi | Michele Devid Cecconi | Giovanni Alexander Kiechle | Fedor Von Bock Allen Boxer | John Buckley Carolyn Dobbin | Lena Conor Prendiville | Pasquale Sciortino Erin Fflur | Maria Sciortino, Una Donna See more at: http://www.rte.ie/player

G. Bizet: Carmen - Seguidilla and Duet "Près des remparts de Séville" Carmen: Na'ama Goldman Don José: Leonardo Caimi Conductor: Dan Ettinger Stage director: Franco Zeffirelli (revival by Gad Schechter) The Israeli Opera, August 2022 www.naamagoldman.com

W. A. Mozart - Idomeneo: aria of Idamante "Ah qual gelido orror... Il padre adorato" Idamante (mezzo soprano): Na'ama Goldman Conductor: Michele Gamba Stage director: Kasper Holten The Israeli Opera, January 2020 www.naamagoldman.com

On every journey comes a moment where you stop, look around, and listen to what is inside you. There are no rules to these moments. They come and go without our control. One of these moments happened to the Israeli-born mezzo soprano Na’ama Goldman after deciding to put down roots in Berlin. Constantly traveling the world as an opera singer, why was it Berlin of all places? The city from which her family was deported? Music was where she found answers. Mahler, Korngold, and Weill inspired her to look at her life in a different way. The music of Engel carried with it the sounds of distant memories. Argov and Bat offered new perspectives on her homeland. The discovery of the song Elei Tashuv by Sonnenschein, which is dedicated to her grandmother, connected she to her heritage. The Kaddisch by Ravel reminded her of the power of being a woman, by singing this prayer traditionally allowed only for men. When brought together on a CD album, the songs connect with each other. Their music captures a moment in a journey through a multitude of expressions. They speak of their own heritage, their own legacy. Praised as a superb and impeccable singer with a gripping presence on stage, Israeli-born Na’ama Goldman regularly interprets a rich selection of leading roles on international stages. She gained outstanding audience and critical acclaim in 2012 when she stepped in at the last minute to play the title role in Carmen at the Masada Opera Festival of The Israeli Opera, while still a member of their Meitar Opera Studio.

Beethoven: "Ich liebe dich", WoO 123 Mezzo soprano: Na'ama Goldman Pianist: Hana Lee Recorded at Kulturhaus Schwartzsche Villa, July 2020. www.naamagoldman.com