Barber – Vanessa: Act 3, Scene 2 - "To leave, to break..." (Quintet) | Noseda Conducts the NSO

Gianandrea Noseda conducts the National Symphony Orchestra in this quintet from Act 3, Scene 2 of Samuel Barber’s Vanessa. In this emotionally charged moment—“To leave, to break…”—five voices weave together in a complex, beautiful expression of heartbreak, resolve, and release. It is one of the opera’s most poignant ensemble scenes, capturing the lingering tensions and emotional aftermath that define Vanessa. Nicole Heaston, soprano (Vanessa) J’Nai Bridges, mezzo-soprano (Erika) Matthew Polenzani, tenor (Anatol) Susan Graham, mezzo-soprano (The Old Baroness) Thomas Hampson, baritone (The Old Doctor) Part of Opera in Concert: Barber’s Vanessa, performed live in the Kennedy Center Concert Hall on January 30, 2025. 🎭 Subscribe to The Kennedy Center: http://bit.ly/2gNFrtb #NationalSymphonyOrchestra #GianandreaNoseda #SamuelBarber