Harem of European women forcibly taken into Oriental harems—evident for example in the Mozart opera "Die Entführung aus dem Serail" ("The Abduction from the Seraglio") concerning the attempt of the hero Belmonte to rescue his beloved Konstanze from the "seraglio"/harem of the Pasha Selim; or in Voltaire's "Candide", in chapter 12 of which the old woman relates her experiences of being sold into harems across the Ottoman Empire. Much of Verdi's opera "Il corsaro" takes place in the harem of the Pasha Seid—where Gulnara, the Pasha's favorite, chafes at life in the harem, and longs for freedom and true love. Eventually
Lisette Oropesa Cleveland; the St Matthew Passion in Chicago; "Abduction from the Seraglio" in Bellingham, Washington; and a reprise of her 2010 performance in "Le Nozze di Figaro" at Ravinia Festival. Opera engagements included Nannetta at the Dutch National Opera; Gilda at Grand Théâtre de Genève; and Konstanze at the Bavarian State Opera. Her last performance of 2014 was her debut at the Los Angeles Opera as Rosalba in Daniel Catán's "Florencia en el Amazonas". In 2015, she started the year at the Paris Opera as Konstanze with success "Oropesa, seguita da Marten aller Arten, cantata con accenti incisivi e appassionata recitazione."