From “Belshazzar” in Berlin to a rare “Semele” by Hasse in Chicago, from “Scylla et Glaucus” in Zurich to “Alessandro nell’Indie” in Vienna, and on to a Bach trilogy in Budapest, these recent productions bring together seldom-performed works, striking stage interpretations and several key landmarks of the repertoire. 
By 
In Berlin, Handel’s Belshazzar at the Komische Oper
The Komische Oper Berlin presented a new production of Belshazzar, the relatively little-known oratorio composed by Handel in 1744, staged by Herbert Frisch and conducted by George Petrou. The work depicts the collapse of the Babylonian empire and offers a reflection on the fragility of empires. It also presents striking parallels with the present day, as the opera house points out: “Brutes in power are once again in fashion and in command. This type of man clears house, overturns everything, takes radical measures, plunders; and in doing so he feels magnificent, youthful and gleefully destructive. King Belshazzar himself was such a brute, a monstrous ruler of the Near East in biblical times…”
With Robert Murray, Soraya Mafi, Susan Zarrabi, Ray Chenez, Philipp Meierhöfer, Orchester der Komischen Oper Berlin,Vocalconsort Berlin and George Petrou.
In Chicago, the American premiere of Hasse’s Semele
In Chicago, Haymarket Opera Company opened its season with the American premiere of Semele, Hasse’s opera. This production was based on an edition of the score specially prepared for the project, drawn from the only surviving manuscript, held at the Gesellschaft der Musikfreunde in Vienna. The performance reflects the company’s ongoing commitment to exploring rare works from the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, following Hasse’s Marc’Antonio e Cleopatra in 2023.
With Emily Birsan, Elizabeth DeShong, Karina Gauvin, Haymarket Opera Orchestra and Craig Trompeter.
In Zurich, Leclair’s Scylla et Glaucus
The Zürich Baroque festival presented Scylla et Glaucus, the only tragédie lyrique composed by Jean-Marie Leclair, in 1746. Rarely staged, the work, whose libretto is inspired by Ovid’s Metamorphoses, was transposed into a contemporary setting by the director Claus Guth, in a secondary school named after Jean-Marie Leclair.
With Elsa Benoit, Anthony Gregory, Chiara Skerath, Gwendoline Blondeel, Le Concert d’Astrée and Emmanuelle Haïm.
In Vienna, Leonardo Vinci’s Alessandro nell’Indie
In Vienna, the Theater an der Wien revived, in co-production with the Bayreuth Baroque Festival, Leonardo Vinci’s opera Alessandro nell’Indie, first performed in Rome in 1730. Directed by Max Emanuel Cenčić, this production recounts Alexander the Great’s campaign in India: Alexander falls in love with Queen Cleofide, who has already pledged her heart to King Poros, whom Alexander has defeated. The result is a drama charged with love, intrigue, jealousy and renunciation, brought vividly to life by a cast of sopranos and countertenors.
With Dennis Orellana, Bruno de Sá, Jake Arditti, Maayan Licht, Stefan Sbonnik, Nicholas Tamagna, Arnold Schoenberg Chor, {oh!} Orkiestra and Martyna Pastuszka.
In Budapest, Constellation, John Eliot Gardiner and a Bach trilogy
John Eliot Gardiner’s Constellation ensemble and choir stopped at the Müpa in Budapest, after Athens and Versailles and before Vienna, Heidelberg and Udine, with a Bach trilogy: Cantatas BWV 34 and 6, and the Easter Oratorio.
With Hilary Cronin, Eline Welle, Jonathan Hanley, Jack Comerford, Constellation Choir & Orchestra and John Eliot Gardiner.
You must be logged in to be able to post comments.
Sign in