“L’Huomo”, an Opera written by Wilhelmine of Bayreuth

1754: A Forgotten Opera

A true rarity: the libretto for the opera L’Huomo was written by Margravine Wilhelmine of Bayreuth. This work had never been revived until its historic reconstruction in May 2023, performed once again in its original setting: the Margravial Opera House in Bayreuth, more than three centuries after its premiere.

L’Huomo is a one-act festa teatrale combining music and dance, based on L’Homme, written in French by Wilhelmine of Bayreuth. The libretto was translated into Italian by Luigi Stampiglia, court librettist at Bayreuth, and set to music by Andrea Bernasconi, then Kapellmeister at the Munich court. The renowned architect Giuseppe Galli Bibiena (who also designed the Opera House) created innovative sets featuring spectacular scene changes.

The allegorical plot confronts the forces of Good and Evil on Earth through the characters of Animia and Anemone, representing the feminine and masculine souls respectively. As she herself wrote, Wilhelmine drew inspiration from the “philosophical system” of Zoroaster (Zarathustra, the founder of ancient Iranian religion). The first performance took place on 19 June 1754, during the visit of Wilhelmine’s brother, Frederick II of Prussia, known as Frederick the Great.

2023: An Opera Rediscovered

The staging by Nils Niemann offers a strikingly fresh approach, blending historical theatrical art with contemporary video to bridge the Baroque world of Wilhelmine and our own. Thanks to research by the University of Bayreuth, video artist Christoph Brech accompanies the music and action with spectacular images — from the microcosm of the human body to the macrocosm of the universe — projected onto the historical sets. The production also revives the lost ballet Armida, enriching the dramaturgy and offering a unique performance where past and present engage in dialogue.

---

Programme

🎼 Andrea Bernasconi (1706-1784):

• L’Huomo (opera)

Libretto: Wilhelmine of Bayreuth (translated by Luigi Stampiglia)
Musical direction: Dorothee Oberlinger – Ensemble 1700
Stage direction: Nils Niemann
Costumes: Johannes Ritter
Video: Christoph Brech

Cast:

• Philipp Mathmann – Anemone
• Maria Ladurner – Animia
• Francesca Benitez – Buon Genio
• Simon Bode – Amor
• Alice Lackner – Negiorea
• Florian Götz – Cattivo Genio
• Anna Herbst – Volusta
• Johanna Rosa Falkinger – Incosia

In May 2023, at the Margravial Opera House.