For the opening of the festival, Max Emanuel Cencic (artistic director) will present us his take on Handel’s Flavio, Re de’ Longobardi. A political satire with which the composer took the stereotypes of the heroic opera in his stride, surprising not only the London audience of the time.
The second production takes us back to the birth of opera with Monteverdi’s L’Orfeo, which is translated into the 21st century with transcriptions, live electronics and partly newly composed music. Rolando Villazón embodies the title role of this exciting new version.
In addition to the performances in the Margravial Opera House, the music is also taken out into the city with a series of top-class concerts. These include gala evenings with Valer Sabadus and Daniel Behle in the opera house as well as concerts with Véronique Gens and Bruno de Sá at historical venues. Concerto Köln, one of Germany’s most important and significant baroque orchestras, will be orchestra in residence this year. As in previous years, music fans around the world will once again be able to follow the programme of Bayreuth Baroque thanks to live streams, radio and TV broadcasts.
Until then, the waiting time can be shortened with Nicolo Porpora’s Carlo il Calvo. The successful production from the Inauguration year 2020, which has been highly praised by the press, is now available on CD as a world premiere recording, just in time for the start of advance ticket sales on 27 January 2023.
“I am proud that our city hosts Bayreuth Baroque, one of the highest quality and perhaps even the most exciting baroque festivals in the world. The outstanding artistic level and the authentic atmosphere of the UNESCO World Heritage Site make this festival a must for people from all over the world,” says Lord Mayor Thomas Ebersberger about the still young opera festival.
Within just a few years, Max Emanuel Cencic’s team has succeeded in establishing a second, international festival that attracts music enthusiasts to the Franconian festival city even beyond the Wagner Summer and is constantly expanding its programme. “For us it is a very special pleasure to be able to offer two opera productions at Bayreuth Baroque for the first time.” Flavio, Re de’ Longobardi was written in 1723 and plays a very special role in Handel’s oeuvre. “A grandiose court intrigue is spun by having actors participate alongside the singers. The actors play a great part in the intrigue.”
With the castrato Senesino and the prima donna Francesca Cuzzoni, the London premiere in 1723 featured two of the top stars of the opera scene at the time. Exactly 300 years later, the audience can now expect an equally virtuosic ensemble led by Julia Lezhneva, Yuriy Mynenko and Max Emanuel Cencic. They are accompanied by the Concerto Köln and under Benjamin Bayl.
The story of Orpheus, who wins over not only humans but also the gods of Greek mythology with his song, has been one of the most frequently set themes ever since the genre of opera was created. Rarely, however, has the theme been captured in music as movingly as in the version that Claudio Monteverdi wrote for the court of Mantua in 1607 and which, as one of the oldest surviving operas, still captivates audiences today. The Athens Megaron’s 2017 production was created as part of the celebrations for the 450th anniversary of Claudio Monteverdi’s birth and is now experiencing its eagerly awaited German premiere with Rolando Villazón in the title role.
