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Home , Nicola Porpora, Polifemo (opera)

Season 2012/13

N. A. Porpora

Drama per musica : Paolo Antonio Rolli POLIFEMO PARNASSUS ARTS PRODUCTIONS

Polifemo The Oeuvre

The legends surrounding the singing and composition at the Conservatorio Cyclops, one-eyed son of Poseidon and the di S. Onofrio in and became famous nymph Thoosa, are a popular theme in mu- as a singing instructor; his pupils included sic and literature alike. POLIFEMO was the , , and Salimbeni. last work Nicola An-tonio Porpora composed His first for , Berenice regina for the Opera of Nobility in , a business d’Egitto(1718), was written with Domenico in direct competition to Georg Frideric Scarlatti, followed by Porpora’s own Roman Handel‘s opera company. While Handel had Eumene (1721) and Adelaide (1723) to resort to adding renowned bal-let troupes as well as his first opera to a libretto by and fulminating choirs to his productions, in Metastasio, Didone abbando-nata (Reggio, order to attract an audience, Porpora relied 1725). He settled in in 1726 and be- solely on Farinelli‘s vocal ability. This was came maestro at the Ospedale degli incurabili especially true for POLIFEMO. In the same until 1733. vein as Porpora united top vocalists Porpora was invited to London by a group of to bring his works to life on stage, Parnassus noblemen who were organizing the Opera of ARTS Productions is proud to present some of the Nobility (in competition with Handel); the world‘s leading counter-tenors today, and the company opened its season with Arianna once again revive the glory of days long gone. in Nasso(1733), and Porpora composed four more operas for London before leaving in 1736 for Venice, where he took up his old post at the Incurabili the following year. After short Italian composer and singing teacher. He intermezzi in Naples and Venice (where he entered the Conser-vatorio dei Poveri di was maestro di coro at the Ospedale della Gesù Cristo in Naples at the age of ten and Pietà and the Ospedaletto), he was in studied there for approximately a decade; his as the singing teacher to Princess Maria Anto- first op-era, Agrippina,was performed in the nia, composing the opera Filandro (1747) for Neapolitan Royal Pal-ace in 1708. It appears her birthday. If his rivals thus far had been he held title of maestro di cappella to the in Italy and Georg Friedrich Prince of Hessen-Darmstadt from 1711 until Handel in London, he found a new nemesis 1725, during which time his second and third in Dresden: . After Hasse operas, Flavio Anicio Olibrio (1711) and Basilio was named Oberkapellmeister, Porpora left re d’oriente (1713), were produced in Naples. for , where he not only taught the art In 1714 he composed Adanna e Teseo to fulfill of singing, but also composition to the young an op-eratic commission from the Viennese Haydn, who in exchange became his valet court, and Temistocle was premiered at the and keyboard ac-companist. He returned to Hoftheater in Vienna in 1718; other works Naples in 1758, where he served again at the dating from this time include two serenatas, Loreto and the Conservatorio di S. Onoftio. Angelica (1720) and Gli orti esperidi (1721), Porpora’s output includes over forty operas, a with texts by the young Metasta-sio. Between large number of solo cantatas and oratorios, as 1715 and 1721 Porpora served as a teacher of well as some Masses and a few instrumental works.

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Polifemo Cast

Franco Fagioli Xavier Sabata (Aci) (Ulisse)

Mary-Ellen Nesi Christian Senn (Calipso) (Polifemo)

Laura Aikin Hanna Herfurtner (Galathea) (Nerea)

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Polifemo Cast Date

22 February 2013: Theater an der Wien, Vienna (AT)

Bach Consort Wien (Orchestra)

Rubén Dubrovsky (Conductor)

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FRANCO FAGIOLI RUBÉN DUBROVSKY & BACH CONSORT

Franco Fagioli one of the leading counterte- When the Argentinean Rubén Dubrovsky nors worldwide today. His performances of debuted as opera conductor in the new pro- Handel’s heroes such as Giulio Cesare, Ario- duction of Vivaldi’s Orlando Furioso at Oper dante, Teseo, Bertarido or Rossini’s Arsace in Köln in 2008, he was immediately identified as Aureliano in Palmira have been unanimously one of the most exciting new conductors on acclaimed. His breathtaking vocal technique the and classical field. His interpre- and the beauty of his voice on all registers tation combines vibrancy, vigor, a pulsating have set new standards. temper and a rare sensitivity to sound and In 2011 Franco Fagioli was awarded the Pre- mood, with applied knowledge of historical mio Abbiati, the most prestigious musical performance practice. Shortly thereaf-ter, he award in Italy. For the first time in its 30-years debuted at one of the most renowned opera old history, the Premio Abbiati is granted to a houses in Spain: the Palau de les Arts Valen- coun-tertenor. cia made him musical director of the new Parnassus ARTS Productions presents Franco production of Martín y Soler’s opera Arbore di Fagioli in the role of Aci. Diana übertragen (2008). More invitations for new opera pro-ductions followed: at Theater Kiel for Giulio Cesare (season 2009/10), Rinal- XAVIER SABATA do (season 2010/11), and Radamisto (season 2011/12); at Oper Bonn for Tamerlano (season Xavier Sabata regularly performs on the most 2010/11), and his debut at Semperoper Dres- important op-era stages, such as Teatro La Fe- den for L‘Incoronazione di Poppea (seasons nice, Gran Teatre de Liceu in Barcelona, Kon- 2010/11, 2011/12). Aside of his operatic works, zerthaus Wien in Vienna, Schlossfestspiele Rubén Dubrovsky regularly performs at Wie- Potsdam Sanssouci, Théâtre des Champs-Ely- ner Musikverein with his own ensemble, the sées in Paris, Teatro Real Madrid, Festival Aix- Viennese Bach Consort. en-Provence and many oth-ers. Rubén Dubrovsky is the founder of Bach Within the season 2011/12, the artist will be Consort Wien, which, under his baton, ad- performing in 7 European countries, on 11 vanced quickly to become one of the lead-ing different stages in opera houses, festivals baroque ensembles in Austria. It is celebrated and concert venues, and with 9 different top in the media for its „conceptual clarity“ as orches-tras in Europe, such as the renowned well as its „inspiring virtuosity.“ orchestra Les Arts Flo-rissants. During this So far, Bach Consort Wien has played on upcoming season, Mr. Sabata will also be re- stages such as Bruck-nerhaus Linz, Palau cording three new productions with the labels de la Música in Barcelona, Lisinsky Hall Za- Virgin Clas-sics/EMI, Decca and Sony. greb, Festival RheinVokal, Händelfestival at Parnassus ARTS Productions presents Xavier Badisches Staatstheater Karlsruhe, Donau Sabata in the role of Ulisse. Festival, among others. Many of their concerts have been recorded by Österreichischer Rund- funk, Südwestfunk or Catalunya Música. Ruben Dubrovsky was named artistic direc- tor for baroque op-eras at the Winterfestival in Schwetzingen, from the season 2011/12 onward.

5 PARNASSUS ARTS PRODUCTIONS T: +43(0) 2252 82777 Management: Georg Lang F: +43(0) 2252 82777-50 Erzherzog Wilhelm Ring 13 E: [email protected] A - 2500 Baden, Österreich www.parnassus.at