Aus Haydns Opernschatz

Hannah Gries Costanza
Sharon Tadmor Silvia
Peter O’Reilly Gernando
Michał Karski Enrico
Orchestra of the Eighteenth Century
Zephyr Brüggen stage director
Benjamin Perry Wenzelberg conductor

Programme:
Joseph Haydn: »L’Isola disabitata« (The Desert Island) Hob. XXVIII:9 (semi-staged performance)

Of course, when you think of Joseph Haydn, his symphonies and string quartets immediately spring to mind. However, the composer, who served the Esterházy family for decades, also left behind around 20 operas featuring highly imaginative music. Composed in 1779, L’isola disabitata is Haydn’s only opera based on a libretto by Metastasio. Set on a remote, exotic island, it tells the story of two sisters, Costanza and Silvia, who were stranded there by a twist of fate. Years later, when unexpected rescue arrives in the form of Costanza’s husband Fernando and his friend Enrico, a series of misunderstandings and confusion ensues… By balancing the contrasting virtuoso arias with meticulously composed recitatives, Haydn created one of the first through-composed operas. When the Orchestra of the Eighteenth Century brings the rich music of the score to life with infectious enthusiasm on period instruments, the talented vocal cast will turn the inner turmoil of the four characters into a thrilling rollercoaster of emotions!

presented by the NWZ
supported by the AGV Oldenburg