Berenice
George Frideric Handel
Sandrine Piau and a fine cast serve up this rare Handel which takes us on a journey to the banks of the Nile.
Sandrine Piau | Berenice
Ann Hallenberg | Selene
Arianna Vendittelli | Alessandro
Paul-Antoine Bénos-Djian | Demetrio
Hugh Cutting | Arsace
Matthew Newlin | Fabio
John Chest | Aristobolo
Francesco Corti | direction
Il Pomo d’Oro
For this rare work by Handel, Sandrine Piau transports us to the banks of the Nile to follow the adventures of Queen Berenice. This was the last work written by Handel for the Covent Garden Theatre during a crisis period when London audiences were falling out of love with Italian opera. Premiered on 18 May 1737, Berenice was performed just four times to sparse audiences and languished in obscurity until it was revived in 2001 at the Karlsruhe Festival. Yet Handel had brought his mastery of the opera seria genre to bear on a rich and complex libretto once again featuring both political and romantic conflicts.
Production Théâtre des Champs-Elysées