Accademia Bizantina / Ottavio Dantone
Das Alte Werk
In 1721, the composer Johann Adolf Hasse, who was born in Bergedorf near Hamburg, travelled to Italy to study with Alessandro Scarlatti. Four years later, Hasse experienced great success in Naples with his opera »Marc’Antonio e Cleopatra« – not least thanks to two great singers in the main roles: Vittoria Tesi and Carlo Broschi, who is better known as the castrato singer Farinelli. Three centuries later, in alto Delphine Galou and countertenor Valer Sabadus, a real dream team assumes the title roles in Hasse’s early Italian hit.
The Accademia Bizantina, which was turned into a world-class ensemble by the Italian early music specialist Ottavio Dantone, provides the requisite instrumental sparkle. With his musical adaptation of the historical story of Egyptian queen Cleopatra and Roman general Marc Antony, Hasse made every effort to impress in a brilliant Baroque opera that – as you would expect – also features virtuosic, almost acrobatic singing.
Performers
Accademia Bizantina
Delphine Galou alto
Valer Sabadus countertenor
Ottavio Dantone harpsichord and director
Programme
Johann Adolf Hasse
Marc’Antonio e Cleopatra
Subscription
Das Alte Werk
Live Broadcast
This concert will be recorded by NDR Kultur radio station and broadcast at 20:00 on 13 December 2018.