Hercules

MUSICAL DRAMA IN THREE ACTS

LIBRETTO BY THOMAS BROUGHTON

A tragedy of jealousy: After a long time at war, Hercules has returned home and brings the daughter of his defeated enemy as a prize. His wife Dejanira reacts suspiciously to the foreign princess, and although Hercules assures her that he loves only her, jealousy and hatred consume the queen, leading to a cruel tragedy. Georg Friedrich Händel calls Hercules a "musical drama," and indeed the work, premiered in 1745, is not a static oratorio but an exciting English opera that tells the myth of Hercules' death as a psychological tragedy. Händel succeeds in creating compelling character studies, especially with the three main figures: the war hero Hercules, his wife Dejanira, and the princess Iole. However, the highlights of the work are the choruses, which comment on the action as in a Greek tragedy.

Concert performance in English with German surtitles

Introduction to the work 30 minutes before the performance begins