Alessandro nell'Indie - MusikTheater an der Wien

Libretto by Pietro MetastasioAustrian premiereThe composer Leonardo Vinci was the eccentric star of Neapolitan and Roman opera in the 1720s, whose works were almost completely forgotten until a concert performance of his last opera Artaserse reignited enthusiasm for his music a few years ago. Vinci's penultimate opera Alessandro nell'Indie also remained unperformed for almost 300 years until singer and director Max Emanuel Cencic brought it back to the stage for the first time at the Bayreuth Baroque Opera Festival in 2022. The opera, which premiered in Rome in 1730 and tells the story of Alexander the Great's (Alessandro) campaign to India, is the first setting of one of Pietro Metastasio's most successful libretti. In it, Alexander loves the Indian queen Cleofide, who, however, has already promised her heart to King Poro, who has been defeated by Alexander. An emotional drama unfolds between love, intrigue, jealousy and renunciation. As women were not allowed to perform in public in the Papal States in the 18th century, Vinci composed Alessandro nell'Indie exclusively for male singers. With a wink, Max Emanuel Cencic plays with the opulent means of baroque theatre in his production and tells the intricate plot in the style of a Bollywood revue. A spectacular ensemble of five of the best countertenors of the younger generation is assembled: Bruno de Sá, Dennis Orellana, Maayan Licht, Jake Arditti and Nicholas Tamagna can be heard, as well as the tenor Stefan SbonnikIn Italian with German and English surtitlesIntroduction 30 minutes before the start of each performance