Ifigenia in Aulide

Antonio Caldara: «Ifigenia in Aulide» (Opera in 3 Acts)
Libretto: Apostolo Zeno
Premiere: Vienna, Leopoldinian Court Theatre, 1718

Performance in Italian with German and English surtitles

"The Emperor does not want any gallantry, but strong things," said composer Luca Antonio Predieri in 1738, referring to the particular taste of Charles VI. He was part of a line of Holy Roman Emperors who not only had a special passion for music but also used it as a tool for cultural and territorial dominance in Europe, even sometimes taking the conductor's baton himself.

Exactly twenty years before Predieri made this statement, his predecessor as Vice-Court Kapellmeister to the Imperial Court in Vienna, Antonio Caldara, composed his first setting of the libretto «Ifigenia in Aulide», written by Apostolo Zeno. This marked his seventh explicitly court-commissioned opera and was performed at the Leopoldinian Court Theatre, designed by Francesco Galli Bibiena.

Following the fate of the Mycenaean princess Iphigenia, dictated by divine caprice, Caldara's style reveals itself in a magnificent yet psychologically penetrating way. Perhaps it were these qualities that made him the favoured composer of his patron, Charles VI. Caldara’s work combines the virtuosity and expressiveness of the Neapolitan school with the instrumental and Roman rhetoric of Arcangelo Corelli, the structure and counterpoint of the Viennese school influenced by Johann Joseph Fux, and the chromaticism and harmonic fantasy of Dresden court music, with which Caldara maintained close contact throughout his life. Additionally, the common Viennese use of solo instruments, standing out from the orchestral texture, can be found in Caldara's music.

This marks the first staged performance of Caldara’s «Ifigenia in Aulide» in over 300 years, under the Musical Direction of Ottavio Dantone. The world-renowned countertenor Carlo Vistoli, in his eagerly awaited Festwochen debut stars as Achilles. Soprano Marie Lys (last seen in Innsbruck in Paër's «Leonora» 2020 and Telemann's «Pastorelle en musique» 2021) taking the title role of Ifigenia. Since winning the Cesti Competition in 2022, the fascination for tenor Laurence Kilsby has only grown, and the admiration for his exceptional talent deepens with each performance – this year in the role of Ulysses. Also, appreciated singers Filippo Mineccia (Achilla in «Cesare in Egitto» 2024) and Neima Fischer (Arianna in «Arianna in Creta» 2024) will perform the roles of Teucro and Elisena, respectively. Furthermore, Cesti Prize winner Giacomo Nanni (Minos & Sonno in «Arianna in Creta» 2024) will sing Arcade, and tenor Martin Vanberg will portray Agamemnon, with Shakèd Bar as Clytemnestra.

The "sacrificial drama" of «Ifigenia in Aulide», where the gods pull the strings of human fate, will be staged by the Spanish company PerPoc (director: Anna Fernández), who will captivate with a combination of stage and puppet theater, creating baroque-inspired images