Musical direction: Attilio Cremonesi
Staging: Louisa Proske
Set design: Jon Bausor
Soloists: Anna Bonitatibus (Serse), Leandro Marziotte (Arsamene), Franziska Krötenheerdt (Romilda), Vanessa Waldhart (Atalanta), Yulia Sokolik (Amastre), Andreas Beinhauer (Elviro), Michael Zehe (Ariodante), Chor der Oper Halle, Händelfestspielorchester Halle
In the original Italian language with German subtitles
Production of the Halle Opera as part of the Handel Festival
Organiser: Halle Theatre, Opera and Orchestra GmbH
65, 55, 45, 30 und 25 €
When George Frideric Handel set to work on composing his Serse in 1737, he used the anecdotes and tales handed down by Herodotus and Aeschylus about the Persian king and created an opera which cleverly alternates between comedy, love drama and political thriller. Stage director Louisa Proske follows the same tack, setting the piece in the present day. As a jet-setting oligarch, Xerxes travels around on his private jet, trying somehow to reconcile private life, passion and business – an exercise that becomes increasingly difficult and occasionally sends him into a black rage. He has to contend with incapable staff, climate activists and escalating family dramas, which greatly detracts from his enjoyment of life as a global player. This year once again, Anna Bonitatibus can be heard in the title role of this tumultuous, sparkling stage production.