(c) A. Bofill Gran Teatre del Liceu: Händel's Aci, Galatea e Polifemo (concert version)
Barcelona, Gran Teatre del Liceu — Sala Principal
About the Event
Discover the enduring allure of baroque opera at the Gran Teatre del Liceu with Händel's Aci, Galatea e Polifemo.
'Acis, Galatea and Polyphemus' (HWV 72), a masterpiece by Georg Friedrich Händel composed in 1708, stands out uniquely. This work, akin to a dramatic oratorio, draws from Greek mythology as compiled by Ovid in Metamorphoses, narrating the love between the shepherd Acis and the nymph Galatea, alongside the jealousy and vengeance of Polyphemus, a cyclops who, blinded by anger, brings about Acis's death. Handel brilliantly uses music to explore love, longing, and tragedy, reflecting intense human emotions.
The narrative focuses on three protagonists: Acis, the lovestruck young shepherd Galatea, the enchanting sea nymph and Polyphemus, the cyclops enamored with Galatea who seeks revenge after her rejection. In his jealousy, Polyphemus kills Acis, but Galatea, mourning her loss, turns Acis's body into a clear spring, eternally preserving their love. This concept of turning death into life through nature imparts a poetic, transcendental essence to the opera.
Program
- Georg Friedrich Händel – Aci, Galatea e Polifemo
Cast / Production
Kammerorchester Basel
Director René Jacobs
Aci: Kateryna Kasper
Galatea: Sophie Harmsen
Polifemo: Christian Senn
Address
Gran Teatre del Liceu, La Rambla, 51‐59, Barcelona, Spain — Google Maps
