| Friday 08 September 2023 | 19:30 |
| Graun, Carl Heinrich (1704-1759) | Rodelinda, regina de' langobardi: overture | |
| Graun, Carl Heinrich (1704-1759) | Rodelinda, regina de' langobardi: Quest’ o Dio lugubre aspetto | |
| Graun, Carl Heinrich (1704-1759) | Rodelinda, regina de' langobardi: Fonte ch’accresci l’onda | |
| Graun, Carl Heinrich (1704-1759) | Cesare e Cleopatra: overture | |
| Graun, Carl Heinrich (1704-1759) | Artaserse: Sulle sponde del torbido lete | |
| Graun, Carl Heinrich (1704-1759) | Adriano in Siria: Barbaro non comprendo | |
| Graun, Carl Heinrich (1704-1759) | L'Orfeo (Overture) | |
| Graun, Carl Heinrich (1704-1759) | Demofoonte (O più tremar non voglio) | |
| Graun, Carl Heinrich (1704-1759) | Demofoonte (Misero pargoletto) | |
| Graun, Carl Heinrich (1704-1759) | Montezuma (Overture) | |
| Graun, Carl Heinrich (1704-1759) | Montezuma (Si, per la rea congiura) | |
| Graun, Carl Heinrich (1704-1759) | Alessandro e Poro (Ah Gandarte - Dov'è? s’affretti) |
| Valer Sabadus | Countertenor |
| Martyna Pastuszka | Director, Violin |
| Orkiestra Historyczna |
The Early Music scene is no longer conceivable today without the Romanian-German counter tenor Valer Sabadus. With his precisely intoned, crystal-clear and lyrically emotional voice capable of mastering the most dizzying heights and coloratura with apparent ease, he breathes new life into the old masters, portraying figures on stage in a way that touches the heart.
In this concert he dedicates himself to the stage works of Carl Heinrich Graun, most of which have fallen into oblivion.
Born round 1704/05 in Brandenburg, the composer attracted attention already during his studies; by 1724 he was engaged at the Court in Brunswick as successor to Johann Adolph Hasse. The Prussian Crown Prince Frederick – later the Great – was so affected by his talent that he engaged him at his court in Rheinsberg. Here, under Frederick, Graun composed his most distinguished stage works, including Cleopatra e Cesare, which opened the Königliche Hofoper – today the Berlin Staatsoper – also Montezuma, for which the Prussian king himself wrote the libretto.
Accompanied by the Bayreuth “legionaires”, the oh!} Orkiestra under Martyna Pastuszka, Valer Sabadus will astound us with Graun’s musical character studies – in the hope that in future we shall hear more of one of the greats of eighteenth-century music.
