Synopsis
A Buxton International Festival Production with the Early Opera Company.
Handel is known for bringing emotion to life, for dazzling vocal fireworks and epic drama, and this oratorio is no exception. Composed in the spring of 1707, it sees him at his most confident, combining rousing choruses, beguiling arias, and colourful orchestral writing.
The story is full of hidden meaning and moral stance, with the characters of Pleasure, Time and Disillusion taking on human form to battle for the soul of Beauty. Vain Beauty initially commits herself to a hedonistic lifestyle, but Time and Disillusion cannot be ignored for long. As she wrestles with temptation, she must face the inevitability of her own demise and decide whether she can find greater contentment on a more virtuous path.
This production sees Christian Curnyn, one of the UK’s leading conductors specialising in baroque repertoire, returning to Buxton with the award-winning Early Opera Company, following their triumphant Acis and Galatea in 2021. He leads a world-class cast, featuring rising star Hilary Cronin in the role of ‘Piacere’.
Director Jacopo Spirei has a great affinity for baroque music. Since La donna del lago (Buxton 2023) he has had directed productions in Lisbon, Parma and Barcelona.
From the Editor...
Buxton International Festival approached me in 2024 to film a selection of their opera full-dress rehearsals, from which I'd turn around edits for trailers in both 16:9 and 9:16 formats before opening night, around two days later. These trailers would feature across BIF's web channels throughout the two-week festival.
- Marcus Brooks
