Il Polifemo

Opera Seria in three Acts

Libretto by Paolo Antonio Rolli

Nicola Porpora was not only a composer but also a singing teacher. Among those who trained at his school was the great castrato Farinelli. In his operas he consequently highlighted the virtuosity of his singers, leaving behind spectacular scores for today’s star countertenors such as Emanuel Cencic (who celebrates his 40th anniversary as a stage performer with this production) and Franco Fagioli. With "Il Polifemo" in 1735, Porpora threw down the gauntlet to his London rival Handel and, appropriately, the opera tells the story of a veritable clash of the titans: It centres on the battle between Odysseus and the Cyclops Polyphemus and on the latter’s tragic love of the nymph Galatea.

Concert performance

In Italian with German surtitles

Introduction to the work 30 min before the performance

Tickets: Il Polifemo