»Ovations, cheers, applause, encores, lasting three quarters of an hour«, »Endless applause«, »Bartoli fever grips Vienna«, »Victory lap for La Bartoli« – just a few of the many headlines on the summer Rossini Mania in 2022 that Vienna State Opera took to new heights with belcanto. However, Bartoli’s second great love is Baroque opera, and this is what she is returning with at the start of July 2024 in a second guest performance. She will be supported again by the Musiciens du Prince – Monaco which she founded, which plays historical instruments, and is the orchestra of Monte Carlo Opera, where she is artistic director. Bartoli: »It will be hard to top the fireworks we set off with Rossini Mania. But with help from Hollywood and a Baroque opera riot that gripped Europe in the 18th century, headed by Naples as the musical capital, we’re going to try and (Ba)rock the Vienna State Opera again in 2024.«
Help from Hollywood? She’s talking about John Malkovich, who Bartoli will be working with on the Their Master’s Voice evening as part of the festival. Malkovich, a fascinating performer of complex roles, is also well-known in opera circles. He and director Michael Sturminger won international acclaim with their projects on Casanova and Da Ponte, combining live music, poetry, theatre and stage performance in a unique show customized for
the performers. Their Master’s Voice, a new project by the team looking at Baroque vocal stars, is a collaboration with Cecilia Bartoli and the Opéra de Monte-Carlo.
Another premiere is dedicated to Handel’s Giulio Cesare in Egitto. The production by Davide Livermore, conducted by Gianluca Capuano, is a stellar cast, presenting the opera which was celebrated at its world premiere in 1724 at London’s King’s Theatre. This opera has not been heard at Vienna State Opera for almost 65 years, which makes this a unique opportunity to see this Baroque jewel in an outstanding production. But Bartoli wouldn’t be Bartoli, if she wasn’t planning more. The festival will be accompanied by a symposium by Sounds and Science dedicated to the theme of opera and gender. »Many opera lovers are probably sick of the term gender. But in Baroque opera, genders – partly sensuous, partly gruesome – were normal. Sopranos sang male parts, young castrati sang the role of the female lover, and the audience loved the confusing result. Perhaps the Vienna public will enjoy as much as we do the gender-erotic journey to Farinelli & Co ...«
The Baroque festival will end on 11 July with a gala with the perfect cast. Besides Bartoli it includes Varduhi Abrahamyan, Julie Fuchs, Anne Hallenberg, Sara Mingardo, Regula Mühlemann, Anne Sofie von Otter, Nuria Rial, Max Emanuel Cenčić, Christophe Dumaux, Peter Kálmán, Kangmin Justin Kim, Maxim Mironov, Rolando Villazón and Carlo Vistoli on the stage.
The new production of Giulio Cesare in Egitto – George Frideric Handel’s most beautiful opera – may not match Liz Taylor’s Cleopatra. But with the enchanting songs of the Muses on Mount Parnassus, it promises to seduce even the Vienna State Opera audience, spoiled by the musical marvels that surround them.
