Mozart’s take on Handel’s Opera

Handel’s Acis and Galatea in a classical version by Mozart

Leonardo García Alarcón - image: Jean-LouisFernandez

In a delightful mise en espace by Pierre Audi, a touching love story unfolds, set to music by Handel, in a classical Viennese orchestral version by Mozart.

The moving arias were, and continue to be, an instant hit.

Concert programme

  • George Frideric Handel

    Acis and Galatea (orchestration W.A. Mozart)

Performers

  • Leonardo García Alarcón

    conductor

  • Mark Milhofer

    tenor

  • Keri Fuge

    soprano

  • Valerio Contaldo

    tenor

  • Guy Cutting

    tenor

  • Sreten Manojlović

    bass

  • Nederlands Kamerkoor

    choir

  • Pierre Audi

    creative partner

  • Urs Schönebaum

    light and scenography

About this concert

George Frideric Handel, who lived and worked in England, called Acis and Galatea his ‘little opera’. The Baroque master knew better than anyone how to bring to life the story of the nymph Galatea, the shepherd Acis and the jealous giant Polyphemus. The moving arias were, and continue to be, an instant hit. Indeed, Acis and Galatea would go on to become Handel’s most popular work for the operatic stage – a high point in English pastoral opera. 

Just over half a century later, the charming love tragedy still stood firm, with no one less than Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart making an adaptation for Viennese audiences. With this very rarely heard orchestration of Acis and Galatea, the nonconformist early music conductor Leonardo García Alarcón is making his Concertgebouworkest debut. The visionary director Pierre Audi, the orchestra’s creative partner, has conceived an exciting mise en espace. 

This programme is made possible with financial support from Ammodo.

Dates and tickets

About this concert

George Frideric Handel, who lived and worked in England, called Acis and Galatea his ‘little opera’. The Baroque master knew better than anyone how to bring to life the story of the nymph Galatea, the shepherd Acis and the jealous giant Polyphemus. The moving arias were, and continue to be, an instant hit. Indeed, Acis and Galatea would go on to become Handel’s most popular work for the operatic stage – a high point in English pastoral opera. 

Just over half a century later, the charming love tragedy still stood firm, with no one less than Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart making an adaptation for Viennese audiences. With this very rarely heard orchestration of Acis and Galatea, the nonconformist early music conductor Leonardo García Alarcón is making his Concertgebouworkest debut. The visionary director Pierre Audi, the orchestra’s creative partner, has conceived an exciting mise en espace. 

This programme is made possible with financial support from Ammodo.

A preview