On Wednesday, January 31, at 8 p.m. in the Novi Sad synagogue, the spectacle of George Frideric Handel’s baroque opera “Rinaldo” will be held, performed by local and international soloists with the participation of the New Trinity Baroque ensemble from London, and produced by the New Belgrade Opera under the artistic direction of Maestro Predrag Gosta.
Just a day before, on January 30, this spectacle will be held in the Jewish Cultural Center (former Rex Theater) under the auspices of the traditional festival Rossi Fest, with the logistical and organizational support of the Italian Institute of Culture and the Jewish Municipality in Belgrade.
“Rinaldo” takes us on a journey through love, war and magic, setting the action at the time of the First Crusade. With its colorful characters and enchanting arias, including the unforgettable “Lascia ch’io pianga”, this opera is a challenge and a delight for both the performers and the audience. The opera is directed by Sreten Manojlović and conducted by the harpsichord Maestro Predrag Gosta, with the participation of international vocal soloists and instrumentalists, as well as a baroque orchestra on historical instruments.The opera is realized by the joint efforts of Rossi-fest and the Belgrade Baroque Academy, and the Studio for Early Music, the New Belgrade Opera, and the Italian Institute of Culture in Belgrade.
The production of the opera “Rinaldo” in Belgrade and Novi Sad represents a significant cultural event, which will provide the audience with a unique experience of baroque music performed on historical instruments. Under the auspices of the New Belgrade Opera, which is celebrating its 10th anniversary this year, this project will bring together prominent domestic and international artists from over ten countries – from Italy and Austria, through Germany, Switzerland, Great Britain, Ireland, Croatia and Hungary – all the way to Russia and South Africa.
The vocal soloists are participants of the 22nd Belgrade Baroque Academy, who, accompanied by a baroque orchestra, will work on historic instruments between January 22 and 29, with the support of mentors recognized in the world of early music – vocal coach and countertenor Nicholas Clapton from Great Britain, our conductor and harpsichordist Predrag Gosta, and our recognized bass-baritone Sreten Manojlović, who will be the director of the play for this occasion. The orchestral accompaniment, under the direction of Predrag Gosta, is entrusted to the participants of the Baroque workshop for instrumentalists, and will be led by the violinist Adrian Butterfield from Great Britain, with the support of the great ensemble New Trinity Baroque from London, which recently celebrated its 25th anniversary.
