In honor of the current title of the Youth Capital of Europe and towards the title of the European Capital of Culture in 2021, Novi Sad was selected as the first city to host the Serbian premiere of one of the most popular opera of the baroque master George Friedrich Haendl, a composer born in 1685. in Halle, Germany, who spent most of his life in England where he was buried at the London Pantheon of Art Westminster Abbey next to William Blake, Charles Darwin, Henry Purcell, John Milton, Benjamin Britten and others. New Belgrade Opera, in cooperation with choir and orchestra on the historical instruments of the New Trinity Baroque ensemble and international soloists, will perform the opera „Acis and Galatea HWV 49“ by G. F. Haendl under the baton of its artistic director, Maestro Predrag Gosta. The eternal theme of love, dionysian and apollonian principle of ambivalence, of which Nietzsche spoke in his book “The Birth of Tragedy from the Spirit of Music”, which inspires artists of various profiles through history, will again be found in the focus, this time on the scene of the old Jewish temple in Novi Sad and one of the most acoustic halls in the region the Grand hall of Kolarac Endowment in Belgrade.
Soloists for this production wil be Leif Aruhn-Solen, tenor – Acis (Sweden), Beatriz de Sousa, soprano – Galatea (Portugal), Sreten Manojlovic, bass-baritone – Polifem (Austria / Serbia), and Mathias Hedegaard, tenor – Demon (Denmark) , directing is entrusted to internationally acclaimed opera singer Marijana Mijanović (Switzerland / Serbia), set design and costumes to Tijana Trailović, while the master of the lights will be Stefan Momirov. The opera will be performed in Novi Sad on February 16 at 8 pm in the Synagogue in Novi Sad, and on February 17 at 8 pm in the Grand hall of Kolarac Endowment in Belgrade. The new Belgrade Opera was founded in 2014 with the idea of fulfilling the repertoire of the country and the region, as well as creating opportunities for hiring new talented artists, based on the strict principles of work that are present in Europe and the most famous opera houses in the world. Special attention is focused on the Baroque repertoire, which is less represented on the region’s music scene, so that the New Belgrade Opera has been focusing on this repertoire for the fifth year in a row. Until now, as well as in co-production with other theaters (National Theater and Madlenianum Theater), the New Belgrade Opera has so far presented four projects, opera “Dido and Aeneas” by Henry Purcell, “Orlando” by George Friedrich Haendl, “Coronation of Poppea” and “Orpheus” both by Claudio Monteverdi . This year’s production of Haendl’s opera Acis and Galatea The New Belgrade Opera presents itself independently, in a semi-scenic concert scene, as was done at the premiere conducted by Haendl exactly 300 years ago at the Lord Chandos of Cannons, England. This opera is being performed in Serbia and the region for the first time, and planned visits will have the opportunity to be presented in other cities, with which the New Belgrade Opera will fulfill its educational mission, which has also been developed so far through its Belgrade Baroque Academy. has been organizing for the past five years successfully in cooperation with the Early Music Study.
The organizer is Jeuenesse Musicale of Novi Sad and Kolarac Endowment from Belgrade with the support of the Early Music Network, Early Music Study Center of Belgrade, Association for Early Music of Vojvodina, Makris Foundation and Intermusica Foundation. Detailed information regarding the sale of tickets can be found on the website of the organizer of the Jeunesse Musicale of Novi Sad.
www.muzickaomladina.org