Don't miss the premiere of 'Cain, overo Il primo omicidio' at Arriaga Theatre on April 15th!
Alessandro Scarlatti stands out as the greatest Baroque composer of vocal music when it comes to musically expressing the inflexions of poetry. Among his vast vocal production (around 600 cantatas, around 120 operas and around 40 oratorios). Premiered in Venice in 1701, "Cain, overo Il primo omicidio" is one of his most important operas. Written as a Counter-Reformation work in 1707, when stage performances were prohibited in Rome by papal decree, Il primo omicidio is nonetheless an opera.
The story
God and Lucifer confront each other in the very soul of Cain, his brother’s voice is heard from heaven, and the “spatial” treatment of the tonal levels all contribute to the effectiveness of what is almost expressionistic music. The narrative is full of sex, crime, drama and humour. God and the devil appear and fight for the human soul. Emotions and passions are recreated in arias with music full of colours and details. There is nothing left out of this incredible Baroque Biblical “thriller”!
The production
The prestigious contratenor Carlos Mena undertakes the musical direction of the Arriaga Theatre's production while European acclaimed Tatjana Gurbaça embarks on the stage direction. For the premiere in Bilbao, the Bilbao Symphonic Orchestra (BOS) will perform the music accompanied by incredibly talented solo artists.
The People
Cain, overo Il primo omicidio (Venezia, 1707) –
A. Scarlatti.
Composer: Alessandro Scarlatti.
Libretto: Pietro Ottoboni.
Music direction: Carlos Mena.
Stage direction: Tatjana Gürbaça.
Singers
Abel: Lucía Caihuela
Adam: Josu Cabrero.
Eve: Sonia de Munck.
God: Carlos Mena.
Cain: Christian Borrelli.
Lucifer: Ferran Albrich.
Actors:
Lucifer: Gaizka Chamizo
God: Ane Guisasola
Orchestra: Bilbao Orkestra Sinfonikoa (BOS).
Lighting: Stefan Bolliger.
Set Design: Stefan Heyne
Costume Design: Silke Willrett
Production: Teatro Arriaga
