Metastasio's Artaserse was one of the most popular librettos in the 18th century, set to music in more than ninety operas. The male lead role (Arbace) was sung by Farinelli at the 1730 premiere of Johann Adolf Hasse's opera, and the "prima donna” was Francesca Cuzzoni.

The dramatic events generate extreme psychological states in the characters of the opera. Almost all of them have to deal with ambivalent emotions, reconcile love with the thirst for revenge, loyalty towards the father with love for a friend. All this abundance of tragic potential almost leads to comedy, rich in profitable opportunities for Hasse, who composed splendid arias, as well as for singers and directors across the ages.

This production, which is directed by Balázs Kovalik and features the postgraduate students of Munich's Theaterakademie August Everding will have its premiere a few days before the Budapest performance. The conductor and the director have devised the musical dramaturgy of the piece so that it can fit perfectly the company's capabilities. The truly renowned venue of the premiere is the beautiful Markgräfliches Opernhaus of Bayreuth, one of the few, still extant 18th-century opera houses, which is on UNESCO's World Heritage List.

Co-funded by the Creative Europe programme of the European Union.

Presented by: Budapest Spring Festival