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| Stage set for the underworld scene in Antonio Cesti's opera Il pomo d'oro, performed in Vienna in 1668 |
In 1652 the composer Antonio Cesti became a member of the court at Innsbruck of Ferdinand Charles, Archduke of Austria and his opera, La Dori premiered in Innsbruck in 1657. Cesti is, however, best known by reputation for his opera Il pomo d'oro (The Golden Apple) was written for the wedding in Vienna of Emperor Leopold I in 1666, and first performed in 1668, in a famously lavish production, with a large orchestra, numerous choruses, and various mechanical devices used to stage things like gods descending from heaven (deus ex machina), naval battles, and storms.
Rather appropriately the Innsbrucker Festwochen der Alten Musik is celebrating its 50th anniversary by staging Il pomor d'oro complete - five acts and a prologue, roles performed by 20 singers, with dance and choral sections. The surviving manuscript in Vienna is famously incomplete, so the festival's musical director, Ottavio Dantone, has also composed the missing music for Acts III and V. The production is directed by Fabio Ceresa, with costumes designed by Giuseppe Palella, and sets by Nikolaus Webern, with dancers from Street Motion Studio and the NovoCanto choir.
A new production of Handel's Atalanta will feature young performers from the 2025 Cesti competition. The production is directed by François de Carpentries and Karine Van Hercke under the musical direction of Andrea Buccarella. Making their debuts in the opera will be, among others, Cesti winner Salvador Simão and third-place winner Pierre Gennaï.
The Innsbrucker Festwochen der Alten Musik runs from 24 July to 30 August 2026, full details from the festival's website.
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