L'isola disabitata

An opera by Haydn
Azione teatrali in due parti Hob.XXVIII:9 (1779)

What Price Confidence - Krenek
Chamber opera in nine scene for four singers and piano (1945)

Arianna a Naxos - Haydn
Cantata a voce sola Hob. XXVIb:2 (1789)

with the Orchestra of the Eighteenth Century

Kenneth Montgomery conductor
Michiel Dijkema director & set design
Mattijs van Bergen costume design
Jaspar Nijholt lighting design
Daan Boertien piano
Peter Nilsson fortepiano
Valentina di Taranto language coaching

Performed in Italian (Haydn) and English (Krenek) with Dutch subtitles.

About the works

In Arianna a Naxos , Haydn pushes the boundaries of the dramatic expression of a solo cantata to the limit. With merciless precision, he probes the depths of the emotions of an abandoned woman, who is held captive against her will on an island. How do you keep going when the pain is too overwhelming?

What Price Confidence is an American travel opera by Krenek, full of entertaining coincidences and with a touch of fate. Two couples are followed in a cinematic succession of scenes in the critical phase of their relationship at a dizzying pace. An affair is exciting, but what if the deceived then find the one in each other?

In L'isola disabitata , two sisters are left behind on a deserted island by a cruel twist of fate. Surrounded by wild nature, they managed to survive for thirteen years. The unexpected rescue soon leads to a series of complications. With surprisingly contrasting virtuoso arias and tantalising instrumental solo passages, Haydn takes us on a great adventure. After such a long time in the wilderness, is a return to civilization even possible?

The Dutch National Opera Academy is a two-year master's programme for highly talented young opera singers, focusing on the integration of singing and acting. It is a partnership of the Conservatorium van Amsterdam and the Royal Conservatoire the Hague.

Since 1981 the Orchestra of the Eighteenth Century has specialized in the performance of 18th and early 19th century music on period instruments. Touring in the Netherlands and abroad six to eight times per year, the orchestra brings the old masterpieces to life.