Niobe, Regina di Tebe

Although Steffani was deeply embedded in the music language of his native country, he developed an individual style of composing by picking up elements of the French style, which was perceivable also in an especially big and colourful instrumentation. Amphion for instance, mythical inventor of the lyre and of harmony, is thus introduced in his first scene with an instrumental effort, not heard in a long time in Italian opera.

This aria alludes to the harmony of spheres in Platon’s „Politeiea“ and Steffani strikingly succeeds in painting an evident picture of this harmony with all resources of musical art. The death scenes of Niobe and Amphion are marked by a hard realism: Every emotion between pain and desperation is expressed in the most sophisticated way. Not only the death of the two main characters on open stage has made Steffani’s opera one of the most extraordinary operas of the 17th century.

The work is confined on a rather small but equally weighted number of characters. Just like in an intimate play this allows an exceptionally distinct character drawing, which makes this opera fervently interesting for the modern opera stage.

Lukas Hemleb, with whom Thomas Hengelbrock and the Balthasar-Neumann-Ensemble already attained great success in Schwetzingen with Alessandro Scarlatti’s „Telemaco“ in 2005, will be again in charge of the production.

Before each performance in Schwetzingen the world premiere of Adriana Hölzsky’s A-Cappella composition „Hybris / Niobe“ will take place (Zirkelsaal). Performers are soloists and the SWR Vokalensemble Stuttgart under the direction of Denis Comtet.