Acis and Galatea

Join us in celebrating the 25th birthday of the festival with a visit to the theatre – a place of magic and wonders that will transport you to a world of fantasy! George Frideric Handel’s lovely pastoral opera presents an ideal picture of a life of love and peace, which even jealousy cannot destroy and in which death is not a sign of the end but of a new beginning. It is set in a dreamy landscape full of natural beauty… This first ever Handel opera to use an English text has remained almost continuously in the repertoire of opera houses until today.
 
This magical performance, with Baroque gestures and puppets of various sizes, is the result of many years of cooperation between the Collegium Marianum ensemble and the Buchty a loutky theatre troupe. The audience can look forward to a unique theatrical poetics, unmistakable humour and a distinctive emphasis on the artistic aspect. Five soloists and the festival’s ensemble in residence, directed by Jana Semerádová, will tell the sparklingly delightful, yet fatally dramatic story of the nymph Galatea, the shepherd Acis and the Cyclops Polyphemus.
 
SYNOPSIS
In the first act, the shepherds and nymphs are rejoicing in the pleasures of beautiful nature. The demigoddess and nymph Galatea, in love with the shepherd Acis, tries to quieten the chirping birds. Acis’s close friend Damon rushes to offer advice to the two lovers and sings a beautiful Sicilian serenade during their first meeting.
 
The second act introduces a much more mournful atmosphere and a warning of the coming of the monstrous Polyphemus. The Cyclops dramatically enters the scene, singing of his jealous love for Galatea and threatening violent action. Meanwhile, Acis doesn’t heed Damon’s warning – he’s determined to persevere in his love. Acis and Galatea pledge allegiance to each other to the grave, but are interrupted by Polyphemus, who kills Acis in a rage. The mourning Galatea, with her unearthly power, transforms the body of Acis into a refreshing fountain. The opera closes with a chorus celebrating the immortality of Acis.