8, 9 September 2018, 5 pm
Events Hall of the Palace of the Grand Dukes
A lost opera takes on new life after more than 380 years
Il ratto di Helena
Libretto by Virgilio Puccitelli (1636)
Composer, conductor Marco Vitale (2018)
Dramaturgy by Adrián Schvarzstein
Director Claudio Levati
Assistant director and choreographer Jūratė Širvytė-Rukštelė
Costume designer Marija Rubavičiūtė
Lighting Designer Audrius Jankauskas
Il Ratto di Helena was the first opera performed in Lithuania at the Palace of the Grand Dukes in September of 1636. Based on Antique themes libretto was written by the poet and secretary of the court Virgilio Puccitelli, and printed in Vilnius University printing-house. The music to the opera was composed by famous composer and music theorist, and maestro di cappella of the court Marco Scacchi.
Unfortunately the original music did not survive to this days, but in the occasion of the celebration of the centenary of the restoration of Lithuanian independence, the Italian harpsichordist and composer Marco Vitale, using his knowledge and experience gave life to this lost and forgotten opera by composing new music matching the style of Italian music from the early 17th century. The composition is based on the surviving Vilnius edition libretto (1636).
SOLOISTS
Helena: Rūta Vosyliūtė (soprano)
Paride: Carlos Monteiro (tenor)
Giunone: Ewa Leszczyńska (soprano)
Amore: Magdalena Czarnecka (soprano)
Menelao: Viktoras Gerasimovas (countertenor)
Aetra: Nora Petročenko (soprano)
Agenore, Marte: Radosław Pachołek (countertenor)
Creonte, Apollo, Eco: Robert Pożarski (tenor)
Nettuno, Giove: Nerijus Masevičius (bass)
Filandro, Toante: Łukasz Hajduczenia (bass)
Cabaret Owner: Claudio Levati
Cabaret Hostess: Jūratė Širvytė-Rukštelė
The Royal Choir and Orchestra of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth KORONA
(Lithuania, Poland, Italy, Spain, Germany, Mexico):
CHORUS
Furie, Ninfe: Edita Bagdonaitė-Venislovienė, Ieva Gaidamavičiūtė, Justina Orlovskytė (sopranos)
Nuntio: Mindaugas Bargaila (tenor)
Saulius Laurinaitis (tenor)
Artūras Miknaitis, Mykolas Treščenkinas (basses)
Chorus Master Gintautas Venislovas
ORCHESTRA
Ieva Baublytė, Tomasz Dobrzański (recorders)
Enrique Gómez-Cabrero Fernández, Judyta Tupczyńska-Wrona (violins)
Elżbieta Górka, Dymitr Olszewski (violas da braccio)
Darius Stabinskas (cello)
Justyna Rekść-Raubo (viola da gamba)
Martin Daniel Zorzano (violone)
Adam Nowakowski (theorbo)
Alina Rotaru, Marco Vitale (harpsichords)
Project is partly funded by the Lithuanian Culture Council
Project “KORONA 2018” (within 8th Flying Academy of Culture) funded by the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage of the Republic of Poland.
Partners of the project: “Banchetto Musicale” public concert institution; Fundacja “f.o.r.t.e.”
Children under 7 are not admitted to the event. Children and their parents are offered special education activities at the Museum.