|
GUINNESS STOREHOUSE® FESTIVAL
 |
ACIS & GALATEA AT GUINNESS STOREHOUSE®
| A special evening of opera marking Guinness 250 & Handel 250 |
|
To mark the 250th anniversary of the death of Handel and the 250 years since
Arthur Guinness signed the lease on the world famous St. James's Gate brewery,
Opera Theatre Company have joined forces with Guinness Storehouse to present a
unique performance of Handel's opera, Acis & Galatea. For one night only, opera lovers will have a rare opportunity to enjoy this beautiful and moving opera in the majestic setting of the Guinness Storehouse in the St. James's Gate brewery, Dublin.
|
|
Love, lust and revenge contend in this dynamic, site-specific production. Galatea, a young and beautiful goddess, is in blissful love with a handsome shepherd Acis, however the brutal giant Polyphemus has his eye firmly fixed on her. Determined to win Galatea for himself — he creates mayhem on discovering she is another's. With a compelling libretto by the great English-language poets John Gay and Alexander Pope, the enchanting choruses, touching arias, and dramatic twists will transport you to another time and place.
|
|
During the summer of 1741, Handel received an invitation from the Lord Lieutenant in
Dublin to compose a new sacred oratorio to crown a series of performances of his
most popular English-language works — Alexander's Feast, Acis & Galatea, the Ode for St Cecilia's Day and L'Allegro — to be held at Dublin's New
Music Hall, Fishamble Street during the spring and summer of 1742. The new commissioned work was Messiah.
|
|
Seventeen years later, in 1759, aged 34, Arthur Guinness left his family brewery near Celbridge, Co. Kildare, and set out to try his luck in the capital city of Dublin. He acquired what was then a small, disused and ill-equipped brewery at St. James's Gate. The lease, signed on 31 December 1759, was for 9,000 years at an annual rent of £45. The rest, as they say, is history.
|
|
Opera Theatre Company enjoys a well-deserved reputation for site-specific work with the triumphant Fidelio
(Kilmainham Gaol), Stabat Mater (Valentia Island) and, most recently, the critically acclaimed Pelléas & Mélisande (City Hall); now their talented Young Associate Artists have the opportunity to perform Handel's music in yet another stunning location. The Guinness Storehouse is a dramatic venue steeped in Irish heritage and history. Undoubtedly, it will create a memorable backdrop for this remarkable opera.
|
Acis & Galatea
Guinness Storehouse, St James's Gate, Dublin
15 April
8pm €15 / €10
Bookings: +353 1 888 3610
www.opera.ie
|
|
Presented as part of the Dublin Handel Festival www.templebar.ie
|
|
|
|
|
|
