Hercules

Theater an der Wien, Wien

MUSICAL DRAMA IN THREE ACTS

LIBRETTO BY THOMAS BROUGHTON

A tragedy of jealousy: After a long time at war, Hercules has returned home, bringing with him the daughter of his defeated enemy as booty. His wife Dejanira is suspicious of the foreign princess, and although Hercules professes to love only her, jealousy and hatred eat away at the queen and lead to a cruel tragedy. George Frideric Handel calls Hercules a "musical drama" and the work, which premiered in 1745, is indeed not a static oratorio, but an exciting English opera that tells the myth of Hercules' death as a psychological tragedy. Handel succeeds in creating vivid character studies, particularly of the three main figures, the war hero Hercules, his wife Dejanira and the princess Iole. However, the highlights of the work are the choruses, which comment on the action as in a Greek tragedy.

Concert performance in English with German surtitles

Introduction to the work 30 minutes before the start of the performance