Cain, overo Il primo omicidio by Scarlatti, Alessandro, wo. 23 mrt 2016, Van (2016/2016), Dirigent Rinaldo Alessandrini, Theater an der Wien, Wenen, Oostenrijk

In the works of Alessandro Scarlatti (1660-1725) Italian music of the 17th and early 18th centuries reached a further high point. Coming from Palermo, he was Kapellmeister of the Swedish Queen Christina in Rome from 1680 to 1684, before - after a stopover in Naples - in 1703 he became Kapellmeister at Santa Maria Maggiore. However, opera and theater performances were banned in Rome since the papal decree of 1698, so that musical and dramatic compositions could only be created disguised as oratorios. With Il primo omicidioScarlatti created a remarkable musical implementation of the Cain and Abel material described in the Old Testament with an extremely original use of the individual instruments. Unlike many oratorio texts, the libretto is not written in Latin, but in the language of the opera - Italian. One experiences the first murder in human history: Adam and Eve lament their fall, for the sake of which they were expelled from paradise. Abel wants to comfort his parents and promises to offer a lamb to God. But as the firstborn Cain demands the right to make the sacrifice. The first aggressive thoughts of murder attack him. Finally, Cain hears Lucifer's voice, who encourages him to do so. In the field, Cain kills Abel. God rebukes Cain most severely, the first murderer repents.