Ptolemy, King of Egypt, HWV 25 by Händel, ti 10 maalis 1998, Alkaen (1998/1998), Ohjannut Lindy Hume,, Musiikinjohto Paul Dombrecht, Stadsschouwburg, Bruges, Belgium

Tolomeo, the dethroned king of Egypt, flees to Cyprus where he seeks anonymity and safety away from his mother Cleopatra. Little does he know that both his faithful wife, Seleuce, and his brother Alessandro are looking for him. The disguised Tolomeo unwittingly becomes involved in the amorous and political ambitions of the royal brother and sister (Araspe and Elisa) who rule the island. The journey from utter chaos to its happy ending tests this Egyptian's integrity, trust and love - but in the end, the triumphant Tolomeo regains his throne and his Seleuce. Against an exotic, quasi-historical background, a human story develops about desperate people - in love, in disguise, in exile. Handel's painfully honest musical descriptions express heartbreak, jealousy, ambition, loyalty and true love. Five people are delicately painted here with their good and bad sides. This opera, which premiered in 1728, is Handel's last written for the Royal Academy. The opera was repeated in 1730 and 1733 in different versions, depending on the availability of singers. Arias from other operas were added to replace deleted ones. The story refers to the historical Ptolemy IX Lathyrus, who reigned with his mother, Cleopatra III, in 116 BC. He was deposed in favor of his brother Ptolemy X Alexander and around 106 BC. exiled to Cyprus. 20 years of Music Theater Transparent A response from Lindy Hume "I recall Tolomeo with great fondness and excitement – it was my first production in Europe and to be in Antwerp discovering this beautiful music, the gorgeous singers and the company and the city itself, was delicious yet strange. It’s a feeling I can still remember clearly and will always associate with the music of Tolomeo. My clever colleague Dan Potra had designed a set entirely of paper walls which was gradually torn and slashed and written on and burned. It was a beautiful idea – a fragile membrane between chaos and order - and it looked wonderful under lighting. But it was really hard to work with and extremely noisy and drove me crazy after a few weeks, so I’m sure the singers and conductor hated it. But Tolomeo has some of Handel’s most fantastic arias and scenes, particularly the incredible “stille amare” suicide scene and the rock and roll nihilism of “Son qual rocca”. It’s an amazingly emotional and bizarre piece, a bit like a dream-landscape and just thinking about it now makes me want to hear it again. Tolomeo is also special because it was the beginning of a very long and joyful friendship with Guy and Luc which has lasted many years, bringing us together in many different cities, countries and situations! I have much to thank Tolomeo for."