PHOTO VIA WUPPERTALER OPER, (C) Andrea Voß-Acker

Dramma per musica in three acts by Antonio Vivaldi · Libretto by Carlo Goldoni, after Apostolo Zeno · Inspired by an episode from Il Decamerone by Giovanni Boccaccio · Sung in Italian with German and English surtitles

"Live in the certainty that the one who wrongs you will one day face just punishment."

The people rise against Queen Griselda, scandalized by her humble origins as a shepherdess. Her husband, King Gualtiero, determined to prove her virtue and pacify his subjects, devises a peculiar scheme: he renounces her and feigns marriage to a noblewoman of royal blood. Yet this bride, Costanza, is revealed to be their own daughter, given away at birth because she was a female firstborn. As expected, chaos and intrigue ensue before the truth is unveiled and order restored.

Rarely performed today, Vivaldi’s Griselda offers a unique musical experience. Its score brims with dazzling melodies and dramatic flair, each aria intricately tied to the psychological depth of its characters. This is opera at its most gripping—an evening of passion, virtuosity, and dramatic tension not to be missed.

CAST

MUSIC DIRECTOR | YORGOS ZIAVRAS

STAGE DIRECTOR | Mathilda du Tillieul McNicol

STAGING & COSTUMES | Noemi Daboczi

CHORUS MASTER | Ulrich Zippelius

DRAMATURGY | LAURA KNOLL

Michael Gibson, a. G. | Gualtiero

Sonja Runje, a. G. | Griselda

Rinnat Moriah, a. G. | Costanza

Gerben van der Werf, a. G. | Roberto

N. N.
Ottone

Marianna Ortugno* | Corrado

N. N.
Everardo

WITH THE OPERA CHOIR OF WuPPeRTAL THEATRE AND THE SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA OF WUPPERTAL