(Photo: Felix Grünscloß)

Although “Siroe, re di Persia” managed a good run of 17 performances, following its premiere at the King’s Theatre, London in 1728, Händel never revived the work. Apart from a couple of productions in Brunswick in 1730 and 1735, it lay dormant until the 20th century, has never managed to establish itself in the repertoire, and remains one of the composer’s lesser established works.

It is not readily apparent as to why the opera has been so consistently overlooked, especially over the past 30 years or more, which has seen a revival of interest in Händel’s operas. Musically, it is a strong work with many excellent arias. The libretto, written by Metastasio, has an exciting narrative. It is a play about power, politics, love, jealousy and betrayal and is full of dramatic incidents and emotional intensity, which pitches father against son, brother against brother, and forces Siroe to choose between his father and Emira, with whom he is passionately in love. One possibility for the neglect may be that the libretto is very convoluted with an intricate web of relationships that occasionally feel contrived and do not always convince; then again, that is hardly unusual for a baroque opera.

A “Game of Thrones” Presentation

The director, Ulrich Peters, identified the fundamental driver behind the narrative as a struggle for raw power of Shakespearian dimensions. The king, Cosroe, a la King Lear, has decided to give up his throne, precipitating a chain of events that sets his two sons, Medarse and Siroe, on a collision course, bolstered by the machinations of Emira, who, possessing the drive and unscrupulous single-mindedness of Lady Macbeth, seeks revenge on Cosroe for killing her father; she also happens to be in love with Siroe, and he with her. Then there is Laodice, the unprincipled mistress of the king, who, in love with Siroe, sees an opportunity of using him to further her own position. The drama unfolds with the characters plotting, deceiving and betraying each other to achieve their own ends in a game that has been played since human society came into existence and continues to do so today.

As such, Peters was not interested in setting the opera in its historical context of Persia in the sixth century AD, nor in any other specific era. Rather, he opted for a “Game of Thrones” type setting, from which the costumes, designed by Christian Floeren, drew their inspiration.

The staging, also designed by Floeren, was a scene of devastation caused by war. Rubble lay strewn across the stage with a large, toppled statue of a Persian head in the centre, behind which stood a heavily damaged tall tower that, when rotated, became a metal spiral staircase. Symbols of violence that secure and undermine power were everywhere; spears, swords and armor are displayed prominently, either as part of the characters’ costumes or as well-placed props that adorned the stage. In its centre, prominently positioned in front of the tower, was the throne, a potent symbol representing power and a constant reminder of what was at stake.

There were occasional set changes, normally aimed at creating a more claustrophobic or intense atmosphere, such as a private room inside the palace or a jail. But the scene was always heavy and oppressive, which Christoph Pöschko’s lighting designs successfully accentuated.

Visually, it was a well-designed staging that captured the underlying sense of violence and intrigue that dominates the narrative while providing a perfect backdrop against which the characters played out the drama.

Following his excellent interpretation of Lemoyne’s “Phèdre” on the previous evening, Attilio Cremonesi returned to the pit, this time to direct the Deutsche Händel Soloisten, with an expressively strong reading that captured the heavy atmosphere and emotional darkness that saturates the drama. It was also a sensitively paced account, measured to meet the dramatic nuances of the narrative.

Stunning Cast Details

It is difficult to see Siroe as a leader, let alone a hero. He is far too passive for that. Rather than confronting problems head-on and dealing with them, he prefers to write an anonymous letter to prevent Emira’s assassination attempt on his father’s life. He simply does not have the strength of character to stop her! Even his accession to the throne did not fill one with any belief in his ability to discharge his duties. Countertenor Rafal Tomkiewicz, cast in the role, despite his expertly sung interpretation, struggled to rescue the character. He did his best to present Siroe as forceful and courageous, and there were certainly instances in which he was successful, as when he found himself in jail refusing to disclose the name of the assassin. Ultimately, however, he was unable to elevate Siroe to a higher level.

There were no such reservations regarding Tomkiewicz’s singing, which was wonderfully expressive and beautifully rendered. Arias were emotionally strong, clearly articulated and showed off his wonderful technique with detailed and imaginative phrasing, replete with sensitively designed ornamentations. His aria, “Deggio morire, o stelle,” sung while held captive and bound in chains, was delivered with expressive depth and honesty, and was certainly one of the high points of the performance. Likewise, his recitatives were relayed with emotional force and expressivity.

Among the many fine performances, soprano Shira Patchornik managed to catch the attention with her convincing characterization of Laodice, whom she portrayed as ambitious and self-serving, albeit inconsistently so. She has an attractive voice and exhibits a secure technique, which she used to spin out beautifully, clear, detailed lines, wonderfully and confidently embellished with pleasing ornamentations. Yet, it was her ability to integrate the decorative with the expressive that made her interpretation so special. Her acting was also of a high order.

Countertenor Filippo Mineccia is a very expressive singer who appears to relish the opportunity of playing the villain and was, therefore, very much at home in the role of the vicious and aggressive Medarse. He fully immersed himself in the character; the more aggressive and nastier he became, the more he impressed. He voiced his dark intentions forcefully and with confidence, accenting the line while enveloping it with emotional strength. Passages of coloratura and leaps were brilliantly incorporated to accentuate his determination and unscrupulousness. His brilliantly designed costume left no one in doubt as to his character.

Bass-baritone Armin Kolarczyk, who produced a compelling performance as Thésée on the previous evening, was this time cast as Cosroe, the Persian King, father of Siroe, and produced another assured performance. Secure and confident, he strode across the stage with a domineering manner, prone to flashes of anger, yet also exhibiting gullibility, in which he was taken in by Medarse, Emira and Laodice, while simultaneously turning against his son Siroe, who is totally loyal to him. His singing was again excellently attuned to promoting his character, using the beautiful colors of his palette, intelligent placing of accents and the emotional strength of his voice.

Baritone Konstantin Ingenpaß acquitted himself well with solid singing and acting performances in the relatively small role of Arasse.

The role of Emira was supposed to have been sung by soprano Sophie Junker. Unfortunately, she had a vocal problem, and mezzo-soprano Annastina Malm stood in at short notice, singing from behind the scenery with Junker acting out the role. Both produced very good performances, with Malm displaying an impressive degree of confidence and expressivity. Of course, having a disembodied voice emanating from a point away from the person miming is never going to fully convince. However, it did enough to allow the performance to go ahead without too much disruption.

Overall, it was a splendid presentation that captured the menace and darkness of the narrative. Although it drew on parallels with the television series “The Game of Thrones,” it was definitely not necessary to have seen the program to fully engage with the production, and the musical performances of all involved, notwithstanding the need to cast a stand-in for Emira, were excellent.