| Niederländische Oper | ||
| Ivor Bolton | Dirigent | |
| Claus Guth | Regisseur | |
| Katrin Lea Tag | Bühnenbild, Kostüme | |
| Richard Croft | Tenor | Jephtha |
| Wiebke Lehmkuhl | Alt | Storgé |
| Anna Prohaska | Sopran | Iphis |
| Bejun Mehta | Countertenor | Hamor |
| Florian Boesch | Bariton | Zebul |
| Ana Quintans | Sopran | Angel |
| Chor der Niederländischen Oper | ||
| Concerto Köln | ||
| Sommer Ulrickson | Choreographie |
Between hope and fear
Jephtha tells the biblical story (in the book of Judges) of a commander-in-chief who had to sacrifice his daughter because of a rash promise he made to God. In the version by Händel’s librettist Thomas Morell, an angel comes between them at the last moment and the daughter’s life is spared.
The personal circumstances in which this wonderful work was created were tragic. As Handel’s eyesight started to fail rapidly, the composer found it extremely difficult to create the work. A couple of years later, Handel was completely blind.
In a parable, director Claus Guth (previous productions: Un ballo in maschera, Don Giovanni) tells the ancient story of a loser who cannot escape the ill-fated cycle of his life. After being cast out, Jephtha gets the chance to return to his community, but then he takes the wrong decision. Hope alternates with fear.
Ivor Bolton is appearing for the second time this season, after Le nozze di Figaro; this time as musical director of the Baroque orchestra Concerto Köln (performances with Dutch National Opera: Samson, Ercole amante, Deidamia and Ariodante).
