Official Opening of the Handel Festival

Jephtha is G. F. Handel’s grandiose mature work. He was 66 years old when, in the middle of writing his final original work, he went blind. His last opera before that had been written twelve years previously. And yet this work has irresistible appeal thanks to numerous vivid moments of pure theatrewhich unleash a gripping drama of vows and paternal love. With gigantic choruses and affect-laden arias, in 1752 Handel achieved a pinnacle of musical excellence in his work. Tatjana Gürbaca, one of the most sought-after stage directors of her generation, has already directed works at the operas of Leipzig, Vienna, Zurich, Amsterdam, Oslo and Berlin. For Wagner’s Parsifal at the Vlaamse Opera in Antwerp, a poll of critics organised by Opernwelt magazine designated her “Director of the Year” in 2013. She will be working at Halle Opera for the first time at the 2017 Handel Festival.