Royal Academy Opera: La vera costanza

Haydn’s La vera costanza (True Constancy) was written for his great patrons the Esterhazy family, and first performed at their palace in 1779. A true ensemble piece, it tells of the fishermaid Rosina, whose constancy to Count Errico (to whom she is secretly married and by whom she has a child) is tested by a plotting Baroness and her entourage. An extravagant tale — with a happy ending — gives Haydn opportunities for a score bristling with impressive individual arias and outstanding multipartite finales. Royal Academy Opera is delighted to welcome back the distinguished Principal Guest Conductor of the Academy’s Concert Orchestra, Trevor Pinnock, who conducted Haydn’s La fedelta premiata here in 2009. Jamie Hayes has previously directed highly successful scenes for Royal Academy Opera; this is his first full opera for the Academy.