„Blond Eckbert“ & „Acis und Galatea“

Weir's music is consistently melodic, exceptionally vivid and expressive. Her two-act opera is performed together with George Frideric Handel's Pastorale in two acts "Acis und Galatea", which is based on Ovid's mythical and ancient material.

Mozart adapted Handel's opera in 1788, in particular adapting the instrumentation to his time. The work depicts the tragic love story between the water nymph Galatea and the shepherd Acis: After they have finally found each other after a separation, the jealous cyclops Polyphemus kills Acis. Galatea turns her dead lover into a spring in whose waters she is forever united with him.

Since its founding in 2005, the Potsdam Winter Opera has carried Potsdam's 250-year opera tradition into the present. This year, Justin Doyle, chief conductor of the RIAS Chamber Choir, takes over the direction of the winter opera for the first time and, together with the English director Joe Austin, sets out in search of the connections between the two works: they look at people in harmony with nature and at the same time expose their vulnerability of this condition visible and audible.

The Potsdam Winter Opera is a co-production of the Potsdam Chamber Academy and the Hans Otto Theater.

Musical direction Justin Doyle

Directed by Joe Austin

Stage/Costumes Anna Orton

Choreography Emma Woods

Eckbert Dominik Koeninger

Berthe Heather Lowe

Walther/Damon Oliver Johnston

Bird Aoife Miskelly

Galatea Catherine Ruckgaber

Acis Sam Furness

Polyphemus Michael Mofidian