Artaserse

Performed as an opera for the first time since the 1740s, Hasse’s Artaserse will hit Sydney’s City Recital Hall today for a week of stunning performances. Featuring a cast of renowned and award-winning performers, Artaserse is set to take audiences on a journey of love, betrayal and excitement, heightened by the thrill of the opera. Produced by Pinchgut Opera, the company brings Hasse’s Artaserse to Australia for the very first time, with a stellar cast including Vivica Genaux, David Hansen, Carlo Vistoli and Emily Edmonds. 

Emily Edmonds plays Semira, lover of Artaserse, and when asked how the characters of the show navigate their relationships she says, “it’s two love stories overlapping each other and a lot of intrigue and drama mixed together.” 

With regard to her approach toward playing Semira, Edmonds talks about the style of this particular opera, saying, “baroque opera offers a lot of exciting acting opportunities in terms of the way you play a character.” 

Having never been shown in Australia and being performed as an opera for the first time since the 1700s, this season of Artaserse will be an exciting one. “Something really interesting about this version of the piece is that it hasn’t been performed, this musical version, since 1740 something, and that’s exciting to be a part of,” says Edmonds. “Opera excites me as a theatre-lover because everything that you can do in theatre is amplified by the presence of music so all of the emotions, all of the text, all of the drama…it’s heightened because of the music and that for me is really exciting.” 

Until Dec 5. City Recital Hall, 2 Angel Place, Sydney. $93-$183+b.f. Tickets & Info: https://opera.org.au/whatson/events/pinchgut-vivica-genaux

By Madison Behringer