La Cetra's Barockorchester and Vokalensemble performed Vivaldi's opera “L'Olimpiade” a few years ago, with the rather complicated libretto that Metastasio wrote for Antonio Caldara in Vienna in 1733. It was so successful that 70 other composers set it to music. In a nutshell, it's about cheating at the Olympic Games, where the athletic Megacles competes on behalf of his good friend Licida in order to win the prize for him—the hand of the Cretan princess Aristea. Of course, it turns out that Aristea is Megacles' secret lover, while Licida's lost bride Argene suddenly reappears... Although everything ends happily after some turmoil, the audience should learn from this that dishonesty in sport has always caused problems! In the latest edition of “L'opera ritrovata,” La Cetra return to this subject matter, but this time in one of the other settings, in the classic Neapolitan style of Domenico Cimarosa: Today, this composer is mainly remembered for his sensitive instrumental compositions—such as the beautiful concerto for two flutes—and as the formerly famous author of highly successful opere buffe such as “Il matrimonio segreto.” However, his completely forgotten opere serie are also of particular interest, and so “L'Olimpiade” also contains treasures that only an extremely talented ensemble of singers, such as the one La Cetra has assembled, can adequately master.
Tickets are CHF 25-85 for adults, half-price for students, and CHF 10 for children up to age 12.

Website
lacetra.ch/en/konzerte/domenico-cimarosa-lolimpiade/

Where
Martinskirche
Martinskirchplatz 4
4051 Basel

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