John Blow’s “Venus and Adonis” to open at the Polish Royal Opera
The late Baroque composer and his only dramatic work. John Blow’s opera “Venus and Adonis” was written for the court of King Charles II and is considered the oldest surviving English opera. It influenced Henry Purcell’s later work “Dido and Aeneas.”
The performance at the Polish Royal Opera is staged by Pia Partium, alongside Music Director Krzysztof Garstka. Olga Pasiecznik and Anna Radziejewska have been double casted as Venus, while Jakub Foltak and Jan Jakub Monowid alternate as Cupid. The show opens on February 22, with two more shows on February 23 and 25.
The story is based on the classical myth of Venus and Adonis about the love between a goddess and a mortal. The idyllic pastoral landscape is full of mysteries and supernatural events. However, the joyous atmosphere evaporates when Adonis succumbs to the persuasions of beautiful Venus and takes part in a hunt. Wounded by a wild animal, he dies in the arms of his beloved.