Fabio Ceresa revives Baroque opera Il Pomo d'oro in Innsbruck

The 1668 baroque opera Il Pomo d'oro by Antonio Cesti is being performed in Innsbruck for the first time in modern history, marking the 50th anniversary of the Festwochen der Alten Musik. Directed by Fabio Ceresa, the production uses a reconstruction by Ottavio Dantone that stitches together fragments of the original manuscript to cover 47 roles performed by 20 singers over two evenings at the Tiroler Landestheater.

The staging blends baroque spectacle with contemporary theatrical language, featuring elaborate set pieces, machinery and visual effects that echo the original’s massive scale. Historically, the opera cost Emperor Leopold I about 100,000 gulden—roughly 1 % of the imperial budget, equivalent to over €1 billion today—highlighting its status as a lavish court extravaganza.