The Indian queen Cleofide has to fight on two fronts: During his campaigns of conquest, Alexander the Great threatens her kingdom, and her attempts to combat him with feminine diplomacy are observed with blind jealousy by her partner, King Porus – who has already been thoroughly beaten by Alexander. Until peace is re-established and a double wedding takes place at the end of the opera, intrigues, betrayals, and identity switches take place. In short, confusion reigns. Yet the actual driving force is not political reason, but rather love ... Nowhere else is there so much unbridled suffering and languishing, so much indulging in feelings, as in Baroque operas! »Cleofide« premiered in 1731 at the court of August the Strong. Its success exceeded all expectations; in the following decades, Hasse established Dresden’s worldwide reputation as an opera metropolis with his gorgeous-sounding opere serie in the 'gallant style'.
Opera in three acts by Johann Adolf Hasse. Performed in Italian with German surtitles.
Running time 3 hours
Premiere 26 Mar 2005
Staging: Karoline Gruber
Set Design: Frank Philipp Schlößmann
Costume Design: Henrike Bromber
Lighting Design: Jan Seeger
Dramaturgy: Hella Bartnig
