Premiere of the oratorio Isacco: Faith drama in Vienna's chamber opera!

Premiere of the oratorio Isacco: Faith drama in Vienna's chamber opera!

On June 5, 2025, the time had finally come: The Chamber Opera in Vienna celebrated the premiere of the oratorio "Isacco" from the impressive composer Marianna Martines. This musical masterpiece, which is based on a libretto of Pietro Metastasio, tells the dramatic history of Isaak's sacrifice by Abraham, an episode from the Old Testament that can be interpreted so complex. The biblical events are not only illuminated in its tragedy, but also linked to a perspective on the New Testament and the Passion of Christ. According to OnlineRerker , the musical performance is extremely stimulating, while the scenic implementation is perceived as lacking.

Marianna Martines, born when Anna Catharina on May 4, 1744 in Vienna, was known for her extraordinary musical talents. She not only played harpsichords, but also commented and knew how to convince at a young age. The composer was closely connected to the Vienna Court Culture and enjoyed lessons with greats like Joseph Haydn and Nicola Porpora. Her acquaintance with Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and her weekly music exercise in her salon testify to her influential place in music history. The Theater Vienna emphasizes that Martines' works are unfortunately rarely listed today, although they were one of the important composers of their time.

The action of "Isacco"

The plot of the oratorio "Isacco Figura del Redentore" (Isaak, model for the rescuer) revolves around the crucial moment when an angel is Abraham to sacrifice his son Isaak. The pressure on Abraham is high, but God intervenes and replaces Isaak with a ram. Abraham's belief confirms this crucial turn. Metastasio has expanded the story to a libretto of around 30 pages and integrated additional figures such as Sara, the mother of Isaak, and Gamari. The second part in particular shows the inner tornness of Sara, which is impatiently waiting for Abraham and Isaac's return. Abraham's enlightenment and the subsequent vision, which gives an idea of ​​the connection with the victim of Jesus, give the story another deep meaning.

The director Eva-Maria Höckmayr makes her debut in Vienna with this staging. Interestingly, the performance in Italian with German and English overtitles takes place, which makes the work accessible to a wider audience. Half an hour before the start of the introduction, an introduction to the work is offered to bring the complexes closer to the viewers.

The way to immortality

Despite her important contributions to music history, Marianna Martines was somewhat forgotten. Your remarkable achievements, discussed by contemporaries and experts, were often only mentioned in passing. Not only was she an excellent musician, but also founded her own singing school and was a formative figure at the Wiener Hof. Her oratorio "Isacco" became a remarkable success during her lifetime, written in memory of Metastasio, which had died shortly before the premiere. But in the general public, the fame of Martines was unnoticed - a late beacon that does not do justice to her compositional skills, as wikipedia

Overall, the recent premiere "Isacco" in the Chamber Opera shows that it is high time to rediscover the works of this talented composer and to appreciate her place in music history.