Baroque Splendour with Max Emanuel Cencic

0000: Max Emanuel Cencic steps on stage at Bayreuth for a brilliant Baroque evening with Les Talens Lyriques.

At the Bayreuth Baroque Opera Festival, countertenor Max Emanuel Cencic takes centre stage for an exceptional concert celebrating the legacy of the great castrato Senesino, one of the defining voices of 18th-century opera seria. Recorded in the magnificently restored Margravial Opera House, this programme reflects the artistic vision that has made the festival a major international destination for Baroque opera.

Founder and artistic director of the festival, Cencic has played a central role in reviving rarely performed works from the Baroque repertoire, combining musicological rediscovery with high-level artistic production. In 2024, when soprano Anna Prohaska was forced to withdraw at short notice, Cencic himself stepped in, transforming an unexpected situation into one of the festival’s highlights.

Joined by Les Talens Lyriques under the direction of Christophe Rousset, a leading specialist of French and Italian Baroque music, Cencic delivers a programme dedicated to the repertoire associated with Senesino, the celebrated alto castrato for whom Handel composed many of his greatest roles. The evening brings together arias from landmark operas including Giulio Cesare, Orlando, Rodelinda and Flavio, showcasing the dramatic richness, virtuosity and emotional depth of the opera seria tradition.

Beyond the musical performance, the concert also captures the spirit of the Bayreuth Baroque Opera Festival itself: a place where rediscovered repertoire, historical authenticity and artistic commitment converge in one of Europe’s most remarkable Baroque theatres.

Genre Live Show
Recording location Bayreuth Baroque Opera Festival, Germany
Production year 2024
Duration 1h32
TV Director Julien Condemine