Arno Raunig

Revival of “Il Pomo d’Oro” in Vienna

The Triumph of Arno Raunig

1 April 1989
Vienna · Mozartsaal, Wiener Konzerthaus

Exactly 321 years after its world premiere (1668), the Austrian countertenor and baroque enthusiast Arno Raunig brought Marc’Antonio Cesti’s monumental opera Il Pomo d’Oro (“The Golden Apple”) back to life – the first performance in modern times.

It was a concert staging: the first complete evening presentation of the opera since the 17th century and the first modern Viennese production (prepared by Mag. Heinz Prammer) of this masterpiece, organised by the Wiener Georg Friedrich Händel Verein (founded by Raunig himself in 1986).

He assembled an outstanding ensemble of European baroque specialists, an excellent young cast (16 soloists, including singers who are now famous, such as Kammersängerin Angelika Kirchschlager, Freda McNair and Manfred Equiluz), the orchestra of the Wiener G.F. Händel-Verein, Ensemble Wien Barock (led by José Vázquez) playing on period instruments, and the choir of the Vienna University of Economics and Business.

Musical preparation and overall direction were in the hands of Mag. Heinz Prammer, with expressive gestures that held the entire ensemble together.

The event was sold out and became a sensation in the music world – despite the lack of programme booklets containing the libretto text.

It was precisely this Raunig production that returned Il Pomo d’Oro to the active repertoire and paved the way for all subsequent revivals.

Incidentally: only a few months later (June 1989), another Viennese team (Chor und Orchester Spectaculum under Gerhard Kramer) presented its own version, which leaned heavily on Raunig’s concept and even partly on the same personnel.