13.09.2025

OLIVIA VERMEULEN with Scarlatti's "Il primo omicidio" in Wroclaw

Evil knows no consolation. Cain kills his brother Abel, committing the first murder in human history. The feelings of envy, inequality and injustice as a source of immoral behaviour and vigilante justice are the themes of Alessandro Scarlatti's Cain, ovvero Il primo omicidio.

With this oratorio, which premiered in Venice in 1710 and is based on a text by Pietro Ottoboni, Scarlatti created a remarkable musical interpretation of the story of Cain and Abel described in the Old Testament, making extremely original use of the individual instruments. Unlike many oratorio texts, the libretto is not written in Latin, but in the language of the opera – Italian. We witness the first murder in human history: Adam and Eve lament their fall from grace, for which they were expelled from paradise.

After mezzo-soprano Olivia Vermeulen made her debut at the Opéra de Paris in the role of Abel and subsequently performed it at the Berlin State Opera, the work is now being revived in concert form – with almost the same cast – as part of this year's Wratislavia Cantans music festival in Wrocław, Poland. 

Cast

Kristina Hammarström, Caino
Olivia Vermeulen, Abel
Robin Johannsen, Eva
Thomas Walker, Adamo
Benno Schachtner, Voice of God
Arttu Kataja, Voice of Lucifer

Clemens Flick, conductor
Wrocław Baroque Orchestra
Boris Begelman, concertmaster
Jarosław Thiel, Artistic Director, Wrocław Baroque Orchestra