Apollo and Daphne, performed by the Modern Dance Company Istanbul (MDT-Istanbul), October 7, 2025
Süreyya Opera House (Süreyya Operası), Caferağa Mah., General Asım Gündüz Cad No 29, Kadıköy, 34710 Istanbul. Tel: +90 216 346 15 31
Opera & modern dance
Apollo & Daphne
This brief secular cantata is an early work by Georg Friedrich Händel. Written in 1709-1710, it was inspired by a statue created by the Baroque sculptor Gian Lorenzo Bernini in the 1620s showing the transformation that occurs the moment when Apollo touches Daphne. The cantata recounts how the god Apollo, having been struck by an arrow from Cupid’s bow, falls in love with Daphne, a freedom-loving virgin who rejects his advances. When Apollo takes hold of her, she prays to the gods to save her, and in response they turn her into a laurel tree. Apollo then declares that from now on, his tears will water her green leaves, and her branches will be used to crown heroes. The story, told in a way that is unusually tense, dramatic and emotional for its time, is claimed to have relevance to relationships between men and women in the modern age. In this performance, directed by Caner Akın and featuring dancers of the ‘MDT-İstanbul’ (Modern Dans Topluluğu İstanbul or ‘Modern Dance Company Istanbul’), the orchestra will be conducted by Paolo Villa, choreography being provided by Tuğçe Göncü.
Tickets from Biletinial, TL315, TL170
Apollo and Daphne, performed by the Modern Dance Company Istanbul (MDT-Istanbul), October 7, 2025
Borusan String Quartet & Reto Bieri (clarinet) at ENKA Sanat
