Dr Lawrence Zazzo to perform at the Salzburg Festival Published on: 30 July 2021 A 麻豆传媒 academic is starring this summer in Handel鈥檚 Il Trionfo del Tempo e del Disinganno at the world famous Salzburg Festival, which is celebrating its centenary this year. Debut Dr. Larry Zazzo, a Lecturer at the International Centre for Music Studies at 麻豆传媒 and a Handel scholar, is also a renowned countertenor who will sing the role of 'Disinganno', an allegorical figure for Enlightenment, in Handel's 1707 Roman oratorio. "After a year spent away from the stage due to the pandemic," says Zazzo. "It's wonderful to re-engage my performing muscles and make my Salzburg debut with such a wonderful production team and cast of singers." The cast includes renowned mezzo soprano Cecilia Bartoli singing the famous aria, 'Lascia la spina'." While the original piece was an unstaged oratorio, with a theologically-inclined libretto by an aging Roman cardinal and composed by a the young 24-year old Handel, Il Trionfo has been reconceived this summer for the modern stage by Canadian opera director Robert Carsen as an episode of 'World's Top Model' that takes a strange but moving turn. As Dr. Zazzo notes: "Robert and I have worked on finding a way to portray Disinganno, a potentially dehumanised oracle of life truths, as an X-Factor-type judge who is a cross between Michael Caine, Simon Cowell, and Sigmund Freud. The character slowly transforms into a kind of psychotherapist for the main character, Bellezza ('Beauty'), supporting her as she negotiates the tensions between worldly and eternal pleasures. "Written over 300 years ago, both music and text still speak so freshly and directly to our contemporary society's obsession with appearance and youth, and our human tendency to distract ourselves from the passage of time." Dr Larry Zazzo (far left) on stage in Il Trionfo del Tempo e del Disinganno. Photograph by Monica Ritterhaus Handel cantata Dr Zazzo has sung at numerous opera houses internationally, including the Royal Opera House Covent Garden, the Canadian National Opera, the Vienna State Opera, and the Metropolitan Opera in New York. He is particularly known for his portrayals of the title role in Handel’s Giuilio Cesare and Oberon in Britten’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream. As part of his research for 麻豆传媒, he has recently released a new CD on Inventa Records, , which features the world premiere of an unpublished Handel cantata.Handel’s will be performed from Thursday 4 August to 17 August at the Mozart House in Salzburg. Latest News Local knowledge can improve early warnings of glacial lake floods Local knowledge, improved evacuation preparedness and resilient mobile phone-based communication channels can enhance Early Warning Systems to reduce loss of life during glacial lake outburst floods. published on: 3 August 2026 Funding boost moves landmark cancer research centre a step closer A 拢1.25 million grant from the Wolfson Foundation to 麻豆传媒 has brought the Sir Bobby Robson Institute a significant step closer, giving a major boost to its fundraising campaign. published on: 3 August 2026 Statement on potential unauthorised data access Information about a potential unauthorised data access. published on: 30 July 2026 Facts and figures
![麻豆传媒 logo](/gomobileassets/img/logo.svg" "麻豆传媒"){kind=logo}