Family version

The American countertenor Lawrence Zazzo loves magic: as “The Great Zazzini”, he used to perform at children’s birthday parties, delighting his young audience with magic tricks. He wasn’t an opera fan back then, but now he feels at home when singing and on stage, he says. The same goes for Juri Tetzlaff, who is just as popular as a Kika host as he is as a classical music educator. “I don’t do it in a preachy way, but try to convey classical music with humour, intuition and love.”

In Göttingen, the two are devoting themselves to the story of the Tartar warrior Tamerlano. Lawrence Zazzo embodies the malicious ruler whose rage gradually fades, giving way to compassion and benevolence. He renounces the hand of the Turkish princess Asteria and generously hands her over to his rival Andronico. The transformation of his feelings and the triumph of humanity is masterfully portrayed by George Frideric Handel in his 1724 opera, with its delicately crafted melodies.