Pinchgut Opera brings Alessandro Scarlatti’s (1660-1725) simmering artistry to the stage in this brilliantly conceived production of his opera The First Murder (Il primo omicidio).

Described on its cover as an oratorio for six voices, The First Murder premiered as a trattenimento sacro (sacred entertainment) in 1707 Venice, in place of operatic entertainment, most likely in private, as theatres were closed for Lent. Despite the esteem in which he was held, Scarlatti fretted about his reception by Venetian audiences whom he regarded as insigne ed erudite (distinguished and erudite). Two of his other operas were criticised, but nothing is known of the response to Il primo omicidio.

The cast of Pinchgut Opera’s The First Murder. Photo © Anna Kučera

More recently, Il primo omicidio has enjoyed a renaissance with Romeo Castellucci’s vision at the Paris Opera in 2019, reprised in Berlin. Philippe Jaroussky conducted a concert version for TV in Montpelier in 2021. Bilbao (2023) and the Salzburg (2021) and Beaune (2025) Festivals have also hosted seasons. René Jacobs’ 1998 recording remains a landmark.

Pinchgut Opera is keeping Sydney in good company with this presentation. Director Dean Bryant not only sets this Biblical tale in contemporary times, underscoring the universality of the story’s perennial themes, but also places it in the Australian vernacular. It is simultaneously allegorical and real.

Conducting from the harpsichord, Artistic Director Erin Helyard has augmented the original scoring for strings and continuo (the instruments providing the harmonies to the melodies in the strings) with theorbo, harp, organ and regal – a small 16th-century organ comprising reeds, resonators and bellows – joining the elite 17-strong Orchestra of the Antipodes under the disciplined yet virtuosic leadership of Matthew Greco.

Bryant has an ingenious creative team and Helyard, a finely tailored coterie of solo singers, with soprano Sara Macliver as Eve and tenor Kyle Stegall as Adam. Soprano Madison Nonoa and mezzo-soprano Ashlyn Tymms sing the roles of Abel and Cain, which are acted silently in parallel by Ty Arnott and Ewan Herdman. Mezzo-soprano Stephanie Dillon sings God and Freddy Shaw is Lucifer.

Scarlatti’s delectable score is all but operatic in title with its instrumental overture, recitatives, da capo arias, duets and sinfonias. His graphic musical writing with its crunching chromatics, rising and falling figures and major/minor pivots illustrate rippling streams, deep love, anguish, bristling sibling rivalry, scorching murderous jabs and redemption. Abel’s recitatives have a richer accompaniment, while God’s are dryer and declamatory. Lucifer is accompanied by the regal – a malevolent wheeze from the underworld.

The first humans, Adam and Eve, have been expelled from the Garden of Eden. They arrive at a bleak beach for a family picnic with their adolescent sons Cain and Abel. Here, God and Lucifer battle for the soul of Cain. Innocence is lost as evil intrudes on purity.

The casting is perfect. The ensemble works cohesively drawing together the several elements of the performance – voice, instruments, actors and videography. The integration of the actors into the action liberates the singers from meeting the more visceral aspects of the roles. The actors express themselves and their fraught relationship with tremendous athleticism and grace. The da capo arias, sung with pure tones polished with a touch of vibrato, allow for a simple narration of the story, followed up with masterful ornamentation which further draws out characters and events.

Stephanie Dillon, Ewan Herdman, Ty Arnott, Sara Macliver and Kyle Stegall in The First Murder. Photo © Anna Kučera

Macliver sings with great sensitivity, agility and beauty of tone, notably her renditions of the loving Caro sposo and the lamenting Sommo dio. Stegall is a tender and dutiful father with a resounding tenor voice beautifully displayed in Piango la prole esangue. Together they are confused and remorseful parents who have fallen on hard times.

As Abel, Nonoa is all wide-eyed innocence and lamb-like sacrifice. Her soaring and finely embellished aria from beyond the grave, Non piangete is worth the wait. Tymms gives her portrayal of Cain more movement, her richly coloured mezzo evident in the murderous monologue Mascheratevi o miei sdegni, a splendid foil to Nonoa’s incandescent coloratura.

Dillon’s creamy and compelling lower range is on display in L’olocausto del tu Abelle; while bass-baritone Freddy Shaw is thrilling as a sinister Lucifer, showing off his chops in Nel potere.

There are numerous fine moments from the orchestra. Greco and fellow violinist Rafael Font play several duets amid solo moments from Greco, notably the three-part overture akin to a concerto for violin. With powerful singing and dramatic talent on stage, the added layer of videography seems redundant, even distracting, especially as the characters involved, God and Lucifer, give sovereign performances off camera as well. On the flip side, there is no shortage of musical and visual narrative whichever way you look.

Pinchgut Opera’s production of The First Murder plays at the Roslyn Packer Theatre, Sydney until 31 May. More information here.