The murder of Abel by his brother Cain is one of those subjects that fascinated a century preoccupied by theological matters. That first murder was to engender all humanity and cast the ambiguous figure of Cain in the role of the father of civilisation. In the wake of Moses und Aron, stage director Romeo Castellucci returns to the Paris Opera with this oratorio, exploring its metaphysical dimension and the role of evil within the divine plan. Scarlatti’s music evokes the theme.